Apply Now! Concern Worldwide Is Looking For A Finance Manager In Freetown

About Concern Worldwide

Concern Worldwide is a nongovernmental, international, humanitarian organisation dedicated to the reduction of suffering and  working towards the ultimate elimination of extreme poverty in the world’s poorest countries. In Sierra Leone Concern Worldwide  programmes focus on health, education and livelihood improvements in the framework of addressing challenges in relation to  lack of (or low return on) assets, inequality and risk and vulnerability. Concern Worldwide has been operational in Sierra Leone  since 1996. Programme implementation is based in three areas, namely Tonkolili District, Port Loko district and urban and peri urban areas in Freetown and the surrounding Western Area.

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Requirements

1. Education

University degree related to accounting

Qualified ACA, ACCA, CIMA accountant (will consider part-qualified with strong experience)

2. Job related Experience and Knowledge

5-8 years’ experience in finance

3-5 years’ managerial level experience in an NGO/INGO

Experience of donor reporting would be highly desirable

Computer literacy, particularly in Microsoft Office programmes such as Word and Excel as well accounting packages &  other database competencies

Experience in developing finance, programme & support staff on the technical aspects of finance

Financial management capacities

Ability to work under pressure to meet tight deadlines

3. Time required in Job to reach effective performance

Probation period – 4 months

Time to reach full effectiveness – 4 months

COMPETENCIES

Essential Character: Honesty and impartiality Hardworking & results-focused Cooperative communication styleEssential Skills: Financial training & experience People management  Time management & prioritisation skills Report writing Decision MakingPreferred competencies: Analytical Thinking Flexibility

HIV & AIDS

Concern Sierra Leone is committed to respond to HIV & AIDS and to a supportive working environment for those infected or  affected. Each staff member is required to contribute to achieving this commitment by:  ∙ Raising awareness and being updated on HIV & AIDS issues ∙ Protecting him/herself and colleagues ∙ Sharing information with colleagues and avoiding stigma and discrimination

P4 & CODE OF CONDUCT

Concern has a Staff Code of Conduct and a Programme Participant Protection Policy which have been developed to ensure  the maximum protection of programme participants from exploitation and to clarify the responsibilities of Concern staff,  consultants, visitors to the programme and partner organization, and the standards of behaviour expected of them. In this  context staff have a responsibility to the organization to strive for, and maintain, the highest standards in the day-to-day conduct  in their workplace in accordance with Concern’s core values and mission.  Any candidate offered a job with Concern Worldwide is expected to sign the Programme Participant Protection Policy and the  Concern Staff Code of Conduct as an appendix to their contract of employment. By signing the Programme Participant  Protection Policy and the Concern Staff Code of Conduct candidates acknowledge that they have understood the contents of  both the Concern Staff Code of Conduct and the Programme Participant Protection Policy and agree to conduct themselves in  accordance with the provisions of these two documents. Any breach of this Concern Staff Code of Conduct or the Programme Participant Protection Policy by employees of Concern  Worldwide during the course of their employment will result in disciplinary action up to, and including, dismissal.

GENDER

Concern Worldwide in Sierra Leone recognizes that the establishment of equality of opportunity between men and women is  fundamental to both the achievement of fairness and to poverty elimination.  Therefore, each staff member of Concern is expected to be sensitive to equality issues in their relationships with colleagues and  in their work and to participate in implementation of gender mainstreaming plans, both at the workplace and in programmes

SAFEGUARDING AT CONCERN – CODE OF CONDUCT AND ITS ASSOCIATED POLICIES 

Concern has an organizational Code of Conduct (CCoC) with three Associated Policies; the Programme Participant  Protection Policy (P4), the Child Safeguarding Policy and the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Policy. These have been  developed to ensure the maximum protection of programme participants from exploitation, and to clarify the responsibilities of  Concern staff, consultants, visitors to the programme and partner organization, and the standards of behaviour expected of  them. In this context, staff have a responsibility to the organization to strive for, and maintain, the highest standards in the  day-to-day conduct in their workplace in accordance with Concern’s core values and mission. Any candidate offered a  job with Concern Worldwide will be expected to sign the Concern Staff Code of Conduct and Associated Policies as an  appendix to their contract of employment. By signing the Concern Code of Conduct, candidates acknowledge that they have  understood the content of both the Concern Code of Conduct and the Associated Policies and agree to conduct themselves in  accordance with the provisions of these policies. Additionally, Concern is committed to the safeguarding and protection of  vulnerable adults and children in our work. We will do everything possible to ensure that only those who are suitable to work or  volunteer with vulnerable adults and children are recruited by us for such roles. Subsequently, working or volunteering with  Concern is subject to a range of vetting checks, including criminal background checking.

About the Role

Job Summary You will assist the Country Financial Controller (CFC) in the day-to-day operation  of the finance function, month end closure, donor management, financial  reporting, development of budgets and controls. You will ensure that all relevant  donor compliance and Concern Policy requirements are adhered to and data  integrity is maintained, while reviewing and dispatching financial data to various  stakeholders. This includes also, the analysis of financial data and giving  recommendations to the Country Financial Controller as necessary. The position  will in part deputies for the Country Financial Controller in case of the later’s  absence and will work closely with the whole finance team.

CONCERN WORLDWIDE OBJECTIVE

Concern Worldwide mission is to improve the living standard of people who cannot meet their basic needs by strengthening  their capacity to meet those needs and responding to emergency situations. Every Concern staff member has an important role  to play in ensuring that this mission is achieved and employees should be clear about how their own contribution can help the  wider organisation achieve its objective.

