ABOUT LINK COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

Link Community Development Ethiopia is part of Link Education International (LEI), a family of not for profit organisations working together to transform education for children and communities across impoverished areas of Ethiopia, Malawi, Rwanda and Uganda. Since our foundation in 1995 we have worked in 3,000 schools and improved the lives of over two million children through unique and effective school improvement models. We guide governments and educators to adopt low-cost solutions to improve learning and support for children, with a focus on literacy, numeracy and inclusion for the most marginalised children. Through a partnership delivery model which embeds piloting and learning within local systems, we influence changes to policy, practice and accountability on a national scale, and our interventions are regularly adapted and replicated by governments and NGOs in new countries and contexts. LEI, based in Edinburgh, Scotland supports all project, M&E, fundraising, finance and governance activities in our four sub-Saharan partner countries.

JOB PURPOSE

The Finance and Administration Officer (FAO) will support the delivery of Link Community Development’s Education Challenge ‘STAGES’ project in Ethiopia, which aims at supporting the transition of adolescent girls through enhanced education systems over a period of eight years.

Reporting to the Finance & Administration Manager, the post-holder will provide high level finance support to LCDE to ensure all activities are delivered on time, on budget and to the highest standard.

INDICATIVE AREAS OF KEY RESPONSIBILITIES 

• Work closely with the Finance & Administration Manager to ensure high quality and administrative procedures and controls are in place in the implementation of the STAGES programme;
• Provide support and advice on financial administration matters to the STAGES programme team to ensure full compliance with government and donor requirements;
• Ensure compliance with Link’s finance, administration and procurement procedures;
• Ensure that payroll processing and associated tax activities are completed accurately and on time;
• Ensure payments are made on time and with necessary approvals;
• Prepare the monthly preparation and reporting of bank and petty cash reconciliations;
• Prepare cash flow forecasts, manage cash floats and manage funds requests;
• Prepare and maintain all financial records, ensuring balance sheet reconciliations are completed on a monthly basis;
• Provide scheduled and ad-hoc financial information to Link Education International (LEI) as required;
• Prepare invoices for submission to lead partner;
• Prepare for review by the Finance & Administration Manager (FAM) budget vs actual reports every month including variance analysis;
• Ensure accurate and up-to-date transaction list, ledger and trial balance, fixed asset register, account reconciliations and year-end adjustments are completed and availed to auditors for examination;
• Work closely with the Finance & Administration Manager and Country Representative on HR administration of STAGES staff with particular focus on: recruitment, compensation, employee relations, performance management and staff development;
• Other ad hoc finance and administrative tasks as required.

Contract Type: Fixed Term – 1 Year Contract, with possible extension based on performance 

Reporting to: Finance & Administration Manager, Link Community Development Ethiopia

Matrix managed by: International Program Finance Manager, Link Education International

EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS

Essential

• An undergraduate degree in Commerce/Accounts, Economics or Business Administration;
• At least 3 years’ experience working in a Finance & Administration related role preferably in an international organization;
• Qualified or part-qualified (ACCA, CIMA or equivalent) or working towards qualification;
• Experience of providing high- level finance support to a busy multi-functional team;
• Proven financial analysis and forecasting ability;
• Experience in financial capacity development of non-finance staff;
• Good interpersonal and team skills;
• Good written and spoken English;
• Sympathy with the aims and objectives of Link;
• Commitment to humanitarian principles and action;
• Commitment to Link’s Safeguarding and gender policies;
• Be an individual with high standards of integrity, with excellent negotiating skills and ability to manage external relationships.

Desirable

• Experience of working in an international NGO
• Experience on working with QuickBook or other accounting software packages