Internal/ External Vacancy Announcement
About CRS: “Catholic Relief Services carries out the commitment of the Bishops of the United States to assist the poor and vulnerable overseas. Our Catholic identity is at the heart of our mission and operations. We welcome as a part of our staff and as partners people of all faiths and secular traditions who share our values and our commitment to serving those in need.”
In Ethiopia, CRS has a long and rich history of providing emergency relief and development assistance to the people of Ethiopia since 1958. At present, CRS/Ethiopia implements multiple projects through different partner organizations. CRS/Ethiopia has a highly diverse portfolio currently focusing on community-based food and livelihood security through activities in agriculture, health, peacebuilding, WASH, emergency relief, and savings and lending. CRS is active in nearly all regions of Ethiopia: Tigray, Amhara, Oromia, Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region (SNNPR), Somali, Benishangul Gumuz, Afar, and Dire Dawa Regions.
CRS strictly adheres to its Policy on Protection of Children and Vulnerable Adults among its staff, consultants, volunteers, and affiliates. CRS is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer: women, minorities and people with disabilities are encouraged to apply.
As part of CRS family, you will join the more than 5000 strong and vibrant individuals working globally to accomplish the mission of CRS. CRS/Ethiopia invites you, the qualified candidate, to apply for the following positions;
Position Title: | Finance Officer |
Duty Station: | Addis Ababa |
Employment term: | Indefinite period |
Reports to: | D/Finance Manager, Programming |
Purpose of the Position:
The Finance Officer for Projects (FOP), together with Senior Finance Officer Programming form the core team of finance professionals and are the key point of contact for Country Program sub recipient specific finance issues. A key responsibility of the Finance Officer is to support sound program financial management capacity of the CP, to support the overall coordination and delivery of the program support functions in the finance department (accounting, budget monitoring, reporting and accuracy of Sun Systems ledger accounts.). FOP must also ensure compliance to policies, procedures, donors’ & local government requirements. Special responsibility of FOP is to support all efforts to ensure that CRS’ private resources and donors’ grants are properly managed and all regulations/requirements applicable to those funds are fully complied with. It is also FOP duty to support implementation of the sub-recipient policy while ensuring that advances issued to partners are properly accounted for and liquidated within the established deadlines and the liquidation documentation is in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles and in compliance with CRS and donor requirements. The FOP prepares financial information to promote good stewardship and manage risks.
Key /Specific Duties and Responsibilities:
Undertaking Partners Monitoring Activities · Assess the technical capacity of new partners in relation to internal control in order to report thereon and avail possible support from CRS/Ethiopia. · Prepares partners/PDPs visit schedules (e.g. annual, semiannual, quarterly), and tracking system to ensure partners are visited at least once every quarter to resolve issues, understand partners’/PDPs environment and process to report on shortfalls and recommendations. · Reconcile regularly (quarterly or semiannually as appropriate) CRS ledger balances with partner ledger balance for all projects and document the final result. · Giving orientation about CRS policies and procedures, donor requirements and basic accounting principles during project startups, refresher training and annual partners’ training. · Report on questioned cost by project and by partner to program department on quarterly basis and follow up for liquidation. · Prepare ageing report for partner advances and follow up with project officers and project accountants for swift liquidation. · Participate in the project management team and take action as recommended in the progress meeting.
Reviewing Sub-recipient Liquidation Documents · Reviewing staff liquidations, ascertains costs incurred are allowable, allocable within project period, and in line with approved budget line item, agreement and CRS/ET policies. · Makes sure that all documents presented for liquidation by staff are accurate, valid, original and cross referenced. · Prepare journal entries for accepted expenditures and apply the right account, project code, rate and other transaction (T) codes. · Regularly follow up the timely submission/justification of questioned costs by communicating partners and program staff. · Review receivable accounts to be accurate, complete and facilitate for settlement as per the CRS/Eth policy and procedure. · Verifies project advance request from Partner to ensure partners have liquidated 75% of the prior advance.
