Senior, Cash and Voucher Finance officer

The Ethiopian Red Cross Society (ERCS) was established in 1935 and is one of the oldest and largest humanitarian organizations in Ethiopia. ERCS provides services to communities affected by natural and manmade disasters through the provision of emergency responses, ambulance and first aid, family reunification, essential drugs, water and sanitation, and other humanitarian services. ERCS also runs disaster risk reduction programs with the aim of creating resilience households and communities. Currently the ERCS has a structure consisting of 15 Regional Offices, Zonal Branches and District/Woreda Branches, Woreda Red Cross Committee and Kebele Red Cross committees.

ERCS also runs disaster risk reduction programs relating to food security, climate change adaptation, livelihood diversification, and institutional capacity building interventions, with the aim of creating resilience households and communities. ERCS works in partnership with the Ethiopian Government, International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent (IFRC), International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), partnering National Societies, members, volunteers and the communities we serve.

I. Details of the vacant position

Job Title:        Senior, Cash and Voucher Finance officer

Work Unit:      Finance

• Reports to:      Manager, Accounts Division
• Terms of employment: Contract
• Place of Work: Addis Ababa
• Salary:      As per the organizations salary scale

II.    Job Summary

The CVA Finance Officer is responsible for supporting the overall in day to day implementation of cash activities in the field; Leads reconciliation process for all CVA programming payments and liaises with CVA Officer and CVA Coordinator to manage payment errors; Supports cash team with finance compliance aspects of CVA interventions; Support the overall CVA efforts at field basis for financial process (including facilitating verification of beneficiaries’ account with FSP); Follow-up closely with all Financial Service Providers of payment transfers and issues. He / she ensures effective and efficient CVA programming, implementation and coordination with targeted communities and relevant stakeholders:

Key performance area

 Planning, Implementation and Monitoring

• Supports the planning and implementation of all CVA finance related activities both in the field and in HQ.
• Travels to the field to provide technical support to branches with CVA accountancy activities including monitoring, targeting, beneficiary selection, registration, bank account opening, bank account verification and validation process (including support verification with FSP) and reconciliation.
• Supports and shares CVA feasibility assessment results with all sectors and support service functions for decision making on response options and modality choice and implement accordingly.
• Works closely with Finance team to obtain reconciliation results from cash transfer and liaises with the branch in case of any issues.
• Assists in mapping of branch capacity, needs, and context gaps to support the development and delivery of CVA response plans and necessary assessments.
• Report regularly (weekly, monthly, quarterly, bi-annually and annually) to the CTP coordinator and DPR on the progress of the CVA activities, challenges faced, actions taken related to implementation of CVA;
• Monitor the progress of the CVA against plan, review plans in coordination with other project and program practitioners and ensure accomplishment of quality of work against the indicators;
• Ensure the effectiveness and efficiency of budget plan of the activities and optimum utilization.
• Support and work closely with CVA team, Finance and PMER department to undertake proper PDM and management decisions on serious findings and for future improvements.
• Ensure target individuals are selected as per the agreed criteria and verify the process.
• Checks and verifies payment requests against availability of budget and presents same to the senior accountant for further treatment;
• Reconciles accounts with bank statements;
• Prepares monthly statements of bank reconciliation and adjusting entries;
• Follows up and ensures that receiving and paying documents for crisis affected households (when there is a payroll base distribution) are collected from branches, banks and other work units in due course;
• Follow-up the beneficiary’s registration and documentation are with a good quality document;
• Communicate with the bank about the delivery of transfers for end users; and follow-up bounced back beneficiary accounts for corrective measures;
• Verifies correctness, completeness and appropriateness of accounting documents transmitted from branch offices and receives/collects same for further treatment;
• Follows up settlement of outstanding accounts and reports to superior in cases of default;
• Follows up and ensures that receiving and paying documents are collected from property administration, banks and other work units in due course;
• Verifies correctness, completeness and appropriateness of accounting documents transmitted from branch offices and receives/collects same for further treatment;

Capacity building

• Provides mentoring and coaching including on-job learning to ERCS staff and volunteers and closely liaise with ERCS branches and volunteers assigned to the programme to ensure coherent and coordinated implementation.
• Supports CVA Coordinator and the team in capacity building initiatives and cash preparedness activities including the organisation of trainings, etc.

Internal and External Coordination

• Participates in CVA planning sessions, ERCS movement wide Cash working group coordination meetings and discussions
• Ensure linkages with all movement-wide stakeholders for enhanced sectoral risk mapping and gap identification
• Establish and maintain a positive relationship and collaboration with stakeholders and partners, FBOs, and CBOs in all aspects of the CVA including beneficiary selection, need identification, capacity building, social inclusion and other areas of collaboration;
• Ensure transparency, accountability and integrity in the CVA response management;
• Promote a positive profile of the CVA among partners, and the target communities;
• Participate in review and reflection meetings in the CVA operating areas/branches;
• Establish a positive and supportive team spirit and communication among the CVA team, HQ and branch staffs;

Desirable Competencies

• Partnership management and proven experience in working in consortium as well as coordination and networking with various stakeholders:
• Technical expertise on and experience in working with cash transfer programming.
• Ability to work in a challenging environment with a minimum supervision and meeting deadlines without compromising qualities.
• Fluency in spoken and written English.
• Willing to abide by and respect red cross/red crescent principles and values understanding of and commitment to ERCS mission, values, strategies and programming approaches.

Qualification Requirements:

• Second/First degree in Accounting/ Accounting & Finance/ & Accounting Software
• 6/8years related work experience.

Other Skills:

• High standard of integrity and communication skills;
• Manage interpersonal conflicts;
• Efficient and with ability to resolve problems;
• Excellent written and spoken English, Amharic and other local language skills;
• Strong interpersonal and advocacy skills;
• Good team spirit and respect for diversity;
• Practical knowledge of computer skills: