Finance Officer (Yobe) at Save the Children Nigeria

Save the Children is a leading international organization helping children in need around the world. First established in the UK in 1919, separate national organizations have been set up in more than twenty-eight countries, sharing the aim of improving the lives of children through education, health care and economic opportunities, as well as emergency aid in cases of natural disasters, war and conflict.

In Nigeria, Save the Children has been working since 2001. The early focus was on getting children actively involved in shaping the decisions that affect their lives. Today, Save the Children is working in seven federal states - Zamfara, Yobe, Jigawa, Katsina, Kano, Bauchi and Kaduna - focusing on providing basic healthcare and protecting children.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Finance Officer

Location: Yobe
Job Type: Full-time

The Organisation

• We employ approximately 25,000 people across the globe and work on the ground in over 100 countries to help children affected by crises, or those that need better health care, education and child protection. We also campaign and advocate at the highest levels to realise the right of children and to ensure their voices are heard.
• We are working towards three breakthroughs in how the world treats children by 2030:
  • No child dies from preventable causes before their 5th birthday
  • All children learn from a quality basic education and that,
  • Violence against children is no longer tolerated
• We know that great people make a great organization and that our employees play a crucial role in helping us achieve our ambitions for children.  We value our people and offer a meaningful and rewarding career, along with a collaborative and inclusive workplace where ambition, creativity, and integrity are highly valued.
• Save the Children is committed to ensuring that all our personnel and programmes are absolutely safe for children.
• We undertake rigorous procedures to ensure that only people suitable to work with children are allowed to join our organisation and all candidates will, therefore, be subject to this scrutiny.
• We need to keep children safe so our selection process reflects our commitment to the protection of children from abuse.

Role Purpose

• This position will be responsible for implementing and/or coordinating all financial support functions for the state office.  This position will be responsible for implementing and/or coordinating all financial support functions for the state office.

Key Areas of Accountability

• Assist in ensuring that direct reports have clear roles and responsibilities, and a strong understanding of all of Donor’s and Save the Children’s regulations and policies, especially the core policies such as; Child Safeguarding Policy, Code of Conduct, Fraud & dishonesty policies, Anti-bribery and corruption policy and whistle blowing policy.

Finance:

• Manage the electronic spreadsheet/format for receiving and disbursing funds; coordinate the preparation and timely submission of monthly financial reports and other reports to Borno/Abuja as required. Ensure accurate keeping of account books (electronic and paper) for the state office.
• Help ensure that timely and accurate information is generated and disseminated accordingly to the project team, to inform activity planning and forecasts.
• Process all banking activities in the state office, ensuring that bank account records are accurately maintained, and that bank statements are obtained on a timely basis.
• Process all payments (cheque and/or cash) to vendors, service providers, and partners in line with SC policies & USAID requirements.  Ensure all financial transactions in the state office are appropriately approved, authorised and administered, in line with SC & USAID policies.
• Maintain the office cash box and disburse cash payments. Ensure weekly cash counts are done and properly documented by non finance staff.
• Conduct state level finance induction for all new staff on finance policies, systems and procedure
• Support the state teams to provide administrative and technical support to the partners to ensure that all financial documentation and reports are prepared and submitted on a timely basis in line with SC policies, project agreements and donor guidelines.
• In collaboration with the line manager support the training in financial management in accordance with SC’s financial management policies

Required Qualifications, Skills and Experience
Essential Criteria:

• Level of Education - B.Sc /HND or equivalent
• Specified Study Area - Finance / Accounts
• Minimum 3 years post NYSC experience
• Experience in working in an INGO or partners accountable for grants and other financial support provided to implement project activities, particularly at community level.
• Excellent verbal communication and listening skills.
• Language Requirements: Spoken English-Excellent; Written English-Excellent
• Must be able to speak at least one local language predominant in that state (Hausa)
• Good knowledge of Enterprise Resource Planning Systems (ERP) - AGGRESSO, SAP, PRISM, GLACOS etc.
• Level of IT Expertise: Excellent (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.)
• Ongoing Professional certificate in accounting and finance

Desirable Criteria:

• Good training and facilitation skills (for financial training/support to partners).
• Ability to multi-task, engage in long-term planning, meet deadlines, and handles last-minute demands; exercise patience, and adapt to changing circumstances.

Behaviours (Values in Practice)
Accountability:

• Holds self-accountable for making decisions, managing resources efficiently, achieving and role modelling Save the Children values
• Holds the team and partners accountable to deliver on their responsibilities - giving them the freedom to deliver in the best way they see fit, providing the necessary development to improve performance and applying appropriate consequences when results are not achieved.

Ambition:

• Sets ambitious and challenging goals for themselves and their team, takes responsibility for their own personal development and encourages their team to do the same
• Widely shares their personal vision for Save the Children, engages and motivates others
• Future orientated, thinks strategically and on a global scale.

Collaboration:

• Builds and maintains effective relationships, with their team, colleagues, Members and external partners and supporters
• Values diversity, sees it as a source of competitive strength
• Approachable, good listener, easy to talk to.

Creativity:

• Develops and encourages new and innovative solutions
• Willing to take disciplined risks.

Integrity:

• Honest, encourages openness and transparency; demonstrates highest levels of integrity.

Application Closing Date
26th October, 2018.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online

Note

• Applicants are advised that Save the Children International does not require any payment or expense during the entire recruitment process. Any request in this direction should be immediately reported as it is contrary to the values and practices of our organization.
• Due to the volume of applications received, Save the Children may not provide feedback to all applicants. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
• Qualified candidates are encouraged to apply as soon as possible, as applications will be reviewed as received. Save the Children reserves the right to change the closing date, if considered necessary.