About Mercy Corps

Mercy Corps is a leading global organization powered by the belief that a better world is possible. In disaster, in hardship, in more than 40 countries around the world, we partner to put bold solutions into action — helping people triumph over adversity and build stronger communities from within. Now, and for the future.

Mercy Corps has been operating in Ethiopia since 2004. In partnership with civil society organizations, private sector, and the government, Mercy Corps Ethiopia has reached more than five million Ethiopians with interventions to save lives and build secure livelihoods. Our programs emphasize market-driven solutions, reinforce social bonds, and help communities build resilience to the impacts of climate change. Currently in six regional states – Afar, Gambella, Oromia, Somali, Amhara and South Nations, Nationalities and People’s Region (SNNPR) – Mercy Corps Ethiopia is driven by the mission to contribute the emergence of a peaceful, resilient, and prosperous Ethiopia which is inclusive of youth and women. Our strategic directions focus in promoting inclusive and dynamic markets; promoting peace and social cohesion through strengthening formal/informal governance structures and citizen engagement; improved natural resource governance; and integrated humanitarian response.

 Position Title:  Finance officer

 Duty Station:  Jijiga

 Open Position:  1

 Program / Department Summary

The Finance Officer will work within the Finance department. The Finance Department are committed to provide reliable, timely and compliant support to program activities in order to enable those programs to work efficiently. He/She will ensure that all Mercy Corps offices have adequate admin, logistics support to deliver efficient services in compliance with established Mercy Corps and donors’ policies and with host country laws.

General Position Summary

The Mercy Corps Finance Department is responsible for all financial functions, including accounting, payments and banking, payroll, budgeting, financial reporting, and grant financial management and compliance.  The Mercy Corps Finance Department ensures compliance with donor regulations as well as Mercy Corps’ internal policies and procedures.  In its role as a support to the Program Department, the Finance Department provides timely reports and assistance to the Country Director and the Program team to ensure that financial and other related resources are used efficiently and effectively.

 Working in the Area Office, under the direction of the Area Manager (with dotted line to Regional Finance Coordinator) , the Finance Officer will be responsible on the day to day routine tasks of the finance officer role as well as monthly, quarterly and annual reporting. She is expected to produce reliable, accurate and timely financial report/information for all stake holders involved in. The post holder should be forward looking, self-driven, operating under minimum supervision, and critical thinker in senior management role.  Furthermore, considering the various expected systemic changes in future, the post holder should be forward looking, change oriented and able to develop/train the team capacity in the changing environment.

This job requires up to 20% travel to the project sites Specially to Diredawa Field Office directly managed by Mercy Corps as well as by sub grantees and the nature of the travel is compliance monitoring (internal audit function) and capacity building.

 ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

 I.  Compliance Monitoring (40% of Time)

II. Management of Financial Diary (20%)

III. Treasury Management (20%)

IV. Financial Accounting and Budgeting (10% of Time)

V. Budget Holders Capacity Management (10% of Time)

 I. Compliance Monitoring [40% of Time]

• Ensure all the budget holders and staff with signing authority in the office are familiar with donor rules and regulations and provide them the compliance checklist.

• Ensure that budget holders and staff with signing authority are familiar with coded budget and when they are signing the documents that they are putting the right code.

• Perform sensibility checking for all codes put by the budget holders or people with signing authority in the office and do corrections before transactions are posted to the journals

• Ensure that staff in the office are familiar with Mercy Corps’ internal policies and procedures and organize periodic mini training for the newcomers as well as refresher training for the existing once

• Ensure that all host government rules, such as withholding tax, payroll tax, provident fund, pension and e.t.c are properly deducted and deposited on time to the local government office.

• Based on the Authority Matrix, perform the financial review task to adequate standard. During doing the financial review, ensure that all documents presented are meeting the expected standards per donor and MC’s policies and procedures and the documents are authorized by the appropriate person in the authority matrix.

