Base Finance Manager

INTERNAL/EXTERNAL VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT

For

Base Finance Manager

Country Office: Ethiopia

Work Base: Tigray

Availability: As Soon As Possible 

Insurance - (Life, Group Personal Accident and Medical Insurances are covered upon the organization policies).

Seniority Allowance – paid depending up the years of service.

About Action Against Hunger

Action Against Hunger-USA is a global humanitarian organization that takes decisive action against the causes and effects of hunger. We save the lives of malnourished children and we enable entire communities to be free from hunger. With more than 8,000 staff in over 50 countries, our programs reached 17 million people in 2019.

About the Country Program in Ethiopia 

Action Against Hunger has been operational in Ethiopia since 1984 responding to both chronic and acute needs through a multi-sectoral strategy where nutrition, Food Security and Livelihoods, WASH, and Mental Health and Psychosocial Support activities are integrated to have a meaningful impact on people’s resilience. Action Against Hunger currently operates in 5 different regions (Oromia, Somali, Amhara, Benishangul Gumuz, and Gambella) with a portfolio of 20m USD/year of emergency, resilience building, research, and innovation programs. We have a country team of around 600 staff in 17 regional and satellite offices. Our main donors in Ethiopia in 2020/2021 are BHA, ECHO, Europaid, UNHCR, UNICEF, GFFO, BPRM, SIDA, EHF, WFP, CIAA, and others.

I.  Summary of position

Under direct supervision of the Field Coordinator (FC), Base Finance Manager is a focal person for timely management of the base’s accounting and finance responsibilities, verifying respective documents, setting up monthly cash forecasts, informing the Field Coordinator and Finance Head of Department about any financial risks, etc. 

The Base Finance Manager role’s purpose, engagement, and delivery are:

Purpose (The substantive focus of the job encompassing scope, depth, and difficulty of work both conceptual and applied)

Objective 1: Provide accounting services for the base

• Disseminating information about the accounting procedures of the organization to all base staff and ensuring that these procedures are respected. Giving capacity-building trainings for finance and non-finance staff.
• Ensuring the comprehensiveness and accuracy of entries and the correct budgetary charging of expenses.
• Ensuring the correctness of cash stocks and bank accounts.
• Timely forwarding of accounting information to the capital on set deadlines and up on request.
• Checking entries for accuracy and completeness.
• Providing information pertinent to the correct budgetary charging of expenses and monitoring budget entries.
• Verifying cash by a periodic physical count.
• Preparation of monthly and on demand bank reconciliations.
• Archiving accounting documentation in accordance with set ACF procedures and practices.

Objective 2: Managing cash

•  Implementing the Cash Management procedures on the base and ensuring they are respected.
•  Ensuring the availability and safekeeping of the necessary cash for operations.
•  Authorizing and making payment for purchases falling within the monthly forecast of his/her base.
• Providing the Head of Finance Department with information concerning the circumstances of the base which may impact the process of cash management.
• Collecting and compiling monthly cash need forecasts from each department.
• Reviewing requests to commit expenses on a non-signed contract (Z1), checking that they are justified, and informing the Head of Finance Department.
• As and when necessary, proposing the choice of banking establishments, checking their solvency and reliability, maintaining the relationship, following the opening and closing of accounts, and the changing of signatories according to ACF procedures.
• Approving the methods of payment of ongoing contracts for the base and ensuring payment by the due date.
• Informing the Head of Finance Department of any discrepancy between procurement requests and the monthly forecasts.

