Finance Manager at Search for Common Ground (SFCG)

Search for Common Ground (SFCG) is an international non-profit organization that promotes peaceful resolution of conflict. With headquarters in Washington, DC and a European office in Brussels, Belgium, SFCG’s mission is to transform how individuals, organizations, and governments deal with conflict - away from adversarial approaches and toward cooperative solutions. SFCG seeks to help conflicting parties understand their differences and act on their commonalities. With a total of approximately 600 staff worldwide, SFCG implements projects from 55 offices in 34 countries, including in Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and the United States.

The organization is an exciting and rewarding place to work, with a dedicated and enthusiastic staff that is committed to its mission and values. You will be joining a highly motivated staff with a good team spirit and there will be opportunities to grow in the role.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Finance Manager

Location: Abuja, Nigeria

Position Summary

• Search for Common Ground seeks a Finance Manager who will report to the Director of Finance and Administration (DFA). He/she will oversee the financial aspect of the programs by ensuring that accounts are up to date and that the respective grants meet the requirements of both the funders and SFCG.
• S/He will maintain accounting systems, provide financial analysis and other key management reports, and will provide assistance with budget preparation.
• S/he will directly supervise the Field Finance coordinators and ensure the finance support function is effectively delivered. S/He would be reviewing procurement supporting documentation and conducting periodic compliance reviews. In addition, s/he would handle payroll and preparation of the consolidated Monthly Financial Reports, carry out account reconciliations and prepare Budget v Actual reports for monthly review with Project Coordinators.
• The ideal candidate will have proven experience in financial and grant management in the INGO, nonprofit sector, financial statement preparation and analysis, accounting system implementation, design and workflows. She/he directly supervises the Finance and Accounts team and will work closely with Project coordinators and other team leads in Abuja and the Finance team in Washington. The position is full time, based in Abuja with frequent visits to the other offices.

Roles and Responsibilities

• Supervise the Field Finance coordinators to ensure effective service delivery
• Ensure proper documentation of transactions are kept in line with financial policies
• Ensure all financial documents are stored in hard copies and backed up by scanning into our backup system.
• Identify potential shortfalls in funding and alert the Director Finance and Administration and Programme managers.
• Supervise and maintain Country Office’s cash management, optimal bank balance, bank reconciliation
• Monitoring currency gain /loss by recording and reconciling them on a daily basis
• Monitoring of funds to ensure availability for disbursements
• Ensure timely reconciliation of bank accounts, advances, partner accounts, accruals, payroll, severance and ensuring that data in books match data in the system (GP) on a monthly basis
• Correspond with local bank and donors on all financial operational matters
• Ensure regulatory reports and Tax obligations are properly prepared and timely reported
• Support the fundraising team with review/design of budgets of new proposals prior to submission to donors taking into account SFCG budgeting policy.
• Prepare Monthly Financial Reports (MFR) for review by the DFA and upload into the Global Finance system
• Ensure the Balance Sheet is reviewed and a schedule of outstanding balances is prepared and send to the DFA for review
• Prepare Budget Vs Actual Project reports and ensure monthly meetings are done with Project coordinators
• Support the preparation of all new projects internal budgets for the Director Finance and Admin to review and upload on the Finance software.
• Prepare and organize internal and external audits
• Ensure SFCG and its partners have practices and policies that support easy audits
• Facilitate timely audit and responses to auditors, both local and at headquarters
• The position holder will conduct him/herself both professionally and personally in such a manner as to bring credit to SFCG and to not jeopardize its mission and objectives;

Other duties:

• Keep colleagues appraised of developments in own area as appropriate
• Contribute to staff meetings, and other internal meetings with appropriate content, views and suggestions
• Fulfill requirements of internal staff management processes including performance reviews, supervisory meetings, etc.
• Develop strong relationships with all SFCG colleagues and partners to enhance their understanding of admin/logistics and build their knowledge.
• As job descriptions cannot be exhaustive, the position holder may be required to undertake other duties that are broadly in line with the above key duties.

Qualifications
Education:

• Master's degree in finance, business administration or accounting required.
• Professional qualification in accounting (ACCA, CPA or equivalent)

Required Experience:

• Minimum 5 - 7 years relevant work experience within an NGO, of which three years should be working with EU and/or US government funds. Experience working within an international NGO is a strong advantage.
• Experience managing a portfolio of awards from multiple donors
• Experience preparing for internal audits and implementing audit recommendations

Other Relevant Requirements:

• Mastery of Excel is a must
• Demonstrated ability to build capacity and lead trainings for staff and partners.
• Proven ability to be an effective supervisor of staff of varying levels of responsibility
• Proven ability in setting up and implementing accountability mechanisms
• Proven ability in financial planning and developing budgets for new business
• Excellent command of spoken and written English
• Self-guided, strong organizational and planning skills
• Ability to work independently and under pressure
• Excellent communication, coaching and facilitation skills
• Ability to travel up to 30% within Nigeria.
• Proven interest & commitment to humanitarian and development principles and a demonstrable understanding of conflict/post conflict development contexts
• Ability to plan, organize work, communicate and reports effectively (both in writing and verbally)
• Proven ability to prioritize tasks and meet deadlines; team player and effective communicator,
• Strong IT skills (Email, Microsoft Office applications, Google Drive, Google Docs, Sheets, Presentation).
• Demonstrated passion for human rights issues
• Good reporting capacity and experience
• Ability to function effectively under stressful conditions such as heavy workloads, and deadlines.

Application Closing Date
30th November, 2018.

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

Important Information

• Interested candidates will send the following:
  • Current resume
  • Cover Letter (which includes expectations of compensation and projected start date)
• Please note that the system only has the functionality to upload two documents per application. Incomplete applications will not be accepted.
• Only applicants invited for an interview will be contacted. No phone calls please.
• As the above job descriptions cannot be exhaustive, the position holder may be required to undertake other duties that are broadly in line with the above key duties.