• Together with the Area Manager, ensure that the monthly finance/admin/operational meeting is held consistently based on the agreed Terms of Reference for the meeting

• As part of the senior staff member for the area office, ensure that anything to do with the financial controls, which may be linked to HR or Logistics process, is handled to adequate standard. Serve as a focal person for all financial controls in the Area Office

• Ensure that all internal audit recommendations are handled to adequate standard, and we are compliant with the implementation of the recommendations, and it is done consistently.

• Ensure all necessary documentations are collected, organized and reconciliations are made for voucher-based payments

• Ensure printed vouchers are registered to GRN, distributed to beneficiaries, and count redeemed/void/unused vouchers and payments are settled accordingly,

• Follow Cash Transfer Programs, ensure documentation, and follow up settlement with the MFI,

• Monthly detail review of RIPA transaction list and propose for reclassification,

• Update RIPA staff list and check payroll and transaction list accordingly,

 II. Management of Financial Diary (20%)

• Ensure that all the monthly financial diary is properly handled, and no deadline is missed. To execute this, monitor the daily progress of accomplishments so that the end date or the set deadline is met without difficulties

• Produce the monthly cash flow projection and submit to the Addis based Finance Coordinator on time. During the actual cash flow request, review the current real need in relation to the projections made and make realistic cash flow request. Coordinate the need with the program technical staff in the Area Office and logistics unit.

• Meet ad-hoc financial diary based on the ad-hoc request coming from the country head office or the regional finance coordinator. Ensure that all copies of key documents, such contracts, major purchases, distribution list and e.t.c are kept in the Area Office for any future need or audit queries and when requested it is sent on time.

• Ensure that the monthly VAT claims from USAID is compiled and sent to the Addis based Assistant Finance Officer together with the monthly accounts and vouchers.  Ensure by email that the Addis based Assistant Finance Officer has received this document.

 VI. Financial Accounting and Budgeting (10% of Time)

• Ensure that the monthly Electronic and Manual Field return from the Area Office is sent to Addis Based General Ledger Finance Officer or to the Regional Finance Coordinator on time and the information sent is well checked against each voucher in the file.

• Ensure that all the assets (receivables) and liabilities in the Area Office are settled on time and quarterly note/report is sent to the Addis Ababa Office for all outstanding liabilities and receivable (debts) for more than three months. Together with the Addis based General Ledger Finance Officer and Assistant Finance Officer, perform balance sheet account reconciliation on a monthly basis.

• Ensure the quality of information entered in the bank and cash sub journals and make sure that the regional finance coordinator and the general ledger finance officer are not spending considerable time in verifying or checking the information submitted.

• Coordinate with the Regional Finance Coordinators and ensure the BVA/BVE report is understood by the relevant team members in the Area Office

• Coordinate the commitment tracking sheet at Area Office level and submit the information to the Regional Finance Coordinator on the agreed and scheduled date

• During budget development process ensure that adequate budget information is submitted

• Assist the Assistant Finance Officer based in Addis in coordinating CTC/CTO information

• Provide over all support to the Addis based General Ledger Finance Officer, for any form of queries sent to the Area Office

V.Budget Holders Capacity Management (10% of Time)

• Perform regular review of the capacity of the budget holders and seek ways to address the gap including provision of group orientation, induction, mini training

• Discuss the gap on the monthly finance/admin/operations meeting, find solutions and inform the regional finance coordinator for any higher-level support

• As required provide need based individual coaching to the budget holders in the Area Office.

• Provide support to the regional finance coordinator as and when large group trainings are conducted.

 Perform any other similar tasks that may be reasonably assigned by the line manager in any one of the five components above.

Security

• Ensure compliance with security procedures and policies as determined by country leadership.

• Proactively ensure that team members operate in a secure environment and are aware of policies.

Strategy & Vision

• Recognize opportunities for innovative action and create an environment where alternative viewpoints are welcomed.

• Set direction by prioritizing and organizing actions & resources to achieve objectives and contribute to countrywide strategy development.

• Develop and organize activities to secure resources for programs and convince stakeholders to provide support. 

Team Management

·       Develop the capacity of the team, deepen understanding of their roles and assist with career development.

·        Assist team members with information, tools and resources to improve performance & reach objectives.

