Senior Finance Officer (Country Office, Nigeria) Full Time

Part 1 – Job Description

1. Main purpose of the job

To be responsible for the supporting of finance operations by giving direct technical support to finance and project staff, as well as partner staff where appropriate, in effective and efficient financial control relating to balance sheet reconciliations, filing structure, documentation of financial processes, monitoring partners’ procurement practices, facilitating best practice in resource utilisation including the use of assets, and verifying stocks and gifts in kind. To provide Finance and Accounting management support and capacity-building functions to Tearfund partners, to ensure financial procedures and systems for financial management and control comply with Tearfund and donor requirements.

2. Position in organisation

• Grade: BG-7, Croner 4 Level
• Reports to the Finance Manager
• Direct Reports: May manage programme/projects finance staff

Works directly with Tearfund’s partners especially the finance staff of partners.

3. Tearfund’s Christian culture

We believe that prayer and discernment is fundamental to Tearfund achieving its mission of restoring relationships, ending extreme poverty and transforming lives. As a Tearfund staff member you are expected to:-

• Engage with Tearfund Prays and the Prayer hub
• Lead or participate in spiritual sessions of prayer and biblical reflection within your group
• Be committed to Tearfund’s Mission, Values and Beliefs statement and to be actively working and living in accordance with Tearfund’s Christian beliefs and theology of mission
• Maintain your own spiritual development, discover your gifts/callings and grow in discipleship

4. Organisational requirements

• The post holder will be expected to live out Tearfund’s values as they represent Tearfund externally.
• S/he will be expected to fulfil their personal objectives set by their line manager, contribute to their team’s overall objectives, take responsibility for reviewing their ongoing personal development and maintain an awareness of Tearfund’s strategy.
• S/he will be expected, along with all Tearfund staff, to share responsibility to promote and maintain a strong safeguarding culture, and including identifying the key actions they should take given their role and responsibilities.
• The post-holder will be required to actively participate in the spiritual life of Tearfund in the following ways:
  • To model godly leadership in all aspects of character and conduct.
  • To lead or contribute in Christian worship, prayer, teaching and biblical reflections during collective staff prayer times and encourage staff to attend as is appropriate.
  • To be committed to and share in the outworking of Tearfund’s Mission, Purpose, Values and Statement of Faith.
  • To actively work and live in accordance with Tearfund’s Statement of Faith and Tearfund’s Christian ethos.
  • To pursue and maintain a Christian faith through ongoing personal spiritual development and a relationship with God.
  • To provide support and spiritual encouragement to staff and colleagues, in line with biblical principles.

The post-holder will be expected to behave in accordance with Tearfund’s ‘Code of Conduct’ as referred to in the Personal Conduct Policy.

5. Duties & Key Responsibilities

5.1 PROGRAMME STRATEGY

• Assist finance manager in preparing budgets for projects and core costs in a team with programs.
• Assist the finance manager in the preparation of monthly management reports for review
• Assist the finance manager in ensuring timely and accurate financial reports from partners
• Assist finance manager in preparing donor reports on time

