FINANCE OFFICER - HIGHLANDS RESILIENCE ACTIVITY

Job Description

About Mercy Corps

Mercy Corps is powered by the belief that a better world is possible. To do this, we know our teams do their best work when they are diverse, and every team member feels that they belong. We welcome diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be stronger and have long term impact.

Program / Department Summary

Mercy Corps has been present in Ethiopia since 2004 working to drive bold and transformative ideas, working closely with government, the private sector and civil society actors to build a more resilient country, ensuring that programs are responsive to and influenced by participants and stakeholders. Our vision is to enhance the resilience of climate and conflict-affected communities through market systems development for improved livelihoods, access to food, and safe and clean water to thrive in the face of crises. Our strategy focuses on the four outcome areas of: 1) Economically marginalized populations have improved and diversified livelihoods, income, and assets; 2) Pastoralists, farmers, and households have access to sustainably produced, safe, nutritious food; 3) Social cohesion and inclusive governance processes are built in crisis-affected communities; and 4) People have equitable, sustained access to clean water and sanitation for domestic and productive use. Currently we operate in the regional states of Afar, Amhara, Gambella, Oromia, Somali, Sidama, Southern Ethiopia, Tigray and Addis Ababa city administration working with a diverse base of donors that includes United States Agency for International Development (USAID), European Union, GAC, Hilton Foundation, United Nations (UN), JOA, Sweden, EKN, and other foundations.

The USAID-funded Highland Resilience Activity (HRA) will contribute to the Productive Safety Net Program (PSNP) 5’s “Big Push” initiative and has the overarching goal of strengthening resilience among vulnerable households in Ethiopia’s Highlands, resulting in 120,000 PSNP households reaching the graduation threshold. HRA will support these households in moving above the graduation threshold and to where they no longer require social safety net programming for household food security and have the capabilities and assets to withstand regular and predictable shocks. The Activity will achieve this goal by directly supporting households in increasing their on-farm, off-farm, and employment incomes while facilitating improvements in the market systems required to increase demand for goods and services in PSNP communities. HRA is a five-year program that started during October 2023.

Essential Job Responsibilities

1. Oversee and manage daily accounting and finance functions including proper analysis and documentation of financial transactions, timely recording of transactions, and periodic financial reporting to Program Manager and country office.

2. Oversee cash management, banking, payroll, budget monitoring, annual inventory, receivables, and payables.

3. Ensure daily compliance at the field level with Mercy Corps policies and procedures as well as donor and government regulations.

4. In coordination with the Dire Daw finance team, plan and implement systems for financial operations in the Dire Dawa Field office in accordance with the Mercy Corps Field Finance Manual and donor regulations, including systems for cash flow management, budgeting, consolidation of accounting information, internal controls, financial reporting, financial record-keeping, grant management and compliance.

5. Monitor budget spending to ensure compliance with budget and to prevent overspending or underspending.

6. Maintain banking relations and plan and monitor field offices cash flow requirements to ensure the smooth implementation of field office programs.

7. In coordination with the Dire Dawa Finance team, manage the month end accounting close process, ensuring the accuracy and completeness and consistency of sub journals and all supporting documentation in the field offices.

8. Ensure compliance with Mercy Corps’ procurement policies and procedures for all goods and services procured at field offices.

9. Prepare month end balance sheet account reconciliations.

10. Support the Dire Dawa Finance team in the preparation and ensure the on-time submission of the monthly reporting package.

11. Oversee the maintenance of all accounting records, ensuring that records are complete, accurate and safeguarded.

12. Assist in the training and support of the finance Assistant officer in field office, including answering daily questions, training new hires, making field visits, etc.

13. Provide financial review task on the source documents based on the limit set in the Authority Matrix

14. Review the cash batches transitions recorded in the system by the Finance Assistant.

15. Ensure that the Dire Dawa office is consistently implementing internal audit recommendations and the Addis Ababa based compliance team monitoring visit recommendations.

16. Conduct himself/herself both professionally and personally in such a manner as to bring credit to Mercy Corps and to not jeopardize its humanitarian mission.

17. Perform any other similar tasks that may be reasonably assigned by the line manager/supervisor in any one of the four components above.

Team Management

• Develop the capacity of the team, deepen understanding of their roles and assist with career development.
• Assist team members with information, tools and resources to improve performance & reach objectives.
• Promote accountability, communicate expectations and provide constructive feedback informally and formally via regular one on ones and performance reviews.
• Create and sustain a work environment of mutual respect where team members strive to achieve excellence.
• Hire, orient, and lead team members as necessary.

Finance & Compliance Management

• Ensure compliance with donor and Mercy Corps regulations related to emergency programming.
• Draft and/or review the scope of work to hire and manage any technical consultants, including review for technical efficacy and contract budget.