·       Promote accountability, communicate expectations and provide constructive feedback informally and formally via regular one on ones and performance reviews.

·       Create and sustain a work environment of mutual respect where team members strive to achieve excellence.

·       Hire, orient and lead team members as necessary.

Finance & Compliance Management

·       Ensure compliance with donor and Mercy Corps regulations related to emergency programming.

·       Draft and/or review scope of work to hire and manage any technical consultants, including review for technical efficacy and contract budget.

 Influence & Representation

·       Identify, build and manage collaborative partnerships with consortium partners, sub-grantees, donors, local governments and other stakeholders.

·       Communicate effectively to ensure overall project targets and donor obligations are met.

 GEDSI (GENDER, EQUALITY, DIVERSITY AND SOCIAL INCLUSION)

·       Understand and aware GDI related priorities of the country office and contribute for the realization of priorities (continually work to understand and be aware of the gender diversity and inclusion priorities of the country office and contribute in the execution)

·       Promote gender equal and inclusive workplace culture in a day-to-day interaction with a team member, partners and program participants.

Organizational Learning 

·       As part of our commitment to organizational learning and in support of our understanding that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities they serve, we expect all team members to commit 5% of their time to learning activities that benefit Mercy Corps as well as themselves.

Accountability to Beneficiaries

·       Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically

to our beneficiaries and to international standards guiding international relief and development work, while actively engaging beneficiary communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.

·       Team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and MC's policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues.

Safeguarding & Ethics

Mercy Corps is committed to ensuring that all individuals we come into contact with through our work, whether team members, community members, program participants or others, are treated with respect and dignity. We are committed to the core principles regarding prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse laid out by the UN Secretary General and IASC and have signed on to the Interagency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. We will not tolerate child abuse, sexual exploitation, abuse, or harassment by or of our team members. As part of our commitment to a safe and inclusive work environment, team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner, respect local laws and customs, and to adhere to Mercy Corps Code of Conduct Policies and values at all times. Team members are required to complete mandatory Code of Conduct elearning courses upon hire and on an annual basis.

Job Requirements

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

 ·       Five years and more progressive experience in the non-profit organization and mainly experience gained in the INGO is required.

·       Good level of exposure in handling USAID grants at least for two years

·       First Degree or preferably master’s degree in business administration, Accounting, Finance or related discipline. Compensating Education + Experience can be considered.

·       Demonstrated competency with computerized general ledger software

·       Advanced computer skills in MS Office programs, particularly in Excel

·       Prior management experience and strong organizational skills

·       Excellent oral and written English skills

SUCCESS FACTORS:

 ·       Must be confident, self-starter, an independent thinker and have strong organizational, interpersonal and communication skills, team oriented

·       Good computer skills (especially Microsoft Excel, Work, and Outlook)

·       Ability to interact effectively with international and national personnel is required; demonstrated ability to work effectively with diverse group of people

·       High professional standard of administration ethics as well as willingness and ability to enforce compliance with Mercy Corps and donor policies and procedures is essential.

·       Demonstrated ability to multi-task, meet deadlines and process information in support of changing program activities is necessary

·       Excellent communication skills, written and oral are required.

·       Demonstrated cultural sensitivity and appropriate flexibility.

·       Emotional maturity and physical stamina.

·       Demonstrated experience in managing Matrix Reporting need 

·       Willing to travel to Mercy Corps field offices and project sites (15% of time.)

 Perform any other similar tasks that may be reasonably assigned by the line manager in any one of the three components above.

How to Apply

Register using THIS LINK

All applications submitted to the Mercy Corps office or electronically include a CV, three references, and all relevant official documents. Applications will not be returned and will not be retained for future recruitment efforts.  In order to ensure fairness to all applicant’s personal inquiries are not permitted.

 Only candidates that are short-listed will be acknowledged and called for interviews.

 “Mercy Corps is an equal opportunity employer promoting gender, equity and    diversity. Qualified female and young candidates are strongly encouraged to apply. We are committed to empower women and youth.”

 DEADLINE FOR ALL APPLICATIONS: February 05, 2023/ 4:00 PM