Finance Specialist - BRLDSCN at TechnoServe

TechnoServe works with enterprising people in the developing world to build competitive farms, businesses, and industries. We are a non-profit organization that develops business solutions to poverty by linking people to information, capital, and markets. Our work is rooted in the idea that given the opportunity, hardworking men and women in even the poorest places can generate income, jobs, and wealth for their families and communities. With more than four decades of proven results, we believe in the power of private enterprise to transform lives.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Finance Specialist - BRLDSCN 

Requisition Number: FINAN004916
Location: Lagos
Job type: Full-time
Reports to: Finance Controller
Job Category: Operations

Job Summary

• The Finance Specialist reporting to the Finance Controller will support shared and project activities, ensuring the effective use of donor financial resources to meet project goals.

Primary Functions & Responsibilities
The Finance Specialist will be responsible for developing the following key functions

Finance and Accounting:

• Ensure timely payments to suppliers, timely posting of financial transactions in the system, proper coding of expenses by program staff, proper supporting documents that can withstand an audit etc.
• Review sub-awardees financial report and ensure they are adequately supported
• Review financial reports of sub-awardees, whenever applicable, and ensure that expenditures are in line with the budget and in compliance with donor regulations.
• Effectively communicate and present critical finance matters to the finance controller.
• Ensure that all statutory deduction schedules are properly prepared, and timely remitted.
• Perform any other task that may be assigned by the Finance Controller.

Budgeting, Monitoring and Reporting:

• Support the Senior Finance specialist in preparing annual country budgeting process as well as mid-year budget reviews.
• Work with the Senior finance specialist in budget preparation for final review.
• Work with Financial controller and Program Manager to have donor financial report submitted on time with all necessary supporting documents as per donor requirement

Program Support:

• Assist the Building a Resilient Local Dairy Supply Chain in Nigeria program manager on the financial oversight of their awards by providing internal financial analysis on a monthly basis, utilizing country reports updated in the shared drive.
• Ensure that the Building a Resilient Local Dairy Supply Chain in Nigeria project’s invoicing is in line with approved donor budget and donor reporting requirements.
• Budget preparation, formulation, and execution according to the requirements of the specific donors working closely with the Finance Controller.
• Develop detailed budget narratives/ notes that explain and support all budget assumptions, following the line items in the budget closely, identifying the costs and the basis for the costs.
• In collaboration with the grants & contracts department, ensure and evaluate full recovery of overheads as stipulated by internal TNS policy and/or TNS’s most current NICRA.
• The position will be required to prioritize developing cost proposals the assigned projects and be available for the required duration; this requires flexibility, due to the often unpredictable and changing requirements of a proposal.

Audit and Legal:

• In liaison with the Finance Controller, take active part in audits and prepare responses to audit findings.
• Take active role in the implementation of audit findings and recommendations both internal and external audits.
• Ensure all taxation and legislative requirements of Nigeria are complied with at all times.

Policies, Procedures, Internal Controls and Compliance:

• Guide staff in interpretation of laid down policies and procedures and ensure compliance.
• Implement financial operations of the program, ensuring compliance with local laws and donor policy and contract provisions.
• Ensure all taxation and legislative requirements of the host government are complied with at all times.
• Keep abreast of changes in regulations which may affect the accounting functions of the organization and communicate all changes and updates to the organization accordingly.
• Participate and contribute in proposal development.
• Support the implementation of new financial policies and procedure.
• Identifying and contributing to the improvement of internal systems and procedures within the finance department.
• Producing relevant, useful and timely information to Finance controller and Program Manager with respect to the current financial position and financial consequences of any proposed decisions or activities.
• Provide advice on financial options available in project planning and implementation.
• Support the Financial controller in ensuring that the information in the Fixed Asset register accurately reflects the information per the financial system.

Requirements
Basic Qualifications:

• These are the requirements that any qualified candidate must meet.
  • B.Sc / HND in Accounting, Economics or related field with minimum of 3 years’ experience.
  • Alternatively a Master’s Degree and 1 year of experience.
  • Possession of ICAN / ANAN / ACCA professional qualification is a plus.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Additional qualifications that would make a candidate more desirable.
  • Experience in working with donor-funded INGO projects within a multicultural setting.
  • Required Languages: Fluency in Written and spoken English.
  • Travel: Occasionally

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Good working knowledge of Excel, Access, and PowerPoint is required; familiarity with Dynamics 365 Business Central or similar finance and accounting software is preferred.
• Strong sense of collegiality, integrity, resourcefulness, and accountability for results.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
• An ability to think critically and elevate risks to management.
• A creative and entrepreneurial approach to resolving problems.
• Advanced-level knowledge of Microsoft Excel, and basic functional knowledge of field accounting software packages.

Application Closing Date
Not Specified.