Influence & Representation

• Identify, build and manage collaborative partnerships with consortium partners, sub-grantees, donors, local governments and other stakeholders.
• Communicate effectively to ensure overall project targets and donor obligations are met.

GEDSI (GENDER, EQUALITY, DIVERSITY AND SOCIAL INCLUSION)

• Be a thought partner in the recruitment of diverse team and promoting inclusive and safe work environment including supporting early career team members to fulfil their professional goals)
• Lead by example to promote gender equal and inclusive workplace culture in a day-to-day interaction with team members, partners and program participants
• Understand and aware GDI related priorities of the country office and contribute for the realization of priorities (continually work to understand and be aware of the gender diversity and inclusion priorities of the country office and contribute in the execution)
• Promote gender equal and inclusive workplace culture in a day-to-day interaction with a team member, partners and program participants.

Security

• Ensure compliance with security procedures and policies as determined by country leadership.
• Proactively ensure that team members operate in a secure environment and are aware of policies.

Organizational Learning 

• As part of our commitment to organizational learning and in support of our understanding that learning organizations are more effective, efficient, and relevant to the communities they serve, we expect all team members to commit 5% of their time to learning activities that benefit Mercy Corps as well as themselves.

Accountability to Beneficiaries

• Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our beneficiaries and to international standards guiding international relief and development work, while actively engaging beneficiary communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.
• Team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and MC's policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues.

Supervisory Responsibility

 Assistant Finance Officer

Accountability

Reports Directly To: Dire Dawa Head of Finance.

Works Directly With: Mainly with the Dire Dawa Field office project team, the Dire Dawa Finance, Operation and HR, Field Finance Manager, Budget Holders, and various support service colleagues.

Job Requirement

Knowledge and Experience

• Three years and more progressive experience in the non-profit organization and mainly experience gained in the INGO is required.
• Experience in managing USAID, BHA,EU, WFP and other private donor grants at least for two years.
• First Degree in Accounting, Business Administration, Finance, or related discipline. Compensating Education + Experience can be considered.
• Demonstrated competency with computerized general ledger software.
• Advanced computer skills in MS Office programs, particularly in Excel
• Prior management experience and strong organizational skills
• Excellent oral and written English skills.

SUCCESS FACTORS:

• Must be confident, self-starter, an independent thinker and have strong organizational, interpersonal and communication skill, team oriented.
• Good computer skills (especially Microsoft Excel, Work, and Outlook)
• Ability to interact effectively with international and national personnel is required; demonstrated ability to work effectively with diverse group of people.
• High professional standard of administration ethics as well as willingness and ability to enforce compliance with Mercy Corps and donor policies and procedures is essential.
• Demonstrated ability to multi-task, meet deadlines and process information in support of changing program activities is necessary.
• Excellent communication skills, written and oral, are required.
• Demonstrated cultural sensitivity and appropriate flexibility.
• Emotional maturity and physical stamina.

 Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions

The position is based in Dire Dawa, Ethiopia and it requires travel to support country programs, which may include travel to insecure locations where freedom of movement is limited and areas where amenities are limited.

Ongoing Learning

In support of our belief that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities we serve, we empower all team members to dedicate 5% of their time to learning activities that further their personal and/or professional growth and development

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Achieving our mission begins with how we build our team and work together. Through our commitment to enriching our organization with people of different origins, beliefs, backgrounds, and ways of thinking, we are better able to leverage the collective power of our teams and solve the world’s most complex challenges. We strive for a culture of trust and respect, where everyone contributes their perspectives and authentic selves, reaches their potential as individuals and teams, and collaborates to do the best work of their lives.

We recognize that diversity and inclusion is a journey, and we are committed to learning, listening and evolving to become more diverse, equitable and inclusive than we are today.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Mercy Corps is an equal opportunity employer that does not tolerate discrimination on any basis. We actively seek out diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be collectively stronger and have sustained global impact.

We are committed to providing an environment of respect and psychological safety where equal employment opportunities are available to all. We do not engage in or tolerate discrimination on the basis of race, color, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, disability (including HIV/AIDS status), marital status, military veteran status or any other protected group in the locations where we work.

Safeguarding & Ethics

Mercy Corps is committed to ensuring that all individuals we come into contact with through our work, whether team members, community members, program participants, or others, are treated with respect and dignity. We are committed to the core principles regarding the prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse laid out by the UN Secretary-General and IASC and have signed on to the Interagency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. We will not tolerate child abuse, sexual exploitation, abuse, or harassment by or of our team members. As part of our commitment to a safe and inclusive work environment, team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner, respect local laws and customs, and to adhere to Mercy Corps Code of Conduct Policies and values at all times. Team members are required to complete mandatory Code of Conduct e-learning courses upon hire and on an annual basis.