About Swiss Church Aid (HEKS/EPER)

Swiss Church Aid (HEKS/EPER)is the aid organization of the Protestant Churches of Switzerland and has its headquarters in Zurich/Switzerland. Swiss Church Aid (HEKS/EPER) works towards a more humane and more equitable world, assisting people and communities to overcome economic, social or humanitarian disparities in order to gain autonomy and to live with dignity both in Switzerland and abroad. Therefore, Swiss Church Aid/ HEKS engages in development cooperation, humanitarian aid and church cooperation working in more than 30 countries and running around 200 projects world-wide. Swiss Church Aid/ HEKS is a member of the ACT Alliance. Swiss Church Aid (HEKS/EPER)- Ethiopia Country office is recruiting a Finance Officer for its Arbaminch Sub Coordination office.

Purpose of the Job

The Finance Officer supports the Field office coordinator, Finance and Administration Manager, WASH Unit Manager and other country program and project teams in Swiss Church Aid (HEKS/EPER) to efficiently manage a grant by an international donor. The role will support effective and efficient country office grant management and partners office and ensure high quality reporting standards and compliance with donor rules and regulations.

Position: Finance Officer

Duty Station:  Arbaminch Sub Coordination office with frequent travel to field sites in different regions of Ethiopia

Required No: 1

Duration of Employment: 24 months with possibility of extension, based on funding availability.

Salary: As per the scale of the organization and benefit package

Duties and Responsibilities:

Key areas of responsibilities are:

Finance

• Verify correctness of cost/expense documents and ensure that payment requests are supported by source documents and required authorizations are in place. S/he shall also be responsible to effect all payment requests on time.

• Prepare cash payment vouchers and ensure that all cash transactions are fully and properly documented and filed according to Swiss Church Aid (HEKS/EPER) procedures

• Verify correctness of cost/expense documents and ensure that payment requests are supported by source documents and required authorizations are in place. S/he shall also be responsible to effect all payment requests on time.

• Responsible for accurate and timely posting of all financial transactions and ensures the application of proper accounting controls and uniformity with financial regulations, rules, policies and procedures, donor terms and conditions and Government policies.

• Collect bank advices, bank statements, and other bank correspondences

• Comply with all TAX inspection requirements.

• Ensure preparation of documentation for the audit.

• Ensures all expenditures comply with requirements of the Swiss Church Aid (HEKS/EPER) Field Financial and Administration Guidelines (FFAG) and all local legal requirements and obligations (such as tax, social security, etc.).

• Assists and support program personnel in relation to handling financial aspects of program activities.

• Perform any other related task as may be assigned

Financial Accounting and Control

·       Prepares financial and narrative reports in accordance with donor requirements and submits on time before the deadline.

·       Reviews Partner’s grant financial reports for accuracy, completeness and compliance with GAAP and donor requirements. Ensure variance explanations are reasonable, ensuring any unusual items are identified and followed up.

·       Ensures the application of proper accounting controls and uniformity with financial regulations, rules, policies and procedures, donor terms and conditions and Government policies. 

·       Provides ongoing technical assistance to the finance and program team in the development of effective and reliable financial management systems.

·       Carries out overall coordination and verification of payment vouchers/other documents.

·       Reviews financial reports and documents from the field offices and ensures that they are timely received.

·       Ensures that all procurements, payments and other transactions are in line with donors’ financial guidelines, rules and regulations for procurement, accounting and reporting.

·       Undertakes the day-to-day tasks related to the financial grant management issues.

·       Assists the Program team in reviewing project budget utilization and undertakes budget revisions accordingly.

·       Performs due diligence review and expenditure verification of partners. 

·       Produces the necessary ad-hoc reports as required, including quarterly financial and narrative reports for the Ethiopian government.

  Administration and programme

·       Maintain an appropriate filing system for the project to accommodate all aspects of the HEKS/EPER work & communicate CO for updates

·       Support the field office coordinator in organising training sessions and meetings.

·       Ensure the proper use and maintenance of equipment and office supplies, bringing any problems to the attention of the Field office coordinator/immediate supervisor.

·       Support field office coordinator/immediate supervisor with on-site monitoring visits and inform on findings.

·       Assisting in HR and administrative issues collaborating with Field office and liaison with CO HR & Admin officer

The employee may be asked to perform duties and tasks not covered in this job description as well as to provide support in other areas when necessary.

Job Requirements

BA degree in Accounting and Finance or any other relevant field

A minimum of Five years’ work experience in a similar field

3 years of NGO experience is a plus.

Prior financial grants management experience;

Skilled in team management and capacity building;

Experience in using accountancy software packages

Ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines

Excellent organization skills, including time management & prioritization.

Excellent command of English and reporting skills

Understanding of local context and language

Good computer skills

Diligent and trustworthy person

Analytical skills

How to Apply

Interested and qualified applicants can apply online using THIS LINK

Interested and qualified candidates can apply by sending

• Application letter,

• An updated Curriculum Vitae (make sure to include contact details of three professional referees)

• Current and expected remuneration.

Only short-listed applications will be contacted.

 Female candidates are highly encouraged to apply

 Deadline for application: May 28, 2024