Finance Officer at the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC)

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is the world's largest humanitarian organization, with 192 member National Societies. As part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, our work is guided by seven fundamental principles; humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity and universality.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Finance Officer

Vacancy No: IFRC04039
Location: Abuja
Duty station status: N/A
Accompanied status: N/A
Duration: 6 Months
Category of Staff: National Staff
Grade: Not applicable

Organizational Context

• The Secretariat of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is organized into four Business groups in Geneva and five Business Groups in the field, namely the Regional Offices for Africa, Americas, Asia and the Pacific, Europe, and Middle East and North Africa (MENA). The Africa Regional Business Group is organized through cluster offices covering the National Societies in Eastern Africa, Southern Africa, West Coast, Sahel and Central Africa as well as country offices in Liberia, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Republic of South Sudan, Chad, Niger, Nigeria, Somalia.
• The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, in its commitment to building strong National Societies and to supporting scaling up of National Societies’ services to the most vulnerable populations, has in 2013 established a Country cluster Office in Nigeria.
• This Cluster Office is charged with the responsibility of supporting the National societies of Benin, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria and Togo in developing their long-term strategic direction and generating resources to support a framework designed to address the needs of individuals and communities across a range of service delivery areas particularly focused on health and disaster risk management The CCST West Coast Cluster Office is currently supporting COVID 19 responses with 7 national societies under the CCST West Coast Cluster office.
• The role is to lead the overall planning, implementation, reporting and compliance for the CCST West Coast COVID-19 Operation. This will include coordination and technical support to 7 National Societies in the implementation of their Emergency Appeal operation as well as close coordination with external and movement partners.
• The role will entail providing technical support to all 7 national societies on the implementation and monitoring of the COVID-19 response operation.
• This role will also require to coordinate, liaise closely with the national society departments and ensure that all challenges are identified and resolved and that IFRC procedures and processes are understood and implemented by the national society.
• In addition, this role will require to ensure that the national society are well coordinated with the Ministry of Health, government ministries and other humanitarian actors responding to COVID-19.

Job Purpose
Reporting to the Senior Finance and Administration Officer in Abuja, the Finance Officer will:

• Ensure that the IFRC’s Maximum Financial Requirements are follow up.
• Assist and support the Senior Finance and Administration Officer in the financial management of COVID 19 responses, the Nigeria Country Cluster Office activities and operations.

Job Duties and Responsibilities
The Finance Officer is responsible for:

Support the SFAO in the following duties:

• Overall accounting, financial management, internal controls and the budget management support
• Bank signatory changes – (Inclusion & Deletion)
• Month end accountancy closure …. post to BOOKS ALL CODA documents and checks.
• Balance sheet management - Bank and cash on all operations within NG (Abuja Cluster)
• Balance sheet management - Staff working advances
• Balance sheet management - Prepayments and liabilities
• Treasury management
• External and Internal audits management

Regular Tasks and Responsibilities:

• Daily cash movement and petty cash operations
• Complete cash control on a daily basis, keeps records of cash movement during the day and prepares the Daily Cash Position Report after cash office is closed, making sure that actual cash on hand is accounted and all other receipts/invoices are intact.
• Ensures that all supporting documents for cash payments are complete with the necessary signatures and payments duly acknowledged.
• Reports immediately to his Supervisor all problems, discrepancies or wrong doings
• Compute and record totals of the daily transactions, to be uploaded into the accounting software
• Plans and requests daily cash needs for payments from SFAO
• Makes payment to the operation’s staffs (per diem and working advances), invoices or receipts for expenses duly approved by the person responsible
• Online bank payments initiation and ensure good quality of supporting documentation.
• Checking CODA INTRAY Abuja Cluster WANS (working advances from NS) and WAD (staff and delegate working advances) documents.
• Conduct reconciliation on Staff advances
• Book transactions into CODA INTRAY using relevant documents like OJF, FCAST, SOSC, ANY, EXPR etc
• Participate in the month end activities through adjustment journals/entries viz,
• Support in following up with the working advance returns from Ghana, Nigeria, Benin, Cote D’Ivoire, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Togo RC
• Receive and Review of working advances return both from National Society and send feedback based on the review.
• Performing analysis for foreign exchanges from CHF to other currencies
• Payroll modification for delegates
• Support the delegation month-end closure of the financial books in close collaboration with the SFAO
• Maintain and ensure that all reports of income and expenditure of the NRCS and all programs at the operation’ areas are kept.
• Contribute to the timely financial reporting to the PMER and other departments and to relevant stake holders

Capacity Building:

• Providing support and capacity building to NSs
• Train the Finance Team in financial rules and procedures
• Conduct financial briefing and debriefing in the absence of the SFAO

Requirements
Education:

• Relevant university degree in Finance, Accounting or Management
• Holder of a Certified Accounting degree with specialized training in related field is preferred

Experience:

• 3 years’ + experience in leading and managing Finance as Accountant
• 3 years’ + professional experience working with local or international non- governmental organization
• Very good leadership skills and confirmed financial management experience
• Experience of working with National Societies
• Basic leadership and management skills
• Strong experience in cash management showing rigorous controlling methods

Knowledge, skills and languages:

• Self-supporting in computers - Very good computer skills and command of standard Microsoft office tools
• Very good interpersonal, communication and presentation skills
• Motivated self-started personality, sense of responsibility and organization skills
• Good negotiation skills
• Flexibility and ability to travel in the operation’s areas
• Fluent in written and spoken English is required
• Knowledge of written and spoken French language is preferred.

Competencies and values:

• National Society relations
• Communication - Teamwork
• Professionalism – Integrity - Diversity
• Judgement-Decision-making
• Results focus and accountability.

Application Closing Date
9th June, 2020; (Geneva time zone).