Finance Manager (PROSELL) at Oxfam

Req ID: 5566
Location: Abuja, Nigeria with regular travels to Taraba State.
Contract type: 2 Year Fixed Term(Renewable)
Job Family: Finance & Business Support
Reporting to: Business Support Manager
Internal Job Grade: C1- national
Staff reporting to this post: Finance Officers

Job Purpose

• Oxfam seeks the position of Finance Manager for its EU-funded PROSELL project which aims at building food security and resilience in Taraba State.
• The project will build resilience of small-scale farmers, fishermen and livestock owners (women, youth, and vulnerable households) in commodity value chain and rural enterprise in 6 LGAs in Taraba State. PROSELL will (i) increase income of small scale farmers by enhancing their agricultural productivity, market access, and job creation along crop, fish and livestock value chains; (ii) enhance adaptive capacities and resilience of small-scale farming households to climate change; (iii) Promote cooperation and mutual benefits of farmers, livestock owners, and all value chain actors.
• Within the context of Oxfam’s development philosophy and its programme in Nigeria, the jobholder will lead the finance team for PROSELL both in Abuja and Taraba in ensuring the quality and efficient delivery of financial services and support to the project and partner teams according to Oxfam policies, systems and standards on financial management.
• S/he will provide secure and efficient financial services, ensure quality and accuracy of financial data and assist PROSELL team in overall financial management of project budgets, partner/donor contracts and in staff/partner capacity building for finance management

Dimensions:

• Providing detailed technical expertise normally over a wide range of topics.
• Coordinating the flow of work within a group of people for specific tasks.
• Communicating with internal staff and external contacts to support the functional business needs.
• Following an established pattern to solve a variety of problems, some of which are well defined but with new problem solving to be attempted and referred upward if necessary.
• Undertaking work as defined by departmental objectives.
• Impact is significant across a department and/or limited across Oxfam at all levels.
• On the job training/guidance of staff.
• Line management or supervision of her/his direct reports.
• Matrix management of finance team in Taraba State.

Key Responsibilities and Accountabilities
Financial Control and Budgeting:

• Leads the implementation of Oxfam’s internal controls, finance policies, systems and procedures within and across teams including field offices.
• Review all the supporting documents related to the projects to ensure that they comply with EU and Oxfam rules prior to any commitment to suppliers.
• Review all partners financial reports and supporting documents and provide a written feedback to partners for adjustments or disallowed expenditures,
• Leads in the conduct of capacity building activities to staff and partners in the area of financial management.
• Coordinates with Logistics team to ensure logistics systems adhere to Finance minimum standards.
• Leads in the timely production of financial accounts, ledgers and reports as required by Oxfam and local regulations
• Develops financial analysis tools to assist budget holders in the management and monitoring of budgets and identifies significant variances in spending.
• Support efficient conduct of statutory audit, partners’ audit and donor fund audits in collaboration with finance teams in the field base
• Communicates with the Oxfam Regional Platform in Dakar, Headquarters in Oxford and The Hague and other offices on finance queries and concerns

Financial Information and Reporting:

• Ensures the completeness, accuracy and timeliness of all financial reports for internal and external purposes.
• Ensure compliance of government law and regulation in relation to taxation
• Reviews the balance sheet accounts and submit monthly Balance Sheet reconciliation and closing documents for Business Support Manager review and further submission.
• Ensures the month end and year-end pack are in accordance with Oxfam guidelines.
• Ensure financial system data is up to date.

Project and Contract management:

• Ensures adherence to donor’s financial requirements.
• Ensures accurate production of donor reports in accordance with the specified format within the agreed timeframe in coordination with programme.
• Ensures Donor Contract Management Systems are updated, with up-to-date information (grant amount, duration of grant, allocation to projects, contract realignments, reporting dates).
• Ensures that the originals of the supporting documents of all project transactions, including partners transactions, are filed/archived in Oxfam office to allow an easy access during donor audit or Pre-audits by Oxfam Headquarters in Oxford and the Hague.
• Ensures monthly project budget monitoring reports are produced and provides financial information and analysis to Budget Holders to contribute on decision-making.

Cash Management:

• Support the Finance Officer (operation) in cash and bank management including, cash handling and cash flow monitoring.
• Prepares monthly top-up and cash flow forecast to ensure adequate availability of funds. Support the Country BSM and PROSEELL/PROACT Programme Manager in the production of the Payment request for the projects according to the signed agreement (OPA) with the PA. Under the leadership and guidance of the Country BSM define the modality of payment for Cash Transfer programmes after consulting the PROSEELL/PROACT Programme Manager.

Project Support and Partner Financial Management:

• Ensures the conduct of partners’ assessment and review of financial reports from partners to ensure that they are compliant with Oxfam and EU standards and guidelines.
• Lead in the capacity building of partners in the area of financial management and internal controls.
• Provides support to PROSELL Project team in partner financial management and donor fund management concerns.
• Develop tools and supports PROSELL Project team in the development of project proposals.

