Finance Officer

Job Description

Title: Finance Officer

Location:  Addis Ababa

Employment Category:  H1

Reporting To: Finance Manager

Direct Reports: None

Start of Contract & Duration:  12 Months

Posting date: August 19, 2019

INTRODUCTION

The Danish Refugee Council (DRC), an international non-governmental organization (NGO), has been providing relief and development services in the Horn of Africa since 1997. DRC promotes and supports solutions to the problems faced by refugees, internally displaced people (IDPs), and migrants. The organization has offices across the region, and has been operational in Ethiopia since 2009.  With funding from bilateral and multilateral donors, DRC is currently implementing a range of activities across Ethiopia and Djibouti, including WASH and shelter provision, child and youth protection, gender based violence response, awareness-raising of migration risks, protection monitoring of migration routes, and livelihoods support for returning migrants or those at-risk of migration.

Project Background:

The Danish Refugee Council (DRC) is leading an international consortium to deliver a £21 million program to protect would-be migrants and refugees from unsafe irregular migration through and from Ethiopia Amhara and Tigray regions of Ethiopia as well as Djibouti.  The 4-year program, funded by the Department for International Development, UK (DFID, UK), will address the barriers to reducing unsafe irregular migration from Ethiopia and ultimately reducing unsafe regular migration through and from Ethiopia, taking into consideration attention to the most vulnerable group -- women, girls and unaccompanied irregular migrants -- and coordination with key stakeholders.  The program is anticipated to be innovative, cross-sectoral and solutions-oriented with strong emphasis on research, learning and adaptive management. 

Overall purpose of the role:

The Finance Officer will facilitate the efficient and effective financial operation of DRC DFID project. He/She will ensure compliance with DRC rules and regulations as described in the Operations Handbook (OH) alongside donor policies, procedures, guidelines and rules.

She/he will seek and receive policy guidance/ instructions and support from Finance and Reporting Specialist on their respective areas of responsibilities.

Key Responsibilities: 

Accounts:

• Ensure the monthly closing and cash follow status report is produced on time in electronic and hard copies to Head Office; get familiar with DRC dynamics mainly on finance section.
• Maintain proper filing systems of financial documents, scan and burn on CDs those monthly financial reports to be forwarded to Addis;  
• Maintain an electronic monthly cash book and perform daily and weekly cash reconciliation of the programme books;
• Check expenditures against budgets, preparation of monthly expenditure statement and properly filing of financial documents;
• Ensure that accounting records are kept updated, are reliable and are maintained according to DRC accounting practices;
• Code transactions for the project floats and ensure it is in line with project budget lines;
• Manage cash balances to ensure that sufficient balances are maintained for ongoing activities, while preventing too high balances to avoid incurring high exchange rate charges.
• update monthly staff payroll for deduction for advances, and keep track of clearing all outstanding;
• Ensure timely and accurate encoding of all financial movements using DRC’s ERP or dynamics system;
• Produce serially numbered cash receipt and cash payment vouchers, and code expenditures appropriately;
• Support payment to service providers, suppliers and contractors and clearance of advance of procurement officer against a “Goods Received Note” signed by supply chain Officer
• Prepare and distribute monthly expenditures reports on project and programme level in support of managers and programme staff
• Ensure that all documents relating to financial transactions and donor contracts are properly filed in order to facilitate their retrieval and to safeguard DRC financial interest
• Facilitate smooth internal and external audits of donor contracts.

Procurement and assets tracking

• Support adherence to DRC procurement regulation
• Assist in tendering process and bidding analysis to facilitate procurement of goods, contracts and services
• Assist management in produce annual procurement plans – revised on a quarterly basis – for new asset and equipment acquisitions
• Support updated records of assets and equipment, disaggregated per individual donor contract

Budgeting

• Assist field management and programme staff in preparing annual programme budgets based on quarterly and annual expenditure reviews
• Support coordination and preparation of bi-Monthly cash requests in coordination with relevant programme staff, forwarding it to Country Finance Officer in a timely manner
• Assist finance team Leader and programme staff in budgeting, monitoring and financial reporting for specific activities or sub projects
• Report immediately on all cases of financial mismanagement, such as theft, corruption or non-adherence to DRC financial management rules; and, if necessary, coordinate with AA in developing new policies to safeguard against future mismanagement
• Support the production of timely and accurate encoding of all financial movements and the preparation of monthly budget monitoring reports
• Coordinate and monitor monthly financial reports at field office and compile with TL for reports;
• Train new finance staff like assistant and cashier in the DRC Finance System and Regulations and advise on their performance to ensure sound accounting and procurement practices and that DRC’s financial regulations are always strictly adhered to
• Undertake regular visits to sites and advise and mentor field staff on project accounts and procedures
• Support annual performance reviews of Finance Staff with Team Leader and assist in identifying their training needs
• Assist Finance Team Leader in preparing financial reports for donors or checking reports prepared by the Finance department in Head Office on the agreed reporting date

Other

Any other job as assigned by the Support Service Manager of DFID project.

Job Requirement

Experience and technical competencies: (include years of experience)

• Proven ability to priorities tasks and meet deadlines
• Stable and robust character and a good team-player
• Experience in working in NGOs, at Least three years
• Excellent communication skills, calm and a good sense of humour
• Proven commitment to accountable practices.,
• Strong sense of personal integrity
• Competent use of PC especially spreadsheets.
• Full proficiency in Microsoft Office, including Word and Excel.

Education: (include certificates, licenses etc.)

• Relevant education ( degree or Diploma) and work experience in financial/accounting field.

Languages: (indicate fluency level)

• Excellent English skills both spoken and written.

All DRC roles require the post-holder to master DRC’s core competencies:

Striving for excellence: Focusing on reaching results while ensuring efficient processes.

Collaborating: Involving relevant parties and encouraging feedback.

Taking the lead: Taking ownership and initiative while aiming for innovation.

Communicating: Listening and speaking effectively and honestly.

Demonstrating integrity: Acting in line with DRC's vision and values