Sub-Recipient Disbursement and Amortization · Prepare disbursements for sub-recipients for complete, valid documents from the right project code using the right T codes in respect to sub-recipient and CRS/ET policies and procedure and tax proclamations. · Review sub-recipient liquidation accounts on monthly basis to reflect accurate balances and settle on time. · Ensure that sub-recipient cash requests are handled on a timely basis and clearly highlight non-refundable/unallowable expenses based on funding agreement requirements · Ensure to keep track of cash balances on sub-recipients’ bank accounts for all project accounts and advice the status in order to improve cash management. · Ensure withholding tax, staff income tax computations are correctly stated in sub-recipient books and are settled in time. · Ensure that sub-recipients maintain staff files to support payroll, compute overtime and submit the payroll along with supporting documents on a monthly basis for liquidation. · Ensure that sub-recipients settle payroll liabilities each month to the respective organizations to avoid grant related liabilities. · Ensure that sub-recipients allocate salaries and benefits of staff each month to different active projects based on timesheets. Grant management and closure · Review the expenditures and ensure that they are as per the donor agreement in terms of allowability and line item flexibility. · Review all balance sheet accounts for projects being closed to that they have nil balances for all transaction code combinations and rates. · Ensure additional expenses are not booked in the grant that is closed. · Remind and follow up partners to submit remaining liquidation documents before the grant is finally closed on time. · Ensure partners liquidate all advances before the closure of the grant. Budgeting and Budget Management · Work closely with program staff in the development of new budgets while ensuring accuracy, completeness and reasonableness of both project proposal and APP budgets. · Ensure the use the correct templates, respect donor requirements, using CAG CA tool in the process of new budget development. · Prepare budget entries for projects to be posted in Sun System · Follow up of amendments that affect budget are reflected in the SUN system. · Prepare budget comparison report for each project and partner on a monthly basis; communicate the same with project officers and partners accountant. · Ensures that sub-recipients are provided with approved annual budgets, budget amendments and project agreements. Reporting · Prepare reports to the donors on the time line agreed using the right template and facilitate donor required audits. · Prepare reports of projects as required by program department to assist them in their project management. · Prepare ageing report to HQ as part of the month end close activity. Maintaining files · Check adequacy and completeness of financial records and transactions, including charges received via the Intra-Agency process, through review of support documentation as per CRS’ Documentation Policy and Document Retention Policy. · Maintains separate files for each project and by partner, complete with all the necessary documents (approved project budget, budget amendments, grants agreements, grant modifications, information on opening and closing dates of projects). · Prepare VAT receivable claims for USAID projects & follow partners to complete the refund forms monthly. Reconcile sub-recipient balances of VAT submitted files and CRS VAT receivable balances at least once in every two months. · Maintain vendor agreements in their proper category and refer to them while making payments. · Reconciliation of sub-recipient fixed assets’ physical counts with Sun Systems records · Accurately record financial information in the Country Program’s general ledger and regularly review the country program’s trial balance and other financial reports to ensure accuracy of ledger postings |
Education and Experience:
· BA /BSc Degree in Accounting from a recognized institution · Masters in Accounting and Finance from a recognized institution · 4 years for BA/BSc and 2 years for Masters · Strong computer skills, particularly Excel, Word and Access. · Knowledge of CRS finance, accounting, and budgeting policies, procedures and standards preferred. · Experience with accounting systems required; Sun Systems experience preferred. · Fluency in written and spoken English; excellent written and oral communication skills. · Training and knowledge of USG Financial Management regulations. |
Competencies /Knowledge, Ability and Skill:
· Good knowledge of financial management concepts and principles · Excellent knowledge of all program related accounting (Donors/CRS funds and partner systems) · Strong organization and planning skills, detail oriented · Good knowledge of partner / sub-recipient financial management. · Good knowledge of government fiscal and monetary polices · Ability to enforce CRS/ET’s donors, HQ financial policies and procedures · Ability to consolidate accounts on time · Ability to timely rectify irregularities · Ability to make large scale financial analysis · Demonstrated skill to work under pressure · Strong interpersonal and communication skills · Good analytical skills · Ability to adapt and learn · Maturity and discretion, able to work with, and maintain confidential information. |
These are rooted in the mission, values, and principles of CRS and used by each staff member to fulfill his or her responsibilities and to achieve the desired results.
Serves with Integrity
Models Stewardship
Cultivates Constructive Relationships
Promotes Learning
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