 Objective 3: Leading financial management of the base

• Maintaining budget projections on a monthly basis with the FC and Program Managerss (PMs) of the base and raising alerts if need be.
• Continuously analyzing the base’s budgets against expenditures and forecasts.
•  Providing all necessary components for the establishment of the annual budget, for proposals, and for feedback to funding bodies (audits, financial reports, etc.).
•  Consolidating needs and costs in the base financing plan.
•  Warning the Head of Finance Department and Field Coordinator of any financial risks.
•  On a monthly basis adjust the budget projections taking into account the actual expenditures and future needs of the program in collaboration with the FC and PMs.
•  Periodically briefing of the FC, Deputy Field Coordinator, and program managers and experts about the existing budgets and budget projections.
• Validating procurement lines (PLs) and supplier purchase orders (SPOs) based on budget availability, donor flexibility rules and Action Against Hunger policies.
• At the request of the Head of Finance Department, working on the annual budget and proposals with the base's Program Managers and providing the Head of Finance Department with information relevant to the structural costs of the base.
• Analyzing the consistency of cash forecasts with the Budget Follow-ups  (BFUs) and keeping the Head of Finance Department and Program Managers informed.
• In accordance with the structure of the financial plan, taking part in the process of allocating costs to certain donor contracts.
• Participating in the preparation and presentation of reports to funding bodies and auditors.
• Anticipating and monitoring financial risks (budget overspends, increased costs, lost invoices, lost deposits, etc) and keeping the Head of Finance Department and Field Coordinator informed of these.

Engagement: (The focus of interaction both internally and externally needed to deliver service seekers collaboration and build effective partnerships)

Objective 4: Setting in place and following up financial collaboration and coordination with mission partners

• Analyzing the financial risks involved and formulating recommendations concerning the selection of partners.
• Implementing and monitoring the modes of financial management in the framework of joint projects.
• Establishing with the partner the financial and budgetary aspects of partnership conventions and agreements.
• Ensuring that the undertakings of ACF and its partners on financial and budgetary matters are respected.
• Playing a role in enhancing the capacities of partners where a need is identified.
• Taking full advantage at the base level of all innovative practices in the field of financial and budgetary management in partnerships.

Delivery: (The focus on the execution of the work and the role on the team for supporting business/operational functions in terms of timeliness and quality)

Objective 5: Manage the Finance team in the base

• The day-to-day management of his/her team (guidance, follow-up, motivation…).
• Evaluating the performance and developing the skills of his/her team members.
• Defining the Human Resource needs of his/her area of activity and establishing the organizational chart of his/her team.
• Taking part in the recruitment of team members.
• Organizing and leading team meetings.
• Working out and monitoring individual action plans for team members.
• Managing the planning process, the sharing and coordination of tasks.
•  Providing appraisal interviews for team members.
•  Providing technical support to the teams.
• Identifying the training needs of team members and communicating them to FC and the Finance Head of Department.
• Creating, organizing, and leading training sessions.
• Managing difficulties in the team.

II.     Supervisory Responsibilities

• Senior Field Finance Officer, Field Accountants, etc.

III.   Gender Equality Commitments  

• Foster an environment that supports the values of women and men, and equal access to information.
• Provide a work environment where women and men must be evaluated and promoted based on their skills and performance.
• Respect beneficiaries’ women, men, children (boys and girls) regardless of gender, sexual orientation, disability, religion. race, color, ancestry, national origin, age, or marital status. 
• Value and respect all cultures. 

IV.    Fiscal Responsibility

• N/A

 V. Physical Demands

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to sit for long periods and to concentrate on work, including typing, and turn out heavy volumes of work accurately, within short time frames under stressful situations in the context of a moderately noisy office with many interruptions. Must be able to proofread own work accurately so that only minor corrections are needed on an infrequent basis.
• The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

VI.    Working Conditions, Travel, and Environment

• The duties of the job require regular job attendance at least five days per week. Must be available to work outside normal office hours or on the weekends as required.
• Must be able to travel as required for standard domestic and international business purposes. While performing the duties of this job in the field, the employee may be exposed to precarious settings under high-security risks and/or very basic living conditions and outside weather conditions, as well as to infectious diseases. 

I.     Required Qualifications and Professional Experience

•  A higher degree in business or finance; Professional certification in Accounting or Finance would add an advantage.

•  Minimum of 5 years professional work experience in a finance or accounting role for an NGO (accounting, cash, and budget management, knowledge of donor’s and ACF guidelines, internal audit process). Experience in coaching and team building; Experience in communicating financial results to managers; Experience in managing & supporting staff

II.   Required Skills & Competencies

• Advanced skills in computer applications; proficiency in Microsoft Excel; Knowledge and experience of SAGA accounting software; Proactive; Professionalism, Good interpersonal skills and very good knowledge of English; Skills in coaching, training, and developing staff.