Finance Officer

IR/INT/EXT/VN/043.20

September 15, 2021

Post Title:                Finance Officer

Report to:                Area Coordinator

Duty Station:           Oromia Regional State, Chiro/Meayso

Duration:                 One year with possible extension

Introduction

Islamic Relief is an international relief and development charity founded in 1984 with its headquarters in Birmingham, UK. As well as responding to disasters and emergencies, Islamic Relief promotes sustainable economic and social development by working with local communities – regardless of race, religion or gender. The office officially started operation in Ethiopia in 2004. Islamic Relief Ethiopia (IRE) is operational in the Somali Regional State with a base office in Hargelle, Elkere, Bare, Dekasuftu, Jigjiga, Afar Regional State; Ewa & Gulina and an additional operational office in Addis Ababa. For more information please visit our website: http://www.islamic-relief.org/work-with-us.

Job Objective: 

The primary responsibility of the person should be handling finance matters related to the institutional donors. The main duties of the persons would include:

Key Responsibilities

1. Facilitate Fund transfer: Review project financial activities against financial plan, prepare Transfer Request Form, Collect fund transfer request from Program Department, Ensure timely transfer letter authorization and delivery to the Bank.

2. Budget Preparation: Collect budget information from different units of the Organization, Review and correct the draft budget, Prepare and compile draft budget for Country Office (Core Admin), Collect draft budgets of the projects, Advice Program Dept in preparing the Budget, Review the draft project budgets, Communicate findings and agree on final version.

3. Payroll preparation: Check Employment Contract file for new recruits and termination of contract, Check temporary employee file for new recruit and renewal of contract, Check status of staff Provident Fund – PF entitlement after probation period, Present Payroll for checking and approval, Prepare letter for salary payment/ transfer to savings accounts/letter to banks for CPO for Income tax & withholding taxes and sent to the Bank after payment authorization, Submit copy of letter initialed by the Bank to field Office, Retain copy of letter and collect bank advice for JV preparation, Distribute payroll slip to staff members, Prepare payroll summary for JV and File payroll copy for future reference.

4. Follow-up: Check whether budget originally allocated/approved for purchase request/services required, Present cheque and payment vouchers checking and initial on payments,

5. Ensure cheques/authorization letters are signed, Ensure cheques are timely collected/CPOs purchased from the Bank are sent to payee, Verify and ensure expense are within budget, Check and verify against previous payments, and report to Finance Manager,

6. Controlling: Ensure all payments are carried out in accordance with PDP BASES Consortium Financial Manual, IRW, & Tax regulations. Return any incomplete documents by specifying missing documents, Present for checking and initial

7. Bank Reconciliation: Collect monthly Bank Statement, Collect Bank Account General Leger for the respective month, Reconcile and identify outstanding cheques, payments and deductions, Prepare Bank Reconciliation, Present for checking and approval, Follow up clearance of outstanding items of bank reconciliation

8. Record/Report: Ensure/participate in the daily Recording/posting all vouchers, Conduct quarterly budget variance analysis, Prepare quarterly financial budget performance evaluation report

9. Documentation: Ensure payrolls/JVs., PVs. are signed and filed, Ascertain payment vouchers supporting documents are complete, Ensure timely printing/availability of financial documents, Ensure copies of contracts (employment/purchases/services) are available in the department, Ensure Revenue Stamps are affixed to contracts, where applicable, Ensure all documents are filled on daily basis

10. Policy & Procedure: To ensure that that IRE is compliant with the donor Financial regulations. This requires that the person fully internalizes the requirements, orient other employees and follow up compliance, implement financial regulations and tax laws to jobs.

11. Advice: To provide professional financial management advice to the budget holders and programme officers to ensure compliance with donor requirements. This requires that he/she does close monitoring of the budget utilization. The financial management advice should be provided in a structured way after the production and distribution of reports. This should be done at least on monthly basis involving the primary budget holders.

12. Monitoring: To put in place a system of grant monitoring system which includes robust fund transfer trucking system; follow up budget amendments with the donors; Monitor each and every income and expense of the organization, check whether there is formal, reliable and convenient accounting system and procedures, if not so propose better way of accounting procedures for country office as well as project offices.

13. Report: To prepare monthly bank reconciliations on QuickBooks system, prepare monthly financial and budget statements and submit to respective departments, prepare donor financial reports-monthly, quarterly and final- according to donors’ guidelines & within the time frame, prepare budget versus actual statement for budget authorization purpose.

14. Recording: Check the accuracy of recording of source documents, journalize code and post accounting data, integrating new donors budget code to QuickBooks system

15. Audit: Assist external/Internal auditors to facilitate their work on auditing, take the necessary audit recommendation/adjustments to be incorporated in the following accounting period.

16. Follow-up: Follow up timely submission of financial documents from field/partners, give professional assistance to field staff, review & examine take corrective action, orient & train field staff.

Person Specification

• Bachelor’s degree/Diploma in Accounting; minimum of three and five years respectively relevant experience of which at least 2 years in INGO. Experience in closing accounts and undergoing an audit is a benefit
• Ability to work with financial software. Knowledge of AX dynamics ERP system is an advantage.
• Proven experience in grant monitoring
• Excellent interpersonal skills – builds good relationships with internal and external stakeholders
• Excellent oral and written communications in English and local language (Afan Oromo) is preferable.
• Good organizing and planning skills
• Ability to manage a complex and demanding workload with flexible behavior
• Commitment to humanitarian principles and action
• Willing to travel to provide support to different field team in their compliance with donor regulations
• Female candidates are highly encouraged.

Safeguarding and Equal Opportunity

Islamic Relief and Islamic Relief staff considers the welfare and protection of children, young people and people at risk to be paramount to the organization. And must adhere the principle of ‘do no harm and leave no one behind.’ It is critical we do not expose communities or staff we work with to the risk of harm through our interventions.  With a zero tolerance approach Islamic Relief have a number of related policies which also describe standards in behavior expected from the organization, its staff and representatives towards each other and those we serve. Islamic Relief is committed to responding swiftly, appropriately and constructively to any and all information children, young people and people at risk have disclosed.

All offers of employment will be subject to satisfactory references and appropriate screening checks, which can include criminal records and terrorism finance checks. We participate in the Inter Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme and will request information from job applicants’ previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and child abuse during employment, or incidents under investigation when the applicant left employment before signing the contract agreement.

Islamic Relief believes everyone has the right to be safe, respected and valued regardless of who they are or their circumstances, and an equal employment opportunity  to all candidates and qualified applicants, we do not discriminate on the base of age, sex, race, color, religion, national or ethnic origin, disability status and diversity.