Sponsorship Finance Manager at ActionAid (AA) Nigeria

ActionAid (AA) Nigeria is an affiliate of ActionAid International, which is a global alliance of organisations working towards achieving a world without poverty and injustice in which every person enjoys the right to a life with dignity. As a large and visible development organisation, we work in more than 40 countries in Africa, Asia, Europe and America. Our expertise lies in community-led approaches to development and working through partnerships with the poor and other grass root organisations.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Sponsorship Finance Manager

Location: Country Office, Abuja
Grade: 8
Responsible to: Head of Finance
Line Management: Finance Advisor

Overall Purpose

• The Sponsorship Finance Manager will be required to ensure the financial and legal integrity of the organisation within the framework of the policies and procedures established and the requirements of the local law. This position involves a full range of financial control and management activities.
• S/he will support in making key strategic decisions of both the Local Rights Programme (LRP) and Sponsorship administration as a whole; as well as provide input to strategic plans especially with regards to quantitative performance measures and indicators.
• The position holder will take a lead on the local child sponsorship initiative in terms of designing implementation of appropriate system of accounting and internal control; coordinate the roll out of financial implementation plan of the local child sponsorship in specific locations as will be decided by ActionAid Nigeria and ensure it effectiveness, efficiency and compliance with relevant standards and law.
• Within the context of the above, the role will cover both ActionAid International supported Child Sponsorship mechanism and the local ActionAid Nigeria’s Community Sponsorship initiative.

Specific Responsibilities
Planning:

• Engage in and lead critical planning of financial processes of the long term (three-year planning) and short term (annual budgeting) plans that feed into the National LRP Plans.
• Ensure that above plans are consistent with guidelines and procedures agreed with ActionAid and in accordance with specific needs of the LRP.
• Contribute to development and implementation of LRPs Plans and Budgets.

Financial Reporting:

• Ensure that accurate and timely financial and management reports are prepared and issued to the partner organisation’s CEOs, ActionAid Nigeria Management as specified in the MOU or as agreed.
• Ensure that effective systems are in place to allow adequate financial monitoring.
• Capture financial transactions data into SUN
• Ensure timely review of the quarterly financial reports in relation to the programme reports of LRPs.
• Support in the preparation of the Mid-Year and Annual Finance Report in relation to the LRPs Components.
• Support in ensuring that funds are released on timely basis, relevant report and analysis are carried out at partner levels (e.g. monthly management account, bank reconciliation, staff debtor schedules etc.)
• Liaise with Sponsorship focal persons to regularly define and provide report to sponsors.
• Track income received from Probal report in relation to each LRP spent level.

Audit:

• Work with the Internal Auditor to ensure that financial statements of LRP Partners comply with local statutory requirements.
• Coordinate management response of partner organisation to internal and external audit findings, and to ensure proper follow up on agreed recommendations of both internal and external auditors by partners.

Organisational Development Support:

• Provide technical support to all staff in the LRP Programme and LRP Partners.
• Assist in the recruitment, assessment and on job training of finance and non – finance staff or community representatives in the projects.
• Support partner organizations in ensuring that statutory deductions such as PAYE/NHF/pension/witholding tax are deducted and timely remitted to relevant agencies.
• Support in ensuring development of accounting policies and procedures in LRPs.
• Support in ensuring that insurance/assurance policies on Assets and Staff respectively are taken up.
• Support LRP partners appraisal, assessment and selection process.
• Support in providing quality control checks on ensuring that valid input data are entered into the accounting systems.
• Provide financial advice, assistance and training to the CEO and other LRP Programme staff and community personnel as required for them to improve on their financial management skills.
• Monitor LRP and organizational performance to ensure reduced risk of loss of AAN funds and/or integrity.
• Ensure that AAN funds and assets are being used for rightful purposes as intended by the supporters.

Risk Management:

• The post holder should safeguard the organization from errors that may result in high sponsor withdrawal rate, loss of funding, heavy penalties due to non-compliance with legislation and loss of integrity, low staff productivity and moral.
• Any other work as may be assigned by the Head of Finance, Director of Finance and other appropriate officers.

Key Working Relationships:

• Internal: Entire AAN staff
• External: LRP Partners and other stakeholders.

Person Specification
Education / Qualifications:

• First Degree in Accounting / Finance
• Master's Degree in relevant studies
• Nationally recognised Professional Accounting Qualification.

Experience:
Essential:

• At least 8 years post NYSC experience
• At least 4 years post professional qualification experience with 2 years in a managerial position
• Experience in implementing financial control systems
• Experience in using SUN Accounting Systems & Spreadsheets.

Desirable:

• Experience in working with International development agencies in a similar position.
• Audit firm experience
• Experience of working in a multi-cultural environment.

Skills/Abilities:

• Excellent management & leadership skills
• Excellent skills in facilitation and capacity building for inter-linkages between staff, partners & stakeholders
• Ability to work well with minimum supervision
• Ability to work under pressure
• Ability to multitask
• Negotiation skills
• Ability to interface effectively with other members of staff and solve problems using own initiative
• Demonstrable versatility in use of IT (MS office Suites, Outlook email.

Personal Qualities:

• Excellent interpersonal and communications skills
• Accuracy and attention to details
• High integrity
• Willingness to work additional hours when necessary.

Application Closing Date
2nd November, 2020.