5.2 PROJECT / SUPPORT FUNCTION MANAGEMENT

• Assist finance manager in Day-to-day management of finance function, including oversight of cash disbursements, cash receipts, banking, and petty cash management, accurate calculation, collection and payment of relevant taxes to local authorities, and other finance-related tasks.
• Process monthly accruals and prepayments (provisions, vehicle lease/depreciation, and other journals).
• Preparation of timely and accurate cash transfer requests
• Reconcile bank, safe & petty cash accounts, following up on discrepancies as required.
• In consultation with the HR Manager, establish a payroll system for national staff.
• Oversee national staff and international Nigerian staff salary preparation and payment.
• Ensure timely payment of utilities (e.g. rent, water, electricity, telephone, refuse).
• Monitor staff expense accounts, resolving discrepancies and ensuring staff are appropriately accounting for all expenditures.
• Assist finance manager by liaison with UK staff regarding UK entries, and closing staff accounts as they leave the programme.
• Establish an effective filing system that provides easy access to finance-related information and proper documentation of all financial and contractual transactions
• Visit field office (s) to assist and train Finance staff in adequately recording their financial data, and ensuring proper supporting documentation and controls.
• Work with the Logistics Team to maintain a detailed, accurate, and up-to-date asset register (including depreciation) with internal controls and procedures to reduce the risk of financial loss, and reconciliation of stock against financial records.
• Help facilitate visits by, and meet requirements of, external and internal auditors
• Assist finance manager by actively coordinating partner financial capacity building plans.
• Also support partners in financial reporting of institutional funding
• Review the books of accounts of partners with the report submitted before the next transfer
• Prepare Balance sheet reconciliations and present for review to both the FM and the Regional Senior Accountant
• Management of advances to staff (ensure that advances are accounted for over time and that no double advances are issued)
• Ensure that all accounting operations in Nigeria (Both Tearfund and Partner) are submitted and uploaded in PSF on time. Close the cash and bank books on the second day of each month and send the details to the FM
• Verify of telephone billing and other monthly invoices from service providers such as medical bills, tax, and rent, ensuring that personal expenses are passed on to the respective employees.
• Track service contracts to ensure they are renewed on time and for those who expire, follow the correct process if they need to be terminated or renewed.
• Provide financial / accounting assistance to the country office to ensure that procedures and policies are not flouted.
• To be a leader in the prevention of fraud at the base and to provide technical support for fraud investigations.
• Undertake any other task assigned by the FM and Country Director.

5.3 CORPORATE POLICY AND COMPLIANCE

• Contribute towards promoting and adhering to Tearfund’s Purpose, Basis of Faith, Core Values and Operating Principles.
• Provide support and guidance to team members to ensure all activities are compliant with standard operating procedures.
• Support the induction of finance staff, ensuring their familiarity with Tearfund’s mandate, values, Quality Standards, policies and programme objectives and their individual responsibilities in upholding these standards and policies.
• Contribute towards compliance with all host country legal, contractual and statutory requirements as delegated by the Finance Manager.

5.4 TEAM MANAGEMENT

• Encourage effective teamwork and providing supervision, guidance and monitoring when required.
• Support the implementation of Tearfund’s staff development policy for finance staff, including personal development planning
• Ensure that staff understand their individual and collective responsibilities for safety and well-being.
• Conduct regular performance reviews, including initial performance appraisals, and encourage the personal development of each individual (including personal development plans and identification of training needs).

5.5 EXTERNAL REPRESENTATION

• Establish good working relationships with clerical staff of government and other agencies to facilitate financial processes.
• Establish banking arrangements and maintain liaison with principal bankers.

Part 2 – Person Specification

Qualifications

Degree in Finance / Accounts or equivalent experience

• ACA / MBA / CA, ICAN, ANAN or equivalent
• Proven experience in relief and disaster response work

Experience

• Minimum of five years’ experience in accounting
• Proven experience in book-keeping, accounting and financial management.
• Providing financial capacity assessment to local partner
• Understanding of accounting issues in the charity/NGO sector
• Experience of working with Christian based partners
• Understanding of accounting issues in the charity/NGO sector.

Skills/Abilities

• Excellent written and verbal communication in English language.
• Planning, budgeting, monitoring and evaluation skills
• Communication and presentation skills
• Self-motivation
• Computer literate in MS-Word, Excel, Powerpoint, etc
• Team player
• Initiative
• Attention to detail
• Ability to Prioritise
• Good analytical skills;
• Training and mentoring skills

Personal Qualities

• Committed Christian with personal relationship with God;
• Committed to Tearfund’s Mission, Values and Beliefs
• Committed to regular Christian fellowship with other Christians
• Christian motivation in relation to injustice and serving those in need.
• Logical Thinker and Problem solver
• Humanitarian & Christian motivation
• Emotionally and spiritually mature
• Commitment to accountability to
• Beneficiaries and transparency, showing dignity and respect, and demonstrating listening and understanding
  • Understanding and sensitivity to cross cultural issues
  • Flexible and adaptable to ever changing environments
  • Ability to remain calm under pressure
• Influential, diplomatic and determined
• Willingness to travel and live in basic
• and potentially insecure conditions;
• An understanding of and a
• commitment to Tearfund’s Mission,
• Values and Beliefs Statement
• Networking
• People developer and motivator

  The Annual consolidated compensation range for this position is between NGN 14,000,000 to 15,000,000

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