Senior Finance Officer - Program Support at Mercy Corps

Reference Number: MDG/HUMOPS/2018/00053
Location: Maiduguri, Borno

Program / Department Summary

• The Mercy Corps Finance Department is responsible for all financial functions in Nigeria, 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 resources are used efficiently and effectively.

General Position Summary

• The Senior Finance Officer will work within the Finance Department under the direction of the Field Finance Manager.
• S/he will assist the Northeast Program in adhering to the compliance procedures for grants and voucher related activities, the review and analysis of records, reports, financial statements.
• S/he will ensure adequate internal controls are in place to mitigate risks in compliance with laws, regulations, donor requirements and Mercy Corps policies and procedures

Essential Job Functions
Strategy & Vision:

• Recognize opportunities for innovative action and create an environment where alternative viewpoints are welcomed.
• Set direction within the team by prioritizing and organizing actions & resources to achieve objectives and contribute to countrywide strategy development.
• Create and maintain systems ensuring effective and transparent use of financial resources for timely and informative reporting in line with donor and Mercy Corps policies and procedures.

Team Management:

• Create and sustain a work environment of mutual respect where team members strive to achieve excellence.
• Promote accountability, communicate expectations and provide constructive feedback via regular performance reviews.
• Supervise, hire and orient new team members as necessary.
• Provide team members with information, tools and other resources to improve performance and reach objectives.

Program support Management:

• Ensure effective, transparent use of financial resources in compliance with Mercy Corps and donor policies and procedures.
• Set up and maintain filing systems of all protocols and important documents for the project.
• In conjunction with operations and program departments, review all vouchers contracts and related financial documents and reconcile all vouchers related activities to the ledger on monthly basis.
• Assist in developing and reviewing SoP procedures for Cash Vouchers Programming and ensure the SoPs are followed.
• Assist in preparing accurate grant financial reports in line with Mercy Corps standard formats and timescales.
• Assist the Field Finance Manager to keep track and reconcile actual and committed program and operational expenditures.
• Conduct regular field visits to the deep field sites in order to assess the financial capacity of voucher programing.
• Track all actual program expenditures and work with the program team to identify the transactions that require further supporting documents, such as beneficiaries signed list, handover notice to the community, etc.
• Perform the financial review of purchase requests, purchase orders, and payment requests to ensure compliance with MC policies and procedures and donors grants and contracts requirements.
• Conduct compliance orientation trainings for the Mercy Corps Staff, as well as vouchers vendors.
• Assist the Finance Manager in responding to audit inquiries at the field level.

Reporting:

• Assist Field Finance Manager of Northeast portfolio to review monthly financial report and follow up with other departments for any corrective actions required.
• Assist in the preparation, maintenance and consolidation of office operational budgets.
• Prepare Voucher Reconciliation Activities Reports on weekly and monthly basis.

Accounting:

• Provide support and cover for Senior Finance Officer (Accounting) when it is required, and ensure smooth running of accounting department. Note- This function requires advance accounting skills.
• Assist in the month end balance sheet reconciliations.

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.

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.

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.

Accountability:

• Supervisory Responsibility: Finance Assistant.
• Reports Directly To: Field Finance Manager
• Works Directly With: Compliance and Finance department in Abuja, program and operational teams in Northeast Nigeria.

Requirements, Knowledge and Experience

• A University degree in Finance, Accounting or equivalent is required.
• Four or more years of compliance and finance experience are required.
• 2 years’ experience in the Finance Department of an non-governmental organization
• Three years’ experience in the compliance Department of an international NGO is preferred.
• Demonstrated competency with computerized general ledger software
• Advanced computer skills in MS Office programs, particularly Excel.
• Prior management experience and strong organizational skills.
• Excellent oral and written English skills.
• Good understanding of major international donor rules and non-profit accounting.
• Strong analytical skills coupled with a solid understanding of grant management rules.
• Prior experience in the Northeast of Nigeria is preferred.
• Fluency in Hausa is required.

Success Factors:

• The successful candidate will be capable of multi-tasking, rapid decision-making, have initiative, drive and a lot of energy, as well as high emotional intelligence, constructive mentoring skills and proven experience with capacity building. S/he will be committed to long-term program sustainability and the delivery of high-impact activities at the community level.
• Successful Mercy Corps team members have a strong commitment to teamwork and accountability, thrive in evolving and challenging environments, and make effective written and verbal communication a priority.
• In particular, the successful candidate will be willing to travel to locations such as Damboa, Dikwa, Ngala and other LGAs of Northeast program according to the needs of the Mercy Corps program. This will mean sometimes staying and working in stressful environments with very basic living conditions, strictly following security protocols at all times and sometimes working long and irregular hours).
• Mercy Corps team members represent the agency both during and outside work hours.
• 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.

Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions:

• The position is based in Maiduguri, Borno State and it will require travel between field offices in Northeast Nigeria.