MAJOR ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Note: Currently looking at options to restructure the Finance Department so the JD maybe subject to changes

Financial Control

Assist the CFC in ensuring that specific in-country procedures are developed, approved, documented and rolled out  effectively

Ensure that country financial management systems & records are adequate in order to identify and protect the assets  & interests of the organization

Make regular visits to all Concern’s projects to ensure that adequate monitoring systems are in place to minimize the  risk of loss or misuse of assets

Ensure that statutory regulations regarding deductions and taxation of staff and suppliers are complied with and  payment made to relevant authorities on time, before 14th of the following month

Donor Management (Budgeting, Reporting, Filing)

Prepare donor financial reports and ensure the reports are shared with relevant persons in HQ, DO, RA, PDs, CD &CFC

Ensure that necessary donor reporting deadlines are met and CFC is kept informed of any concerns over meeting due  dates.

Ensure that donor reports tie back to the general ledger from GP and donor original budgets

Assist the programme staff in formulating all budget proposals

Map staffing to donor funding to ensure that gaps are identified and included in future donor proposals, decisions made  on eliminating positions if there isn’t sufficient funding for the role

Work with Programme Managers on the coding of new grants and ensure circulation to all relevant staff and accounts  are created in GP, in conjunction with the Management Accountant

Follow up and support on mapping of donor budgets against Concern Chart of Account

Develop and maintain the Donor Management Accounts

Ensure all relevant donor guidelines, policies, proposals, periodic reports and other communications are readily  available, categorized by grant, and documented in soft and hard copy filing

Prepare interim & final donor financial reports and submit to CFC & programme managers/ coordinators

Undertake periodic joint review of donor reports with budget holders based on agreed upon arrangements

Preparation of donor budgets, liaising with programme managers to determine appropriate costs for inclusion

Maintain a hard copy filing system for each donor, as per the ‘Donor File Contents Checklist’ and ensure it is kept up to-date with signed final versions.

Ensure all Finance related Donor Budgets, Contracts & Reports are uploaded onto Concerns Grant Management  System (GMS)

Ensure familiarity with various donor compliance rules and report layouts & timelines – in particular the main donors  like- FCDO, Irish Aid, ECHO, EU, USAID & update the relevant staffs

Partner capacity building (including Consortia partners)

Undertake assessment of new & potential partners, using Concern’s CILPAT tool, on a timely and comprehensive  basis. Summarise findings, ensure assessment is signed off by all relevant staff and maintain documentation on each  partner file

For each partner, prepare a partner monitoring schedule, based on frequency as identified during the CILPAT  assessment and visit accordingly

Review financial reports, cashbooks and supporting documents provided by the partner to above timeline, bringing  any ineligible costs and budget variations to the attention of the Project Manager and the CFC

After each field visit prepare and disseminate a Partner Visit Report, clearly identifying action points, responsibility and  timelines

Assist the partner, in conjunction with the project manager, on budget preparation.

Ensure the partner is able to submit regular and accurate financial reports using the template provided by Concern. Review partner financial reporting template ensuring correct budgets are used and the correct formulas are in place.

Review partner report and prepare partner expenditure journals and carry out a funds reconciliation with the balance  sheet

Deliver training to the partner as per the requirements of the partner finance action plan, and on an ad hoc basis  where necessary.

Month end account closure

Review, check in detail and correct Cash & Bank books in a manner, ready to be imported in to the MGP system.

Prepare FPL detail Journal and ensure approved supporting documents are attached and reviewed & signed by CFC  before uploading to MGP.

Ensure all timesheets for International Staff submitted before 5th of the following month and check the correctness  of percentage allocation as per BR’s & advised by CFC

Follow up and support as necessary, on the month end process including the support cost allocation.

Financial Reporting, Budget and Audit

Assist the CFC during preparation of budget revisions (BRs)

Review Donor management accounts on regular basis and advise the CFC and budget holders on areas, which require special attention.

Participate in the annual country level external audit and as well as donor fund projects audit process (includes  Prepare ledger and transaction list for auditors)

Assist the CFC to handle queries related to internal and external audits and provide/facilitate feedback (responses) to  issues and recommendations raised during/post audits

Undertake a quick review of audit test (e.g. Matching donor reports to TL) before commencement of audit

Work closely with CFC in follow up, and implementation of recommendations by Auditors and Regional Accountant  (RA)

Participate in the production of financial statements (accounts) for external auditor and for any ad-hoc year end  reports for Dublin.

Prepare / update the Chart of Accounts(COA) and distribute on time to the relevant Budget Holders including  Managers, Coordinators, Senior management and relevant departments at every budget Revisions

Staff Management and Capacity Building

Directly line manage and supervise Finance staff as directed by CFC

Coach and mentor national finance team who have potential to rise to more senior level positions in the organisation.

In consultation with the CFC, provide on the job training to subordinates on regular basis including during field visits

Deliver training on finances issues to non-finance staff where a need is identified in all field office and remote locations

Deliver training on fraud & corruption to non-finance staff where a need is identified in all field office and remote locations

Other tasks

Coordinate & consolidate monthly cash forecast & submit to CFC before/ by 23rd each month

Providing, as requested, cover to key finance functions during staff shortage.

Assist with and facilitate internal, donor and external audit process.

Prepare quarterly FX rate, In country Income & accepted recharge for Dublin & submit to CFC in a quarterly bases on  the 1st three days of the following month of each quarter

Represent the CFC at consortium level finance meetings and take the lead on any discussions and action points

Work closely with the CFC on yearend closing activities.

Assume the CFC functions in his/her absence

Complete any others tasks as requested by CFC