Management and Development:

• Policy awareness and utilises documents relevant to areas of work.
• Contributes to evaluating and developing own practices in line with Oxfam ways of working and policies.
• Participate actively in staff development activities including induction, performance evaluation, meeting and debriefings.
• Coordinates and consults with the Business Support Manager and/or any relevant member of the Country Management Team on pertinent organisational matters.

Others:

• Ensure that the finance team is involved in the conduct of annual physical check of assets including IT equipment and inventories.
• To undertake other duties as reasonably assigned by the Line Manager.
• Performance management of Finance Officer(s)
• Conduct regular monitoring visits to field offices and partner organisations in coordination with PROSELL Project Staff

Persons Specification
Educational Qualification:

• A Degree in Accounting, Finance or related discipline
• Master's Degree in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration, Economics.
• Professional accounting qualification

Experience:

• Minimum of 10 years “hands-on” working experience in providing a whole range of financial services within a structured organisation.
• Three (3) years' experience working at a strategic level in an INGO program work, including field experience and/or with institutional donors
• Experience of developing EU funded projects budget, monitoring them, preparing the financial reports, leading the donor audits and training local partners on EU funded projects financial management.
• Experience using computerised information management system (Ms. Word, Excel, Accounting/Statistical analysis software, Procurement management system etc.)

Skills & Abilities:

• Proven ability to interpret financial procedures and standards and put them into practice and influence others in their implementation
• Excellent English Language (oral and written) and report writing skills
• Good leadership skills: experience of working in a supervisory position with a team structure
• Excellent interpersonal skills, able to work as part of a dispersed, multi-disciplined, multicultural team
• Good organisational and personal management skills
• Well-developed conceptual, critical, and analytical thinking with the ability to convey complex information in a straightforward, interesting way while influencing a wider audience
• Ability to represent Oxfam in a professional and competent manner with external individuals and organisations
• Proven experience as a team worker and demonstrably cooperative with members of other teams, responding quickly and accurately to queries and issues
• Commitment to Oxfam’s overall aims and policies and experience of promoting women’s rights and the interests of marginalized people in all aspects of Oxfam’s work
• Knowledge or appreciation of Nigeria in terms of its political, economic and social trends plus a good understanding of the key development and humanitarian issues in the region.

Desirable:

• Knowledge and / or experience of common Oxfam norms objects, standards and tools

Organisational Values:

• Accountability - Our purpose-driven, results-focused approach means we take responsibility for our actions and hold ourselves accountable. We believe that others should also be held accountable for their actions.
• Empowerment - Our approach means that everyone involved with Oxfam, from our staff and supporters to people living in poverty, should feel they can make change happen.
• Inclusiveness - We are open to everyone and embrace diversity. We believe everyone has a contribution to make, regardless of visible and invisible differences.

Key Behavioral Competencies:

• Decisiveness: We are comfortable to make transparent decisions and to adapt decision making modes to the context and needs.
• Influencing: We have the ability to engage with diverse stakeholders in a way that leads to increased impact for the organization We spot opportunities to influence effectively and where there are no opportunities, we have the ability to create them in a respectful and impactful manner.
• Humility: We put ‘we’ before ‘me’ and place an emphasis on the power of the collective, nurture the team and play to the strengths of each individual. We are not concerned with hierarchical power, and we engage with, trust and value the knowledge and expertise of others across all levels of the organization.
• Relationship Building: We understand the importance of building relationship, within and outside the organization. We have the ability to engage with traditional and non-traditional stakeholders in ways that lead to increased impact for the organization.
• Listening: We are good listeners who can see where deeper levels of thoughts and tacit assumptions differ. Our messages to others are clear and consider different preferences.
• Mutual Accountability: We can explain our decisions and how we have taken them based on our organizational values.  We are ready to be held to account for what we do and how we behave, as we are also holding others to account in a consistent manner.
• Agility, Complexity, and Ambiguity:  We scan the environment, anticipate changes, are comfortable with lack of clarity and deal with a large number of elements interacting in diverse and unpredictable ways.
• Systems Thinking: We view problems as parts of an overall system and in their relation to the whole system, rather than reacting to a specific part, outcome or event in isolation. We focus on cyclical rather than linear cause and effect. By consistently practicing systems thinking we are aware of and manage well unintended consequences of organizational decisions and actions.
• Strategic Thinking and Judgment: We use judgment, weighing risk against the imperative to act. We make decisions consistent with organizational strategies and values.
• Vision Setting: We have the ability to identify and lead visionary initiatives that are beneficial for our organization and we set high-level direction through a visioning process that engages the organization and diverse external stakeholders.
• Self-Awareness: We are able to develop a high degree of self-awareness around our own strengths and weaknesses and our impact on others. Our self-awareness enables us to moderate and self-regulate our behaviors to control and channel our impulses for good purposes.
• Enabling: We all work to effectively empower and enable others to deliver the organizations goals through creating conditions of success. We passionately invest in others by developing their careers, not only their skills for the job.  We provide freedom; demonstrate belief and trust provide appropriate support.