Finance Officers at Catholic Relief Services (CRS)

Primary Responsibility

• The FO will ensure that CRS/Nigeria complies with GF regulations and CRS Agency’s Finance Policies and Procedure and Principle of stewardship.

Specific Responsibilities
i.) Financial Management:

• Assist Finance Specialists (FS) in budget review and quarterly cash forecasting
• Assist in the reporting sub-agreement commitments to be recorded in CRS accounting system.
• Assist in reviewing and processing the issuance of project advances in accordance with CRS and GF policies and procedures.
• Assist in ensuring Project Holder advances are liquidated on timely manner and they are within allotted liquidation timeframe as per CRS policy.

ii.) Compliance Management:

• Assist in verifying sub-recipients’ financial reports and associated support documentations and recommend for liquidation and/or reimbursement in accordance with GF, CRS policies and procedures and Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP).
• Report any fraudulent activities, observed as part of the review to the Unit Head immediately.
• Assist in ensuring sub-recipients advances are liquidated on timely manner and they are within allotted liquidation timeframe as per CRS policy.
• Assist the FSs in preparing the sub-recipients Aging Report for program and management review on monthly basis.
• Assist in providing onsite training to sub-recipient’s finance staff when required.
• Travel to the field, to visit sub-recipients when required.
• Assist in ensuring that project’s files both in hard and electronic copies are up to date.

iii.) Sub-recipients’ financial assessment, monitoring and financial support:

• Assist in the assessments of all sub-recipients using HQ Finance’s checklists to have a stratification of the sub-recipients for Country Program.
• Assist the sub-recipients in preparing a Corrective Action Plan within sixty calendar days of the assessment or monitoring visit that addresses each of the identified weaknesses in any of the ten assessed areas scored below 75%.
• Assist Program Managers in making sure that the sub recipients address all issues listed in the Corrective Acton Plan within 120 calendar days of the assessment or monitoring visit.
• Ensure sub-recipients have in place and adheres to a schedule of planned monitoring visits of sub-recipients during each year. The basis for the selection, timing and frequency of its monitoring visits should be properly documented.
• Ensure all monitors prepare and submit a written trip report for each visit to a sub-recipient.

iv.) Administrative support:

• Perform any other administrative support to the general GF team as required.

Agency-wide Competencies (for all CRS Staff)
These are rooted in the mission, values, and principles of CRS and used by each staff member to fulfill his or her responsibilities and to achieve the desired results.

• Serves with Integrity
• Models Stewardship
• Cultivates Constructive Relationships
• Promotes Learning

Key Working Relationships

• Internal: GF Program Manager(s), GF Grants Manager, Gf Finance Staff
• External: Donor Representative(s), subrecipients (SRs).

Qualifications and Abilities

• Minimum of two years of relevant experience, preferably with an international organization.
• Must be a matured, motivated, problem solving individual with high levels of initiative.
• Strong interpersonal skills.
• Strong internal relationship management and analytical skills.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail. 
• Demonstrate excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Demonstrate high level of initiative, diplomacy and tact.
• Excellent knowledge of computer software - MS Office (PowerPoint and Excel especially).
• Must be flexible and be able to work independently and as part of a team.
• Ability to travel as needed.

Disclaimer:

• This job description is not an exhaustive list of the skills, effort, duties, and responsibilities associated with the position.