Field Finance Officer at Malaria Consortium

Country and project background
The Nigeria Country Office in Abuja, started operations in 2008, through the DFID/UKaid funded Support to National Malaria Programme, SuNMaP (2008 – 2016). The office had presence in 23 states of the country and has managed at various times, about 15 projects. It follows the mandate of the parent organisation in Nigeria and is working specifically in the following areas:

• Malaria control/elimination
• Integrated community case management (iCCM) for malaria, pneumonia and diarrhoea;
• Nutrition; and
• Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs).

Malaria Consortium has recently received grant from the Good Ventres to implement SMC in three West African countries including Nigeria. In Nigeria, malaria consortium has decided to use the fund to continue SMC implementation in the 4 states it has been supporting since 2013 with UNITAID (Sokoto and Zamfara), DFID (Katsina and Jigawa) and BMSMC (Katsina) funds.
Under this new funding and any anticipated additional funding, all malaria consortium SMC activities in county will be consolidated into a single project and managed by senior project manager who will report to the country programme manager.  A state coordinator will head each of the state.

Job purpose
The state Field Finance Officer will provide a full accounting function in maintaining financial records of all transactions in accordance with Malaria Consortium’s financial policies and procedures to the respective state offices.

Scope of work

• The State Field Finance Officer will be responsible for the accurate and timely posting of all invoices approved, petty cash management and banking, filing of field office monthly financial information inclusive of payment vouchers and procurement.
• The State Field finance Officer handles all cash receipts and payments as well as advising the Project Manager and Financial Accountant on any concerns about financial issues and sharing suggested solutions.

Key working relationships
The State Field finance Officer will be based in a state and will report to the state coordinator while interacting directly with other staff including the supply chain / admin officer, M&E officer and other staff in the field office. Indirectly they report to the Financial Accountant based in Abuja.

Key accountabilities (percent of time spent on each area)

Financial transactions (60%):

• Receives all invoices from suppliers and prepares the Invoice authorisation forms.
• Reviews and post all invoices onto the purchase ledger, ensuring the accuracy of codes, complete support documentation and necessary approval from the authorised personnel as per the authorised signatory list (ASL).
• Prepare monthly reports to the state coordinator as set on monthly finance timetable which comprises the following:
• Bank reconciliation statement including copy of bank statement
• Aged list of outstanding Advances and Other ledger balances
• Fixed asset register update and Spot Check reports
• Authorised Petty Cash Count Certificate and reconciliations
• Monthly timesheet update
• End of Month Checklist
• Advise the state coordinator and Financial Accountant on any concerns on financial matters and share suggested solutions.
• In charge of archiving and filling all finance documents and ensuring that they are in safe custody and easily accessible by the finance team and auditors.
• Follow up on the stock balance of pre-printed financial documents (forms, vouchers, receipts etc.) and make a timely replacement order before stock outs occur.

Payment processing (30%):

• Prepare all payments either cash, cheque or bank transfers and obtains approval from the authorised personnel.
• Scrutinise all payment requests, including advances for travel and activities that these are in accordance with Malaria Consortium policies and procedures.
• Issue all travel and activity advances to staff and consultants.
• Check all advances are settled with the set timeframes as per the finance policy, bringing any late settlements or concerns to the attention of the state coordinator.
• Post payments onto PS Financials ensuring accuracy and timeliness.

Petty Cash (10%):

• Keep the petty cash impress system and records, making payments as approved by the authorised personnel.
• Take collections and issue proper receipts, making the deposit of all cash collections in a timely manner.
• Count Petty Cash at least on a monthly basis with the supply chain / Admin Officer.
• Post all petty cash invoices and vouchers into the general ledger with accurate codes and on a timely basis.

Person specification
Qualifications and experience:
Essential:

• HND or Bachelors in Accounting or relevant degree
• At least one year in a Finance/Accounts Officer position.
• Working knowledge of accounting software

Desirable:

• Experience of working in a smaller remote field office as the lead finance person
• Knowledge of NGO sector
• Part qualified member of an accounting professional body

Work-based skills and competencies:

Essential:     

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
• Good computer skills with high proficiency in Microsoft excel
• Good analytical skills
• Strong ability to be able to manage and prioritise multiple tasks.
• Willingness to learn at all times.