Job responsibilities and key tasks

VSF-Suisse seeks to hire a Regional Finance Officer who will have the overall financial responsibility of the HEAL Project to be implemented in Ethiopia, N. Kenya and Somalia. S/He will provide support to the finance staff of the consortium partners (VSF-Suisse, CCM & ILRI) in timely financial planning, monitoring, analysis and reporting as well as operations support in the implementation of the HEAL project. S/He will be responsible for supporting the Regional HEAL project manager in finance management, review of grants and ensuring the project strictly adheres to standard requirements of VSF-Suisse and specific donor requirements.

Project Accounting

• Ensuring all expenditures are supported with proper and sufficient supporting documents based on donor and VSF Suisse regulations.
• Verify partners' financial reports against supporting documents and prepare a report on any findings or irregularities.
• Maintain financial documents of partners

Financial management of the HEAL project

• Oversee the financial management of the HEAL project.
• Work with country-level finance staff to ensure that everyone works toward the agreed standards of financial management, highlight areas of concern, make recommendations and develop plans to meet identified needs.
• Undertake budgeting and income/expenditure forecasting for the HEAL project and advice the regional HEAL project manager and his team.
• Provide support, advice and training to partner organizations’ staff on financial management control and reporting.
• Make regular visits to project sites, monitor field expenditures to ensure that project funds are utilized appropriately and timely.
• Undertake monthly country-level finance review meetings with concerned staff and relay information to the Regional HEAL Project Manager and the Consortium Partnership Board.
• Support on budget development for future phases of the project.

Cash management of the HEAL project

• Ensure timely and accurate cash management and financial disbursements to partners and maintain oversight of funding requirements.
• Arrange and follow-up bank transfers made to partner and stakeholders by following their project budgets and cash flow.

Project controlling and reporting

• Ensure that strong financial and accountability controls are in place across the countries of intervention (Ethiopia, Somalia, Kenya) and that they are in line with VSF-Suisse financial procedures.
• Support country-level finance staff in the implementation of control measures.
• Ensure that each country and partner offices maintain and review the project monitoring reports and management accounts.
• Follow-up on partners' financial reports, analyze them and make recommendations to the regional HEAL project manager and VSF-Suisse Ethiopia office FAM.
• Ensure timely and accurate financial reporting to the donor.
• Ensure compliance and understanding of donor terms throughout the countries of intervention

Project audits

• Organize a periodic review of the control system through internal audits.
• Oversee and coordinate the financial audits of the project.
• Provides required documents for an auditor and ensures internal/external project audit takes place in a timely manner.

Procurement and logistics

• Ensure the project procurements and purchases are done in a timely manner.
• Ensures that all project equipment are maintained and documented properly;
• Maintain and timely update project asset list.

Administration

• Support the HEAL Project Manager follow-up on settling of financial agreements relating to consultancy agreements and general logistical arrangements.
• Ensure all partners maintain contracts, timesheets, for staff and vehicle logbooks are maintained
• Ensure that the HEAL project staff personal files of the employee are properly maintained;
• Support new project staff induction process to the HEAL project’s logistic and financial procedures;

Job Requirements

Essential Criteria

• A Masters’ degree in Finance and a professional accounting qualification is essential for this post.

Experience and Knowledge

• Experience in managing and supporting teams working remotely
• At least 10 years’ experience working in an INGO preferably a regional position
• Extensive experience of a wide range of donors including Swiss Development Cooperation, DFID, EU, etc
• Previous consortium financial management experience is advantageous
• Knowledge of statutory requirements for Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia

Note: Any application not fulfilling these criteria will not be taken into consideration.

Skills and Abilities

• Proficient knowledge of English and ideally knowledge of any of the languages spoken in the intervention countries
• Ability to work with tact and diplomacy with various stakeholders
• Willing and able to travel extensively in the region
• Ability to work independently and make rational strategic and routine decisions
• Ideally a national or a resident of Ethiopia, Somalia or Kenya
• Performance management skills including mentoring and capacity building of finance staff

Application procedure

What we offer

• A qualified, dynamic and highly motivated team of colleagues;
• A unique and relevant project for pastoral communities in the Greater Horn of Africa;
• The opportunity to actively contribute to the future design of the project implementation;
• A job with responsibilities in a demanding and challenging environment;
• A competitive salary as well as a medical and social insurance scheme.

Entry date and contract length

Immediate start-up, with a fixed-term contract of four years.

How to Apply

Application procedure and deadline

We look forward to receiving your application in English. Please add:

• A motivation letter (maximum 1 page) stating why you are the right person for this position;
• A recent CV of 2 pages maximum;
• Scanned copies of your work certificates and relevant university diplomas;
• Contact details of three referees.

Send your application by e-mail with the position being applied for as the email subject to heal@vsf-suisse.org by 9^th August 2021 (midnight).