About the role:
This is a 12 month, new role, with unaccompanied terms based in Niamey with a salary of Grade 2 €35,087 – 38,986 with benefits.
You will report to the Country Financial Controller (CFC) and will support Finance Managers, Finance Officers (FOs), Finance Assistants (FA), Cashier and work closely with Country Management team, Budget Holders, Shared Service Accountant, Regional Accountant, Desk Officer, Field and Niamey Finance Team, Partner Organisations
We would like you to start as soon as possible.
Your purpose:
To provide support to the CFC to ensure the effective functioning of the finance department in the field locations by providing day to day technical support and work with national and INGO partners.
The post holder will coordinate finance issues and build the capacity of national staff for both Concern and partners, and support national staff to manage and carry out the work on the finance function. The post holder will report directly to the CFC. You will be located in Niamey but the position requires 30% travel to field locations (currently: Tahoua, Diffa and Tillabéry)
You will be responsible for:
Financial Control:
- Guided by Country Finance Controller and his/her team, ensure that Concern Worldwide financial policies and procedures are adhered to and implemented in a standardised manner.
- In consultation with the CFC conduct periodic visits to field offices.
- Closely monitor all programme financial activities, and keep the Programme Director, Systems Director
- Country Finance Controller informed of all situations which have the potential to negatively impact internal controls or financial management performance.
- Assist the field office budget holders in conducting the budget revision process, ensuring that appropriate levels of technical support and guidance are provided to all budget holders during the process of preparing the subsequent revisions.
- Support the field finance department’s activities and schedules to meet the financial reporting requirements and deadlines specified by donors and Dublin HQ.
- Ensure that steps are taken to mitigate the risks of fraud, including conducting random checks on large payments carried out in the field
- Participation in donor / annual audits
Financial and Donor Reporting:
- Assist budget holders with preparation of donor budgets; interpretation of budgeting guidelines; ensure compliance with donor regulations and ensure their incorporation into the country annual operating budget & revisions and monthly budget monitoring ;
- Assist the Country Finance Controller with external (donor, annual statutory, partner organisation, government, etc.) and internal control audits as required ;
- Reconcile all balance sheet items on a timely basis, in accordance with Concern Worldwide policies & procedures.
Partnership:
- Undertake the financial assessment of potential Partners on a timely and comprehensive basis, realisation and consolidation of finance part of CILPAT for new local NGOs partnerships ;
- Ensure that all CILPAT documentation are being maintained on the Partner File for future reference ;
- Monitoring For each Partner, using CILPAT and any other available material as a basis, prepare a.
Partner Monitoring Programme
- Perform regular Transaction Audits in accordance with the Partner Monitoring Programme ;
- Summarize financial assessment findings and recommend whether engaging with a Partner is workable with resources available ;
- Ensure Partner Reports and findings are circulated to all interested parties within Concern and the Partner. Ensure all documentation relating to Concern‘s financial relationship with the partner is filed correctly and updated where necessary ;
- Verification of justifications of partners’ expenses, support/advice missions, training ;
- Support in the reconciliation of the BS: advances made to partners.
Staff Management & Capacity Building:
- Support training of National Finance staff in Concern systems and general accounting best practice ;
- Facilitate and provide basic training, technical support and guidance to the country programme staff, particularly budget holders, for skills improvement in the areas of budget preparation and monitoring ; budget revision, reporting, and internal control. This includes assisting them in understanding their management accounts ;
- Under guidance of CFC help to develop and implement staff development plan for field office finance department staff.
Donor Management:
- Preparing donor financial reports and ensure the reports are shared with relevant persons in HQ, DO, RA, PDs and CFC ;
- Ensure that donor reports tie back to the general ledger from GP and donor original budgets ;
- Follow up and support on mapping of donor budgets against Concern Chart of Account.
Other Financial tasks:
- Contribute to the development, review, and revision of financial and systems related procedures ;
- Ensure all the relevant staff members (CFC, PD Programmes, Project Manager and Country Director) sign off financial assessment ;
- Ensure an updated risk assessment is completed at least annually and is signed off by Senior Management after each field visit. Prepare and disseminate a Partner Visit Report ;
- Ensure programme staff are aware of their responsibilities regarding monitoring of partners. Ensure sign off from appropriate senior Programme representatives is obtained on the CILPAT, Partner Monitoring Programme, partner financial & narrative reports and Annual Risk Review ;
- When needed, assist the Country Financial Manager in the process of obtaining explanations of variances between budget and actual spending and income and make necessary adjustments in cases of incorrect accounting entries ;
- In coordination with the HR Manager, manage the budgeting of national staff and HR budget monitoring ;
- Assist the CFC in ensuring compliance with Concern Worldwide policies and procedures in respect of cash management and assume responsibilities in the implementation of country specific policies such as authorisation limits, cash holding limits, cash movements, credit terms, advance payments, use of cash payment instruments ;
- Any other tasks mutually agreed with CFC.
Concern Code of Conduct and Associated:
- Ensure adherence to the Concern Code of Conduct and Associated Policies ;
- Ensure finance staff understanding and adhere to the Concern Code of Conduct and Associated Policies ;
- Ensure the Core Humanitarian Standards (CHS) are understood by finance staff.
Confidentiality
- Ensure the non-disclosure of any information whatsoever acquired in the course of duty, relating to the practices and business of Concern Worldwide, to any other person or Organization without authority, except in normal execution of the above duties
- Ensure strict guardianship and security of financial data and documents at all times, including secure storage, accurate & complete filing and limiting access to the finance office to authorised personnel only.
Your skills and experience will include:
Essential
- University degree with a background in finance, management, administration or a related field ;
- Part or fully qualified Accountant ;
- 3/4 years finance experience including donor and management reporting, accounting, staff and partner management and some capacity building initiatives (coaching, mentoring or training). Some overseas experience in emergency or development contexts a distinct advantage ;
- Experience in donor budgeting and financial reporting ;
- Experience working with a diverse range of institutional donors (especially USAID, ECHO, UN Agencies) ;
- Experience in managing large programme budgets ;
- Strong analytical skills ;
- Experience in training finance and non-finance staff ;
- Good oral and written French and English communication skills ;
- Good team player and able to adapt to different cultures ;
- Experience of working in a high-pressured, results focused and dynamic environment ;
- Good understanding of donors and donor requirements ;
- Strong computer skills particularly Microsoft Office ;
- Exposure to accounting software; knowledge of Microsoft Great plains would be an advantage.
Desirable
- Experience of work in Niger or the Sahel region ;
- Experience in working in a complex emergency context ;
- Experience in working with partners.
Special Skills, Aptitude or Personality Requirements:
- Cross cultural awareness and sensitivity;
- Empathy with Concern’s goals and a commitment to capacity building, protection and participation ;
- Excellent communication and training / capacity building skills ;
- Ability to mentor and capacity build national staff ;
- Proven organisation, planning and management skills ;
- Ability to work on own initiative and lead diverse teams ;
- Openness to learning whilst being flexible and adaptable to a changing challenging environment ;
- Strong interpersonal and team work skills with patience and sense of humour ;
- Ability to work under pressure often to strict deadlines ;
- Knowledge of computer applications i.e. Microsoft packages: Excel, Word, and Outlook.
- Willing to travel frequently.
All applications should be submitted through our website at https://jobs.concern.net by closing date. CVs should be no more than 4 pages in length.
Les candidatures en francais sont les bienvenus.
Due to the urgency of this post, we may offer the role before the closing date.