Senior Finance Officer- for Donor Reports and Budgets (Re Advert)

Period ofEmployment:- 2 Years withpossibilityofExtension

Main duties & Responsibilities:

1.Preparation of Donor Budgets

• Review and fully understand donor guidelines, advise grant managers on significant issues/requirements
• Review draft budgets prepared by programme/other staff for completeness, reasonableness/compliance with donor requirements
• Ensure that activities, procurements are properly costed, extended and accurate in arithmetic.
• Ensure that appropriate levels of staff costs are built into all donor budgets so that these can be covered to the fullest extent possible without drawdown of GD budget.
• Ensure that appropriate levels of overhead costs are built into all donor budgets so that these can also be covered to the fullest extent possible without drawdown of GD budget
• Assist the programme staff in preparing budget narratives, if required.
• Mapping donor budgets against Concern Chart of Account.
• Help address any queries/feedbacks on donor budgets.
• Ensure appropriate and updated soft and hard copy filing and documentation for all donors in consultation & support with SFO compliance staff
• Update/ inform to be updated GMS for changes to donor profiles and budgets for grant unit (as they have access)

2.Preparation of Donor Reports

• Develop a thorough understanding of donor reporting requirements and guidelines.
• Draft donor expenditure reports using the appropriate financial reporting format and appropriate currency
• Ensure that the reports tie into the latest Donor budgets and accurately reflect costs recorded as per DMA/GL for the period.
• Review and amend the final donor report based on review/feedback.
• Help address any queries/feedbacks on any donor reports.
• Ensure that necessary deadlines for donor financial reports are met.
• Ensure that GMS is updated with copies of all donor reports
• Ensure appropriate and updated soft and hard copy filing and documentation regarding donor report
• Ensure that donor reporting deadlines are met.

3.Monitoring the status of donor grants

• Ensure that DMAs are set up for all grants with accurate and up to date budgets
• Review monthly DMAs for all grants and advise on a significant issues that may arise with donor reporting
• Work with the unit Manager to assist budget holders to identify when budget revisions/NCEs/CEs etc. may be required
• Support the development of requests for such budget revisions and changes.
• Participate as requested in periodic Grant Management and monthly Budget Monitoring Meetings. Work with finance team on timely closure of Open action points.
• Ensure that head office Support cost are posted to all grants up to or proportionate to the cash received amount

4.Organisational Budget & Financial Reporting:

• Assist as appropriate in the preparation of annual and revised country budgets (AB and BRs) and help address donor related feedback received from HQ team (primary responsibility lies with CFC).
• Assist as appropriate in the production of periodic financial reporting pack (FRP) and address donor related feedback received from HQ team (primary responsibility lies with CFC).

5.Monitoring Donor Balances:

• Work with the unit Manager to regularly review outstanding income/balances with donors so that the organization can realize all dues.

6.General Financial Responsibilities:

• The role will be required to assist in general financial duties mainly but not restricted to the following:
• Processing of month end report Cash and/or Bank book review
• Preparation of journals
• Field visits
• Work in this regard will be coordinated by the Assistant CFC and will be designed to complement and not impede budgeting/reporting responsibilities.

7.Audits and Compliance:

• Work closely with the Senior Finance Compliance Officer during donor, internal and external annual audits. Ensure adequate preparation and participation, with his/her team, during these audits.
• Assist with management responses to donor/internal/external audits to the auditors within the given timeframe and audit recommendations are implemented for donor compliance.

8.Risk Management and Controls:

• Closely monitor financial status of grants and advise unit Manager on all situations that have the potential for a negative impact on donor relations.

9.Team Management & Capacity Building:

• Assist in building the capacity of finance staff supervised to ensure good standards of financial management is maintained.
• Provide finance orientation to budget-holders, to assist them in enforcing financial controls, donor compliance and assisting them in making informed decisions based on financial reports.

10.Managing the VAT Refund Scheme for US Government Grants

• Understand and keep up to date on how the scheme operates
• Each month, obtain details of all VAT incurred on US Government funded activities
• Identify, assemble and review the documents supporting the underlying transactions
• Determine in each case whether they seem adequate to secure a VAT refund where the answer is negative seek to fix any gaps.
• Assemble the documents into claims, complete the necessary paperwork and submit the claims to ERCA.
• Receive and review all settlements and ensure that they match claims investigating any differences
• Follow-up on outstanding claims
• Where claims are rejected seek to fix the gaps identified and to resubmit the claims.
• Ensure that full records are maintained in an easily accessible form so that we can readily know the status of claims by grant, by originating period and other relevant criteria.
• Consider the need for provisions against the amount of VAT shown as refundable on the Balance Sheet and advise CFC/Assistant CFC of the adequacy of existing provisions.

11.Other Duties:

• Representative in special task forces and committees
• Adhere to the standards of conduct outlined in the Program Participant Protection Policy and Concern Code of Conduct.
• Undertake any other duties as may reasonably be assigned by CFC and/or Assistant CFC.

Gender Equity

• Demonstrate understanding of Concern Ethiopias Gender Equality Strategy
• Contribute to ensuring that Concern Ethiopia is a place where men and women are treated equally and with dignity and respect
• Demonstrate gender equality awareness and gender sensitivity and an ability to integrate a gender equality perspective into tasks and activities

Accountability

• In line with Concerns commitments under the Core Humanitarian Standard (CHS):
• actively promote meaningful community participation and consultation at all stages of the project cycle (planning, implementation, M&E);
• work with relevant colleagues to ensure that the Complaints and Response Mechanism (CRM) is functional and accessible, that feedback and complaints are welcomed and addressed; work with relevant colleagues to ensure that information about CRM, safeguarding and expected staff behaviour is disseminated among programme participants and communities.

Emergency response

• Concern is committed to responding to emergencies efficiently and effectively in order to help affected people meet their basic needs, alleviate suffering and maintain their dignity. To this end, when emergencies strike and the Ethiopian Programme is to respond, all staff are required to actively participate in the response, regardless of location and contribute to the efforts aimed at achieving the humanitarian objective of the organization.

Safeguarding

• Able to seek appropriate advice and report concerns, and feel confident that they have been understood.
• Understands local safeguarding structures and arrangements.
• Practises in a manner that seeks to reduce the risk of abuse, harm or neglect.
• Identifies and refers to appropriate services any other associated persons including carers, family members and children at risk.
• Able to document safeguarding concerns, and maintain appropriate record keeping, recording the wishes and views of the adult or child at risk, differentiating between fact and opinion.

Personal specification

Essential:

• Honesty and Integrity
• BA degree in Accounting
• At least three years of experience at senior finance officer level in an INGO.
• Self-motivated
• Computer literate
• Good communication skills

Competencies:

Desirable:

• BA/MA/ACCA/CPA accredited. Al least 8 years of experience for BA degree
• Knowledge of donor rules and regulations,
• Practical experience of preparing reports and budgets for some of the biggest international institutional donors.
• Must be computer literate with a comprehensive knowledge of MS Excel and Accounting packages.
• Fluency in English.
• Special Skills, Aptitude or Personality Requirements:

Essential:

• Good Communication skills
• Skills in time management and prioritizing
• Ability and willingness to work as part of a team

Personal attributes;

• Problem solver and ready to develop and train others

• Highly motivated, energetic and enthusiastic

What we offer

• A competitive salary and benefit package
• Excellent medical benefits (100% cover including dependents)
• 20 days annual leave
• 26 weeks (paid) maternity leave, 18 weeks (unpaid) parental leave