Job Opportunity: Finance Officer

Requisition ID: req37049

Job Title: Finance Officer

Sector: Finance

Employment Category: Regular

Employment Type: Full-Time

Open to Expatriates: No

Location: Bamenda, Cameroon

Job Description

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people to survive and rebuild their lives. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, the IRC offers lifesaving care and life-changing assistance to refugees forced to flee from war or disaster. At work today in over 40 countries and 22

U.S. cities, we restore safety, dignity and hope to millions who are uprooted and struggling to endure. The IRC leads the way from harm to home.

COUNTRY PROGRAM OVERVIEW:

The IRC started operations in Cameroon in 2016 to respond to the increasing concerns for people affected by violence linked to Boko Haram, in the Far North of the country. Assistance to displaced populations extends across the Far North, notably Mayo Sava, Mayo Tsanaga and Logone & Chari, delivering lifesaving programming to increase access to water and improving hygiene practices in vulnerable displaced and host communities, cash programming to enable poor families to meet basic needs and improve food security, and protection programming, including meeting specific needs of women and girls. The IRC has field bases in Maroua and Kousseri.

Following the increasing crisis in the North West and South West regions of Cameroon, the IRC expanded its operations into the South West region in August 2018 and into the North West in 2019. The IRC is delivering lifesaving humanitarian assistance to internally displaced populations, with field bases in Buea and Bamenda.

With its coordination office in Yaounde, the IRC Cameroon country program will develop its new ‘Strategy 100’ strategic plan in 2021, through which we aim to provide the best possible impact for some of the most vulnerable boys, girls, women, and men affected by the humanitarian crises. In all that we do, we strive to deliver through IRC’s core values ​​of Integrity, Accountability, Service and Equality.

SCOPE OF WORK:

Under the direct supervision of Senior Field Manager for NW and Technical supervision of Finance Manager, the Finance officer responsible to support on daily activities in the Field site. The position is mainly expected to coordinate with respective country office and Field team(s) on project implementation support, expenditure tracking and BVA analysis, follow up on payments, project allocation, donor report preparation, budget modification & monitoring. Involve in document verification, field payments & reconciliation, coordinate donor monitoring and audit. In addition, he/she will also be responsible for any other regular finance tasks and operational activities as assigned.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

1- Monitoring and Compliance

Ensure donor, IRC and gov’t policies and procedures are effectively and efficiently applied to Donor projects throughout grant(s) period.

Specific

Ensure monthly transactions coded appropriately and backed up with sufficient documentation. Follow up IRC requirements adhered, and regular transactions reconciled regularly.

Prepare adjustment transaction for wrong coding, ensure its approval and posting to the system every month before closing report shared with HQ.

Review BVA report, flag issues notified, participate, and support the team on BVA cleaning activities.

Involve actively on regular BVA meeting, project implementation & closing meeting. Follow up finance action points updated timely

Ensures balance sheet items related with grants followed up and liquidated timely.

Review actual personnel expenditure and prepare updated staffing list for donor reporting.

Follow up donor fund request and transfer regularly.

Assets are tracked from SUN system and reconciled against Supply Chain report on quarterly bass and maintain file for this.

Follow up donors reporting schedule and ensure timely report submission to HQ and the donor.

Maintain current local gov’t requirements related to financial matters and ensure compliance with tax and other legal requirements.

Review Grants spending and provide timely feedback to the budget holders for effective budget Management and donor compliance.

Support in operation cost spending plan and compiled with program projection for timely upload to grants online BVA.

Grant monitoring maintained through review of budget utilization and participate on budget revisions.

Field finance staff are aware of grants & compliance related issues.

Updated grant box files are maintained and for easy reference.

Support finance manager in preparing Operating budget and regular reforecast reports

2- Transaction recording and reconciliation
Ensures payment related documents approved appropriately, monthly field books maintained, reconciled, and reported on time, full documentation maintained and shared to relevant finance team.

Specific
Record & reconcile bank & cash books following IRC policy and procedure and submit to relevant team for further review and posting.

Responsible for processing payments for bank and cash transactions. Coordinate field payments effected timely and follow up cash and cash in office payments follow IRC policy.

Coordinates with banks and financial institutions regarding project activities.

Ensures completeness of payment documents in accordance with IRC and donor policies and procedures.

Ensures that internal control procedures are followed for approval, recording, disbursements, receipts and transfers.

Perform cash counts according to IRC policy and schedule. Ensure Safe management procedure strictly adhered to in the field office.

Monitors cash usage and requirements and notifies Finance Manager of possible unusual activity.

Assists the senior finance team members in scheduling regular field visits for financial review and monitoring of activities. Ensure gaps, compliance issues and support required communicated clearly.

Participates in and reviews monthly/annual physical inventory verifications.

Assists in closing monthly accounts to coordination office

Perform staff performance review as required.

Maintain open and professional relations with team members, promoting a strong team spirit and providing oversight and guidance to enable staff to successfully perform in their positions.

3- Risk management and Audit
Support on internal & external audit verification and corrective actions plan followed up as required. Ensure the IRC, donor and gov’t rules and regulations applied in the day-to-day activities.

Specific
Act as a focal person to support on regular verifications

Follow up on Donor monitoring visits recommendations implemented according to corrective action plan

Support for any other audits and assessments by providing required documents and reports

Responsible to implement IRC, donor & government policies in the field and implement corrective action plans consistently

4- Other Responsibilities:
Perform staff performance review as required.

Support in Month-end Activities

Contribute to the overall proper functioning of the Finance department by taking on any other duties assigned by supervisor.

Qualifications

Education:

Master degree or Bachelors’ degree in Accounting, Business Administration, Commerce or Finance

Experience:

Minimum 3 year of relevant experience in finance

Donor projects experience

Proven and progress if experience in financial management of different donors in NGO setting.

Skills and Abilities:
Fluent in either spoken and written English and good working knowledge of French or vice versa

Motivated, positive individual who excels at taking initiative and able to motivate team members to produce results under pressure.

Proactive to seek to identify and communicate potential problems and propose solutions to the level of management appropriate to effect solutions.

Ability to work as part of a team as well as to work autonomously when required.

Ability to use computer and Microsoft applications especially good knowledge of excel

Committed to staff training and development

Strong commitment to IRC’s vision, mission, and core values.

WORKING ENVIRONMENT:

Security in the Far North of Cameroon (Maroua & Kousseri) is level III (orange), in the Southwest and North West it is level IV (red) and in Yaoundé it is II (yellow) and the IRC has a curfew in place in all field sites.

The IRC and IRC workers must adhere to the values ​​and principles outlined in IRC Way – Standards for Professional Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, and Accountability. In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Anti Workplace Harassment, Fiscal Integrity, and Anti-Retaliation.

Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply
 Application Deadline: January 12th, 2023

All applications must be submitted ONLINE at: https://rescue.csod.com/ux/ats/careersite/1/home/requisition/37049