Finance Intern at Mercy Corps

Location: Damaturu, Yobe
Employment Type: Internship, Full-time
Duration: 12 months

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 Programs and other Departments, the Finance Department provides timely reports and assistance to all departments, senior management and HQ to ensure that financial resources are used efficiently and effectively.

General Position Summary

• Working in the Finance Department under the direction of Roving Senior Finance officer/FO and working with Finance Manager, the field Logistics/Administration officer and other support and program team staff, responsible for assigned field office petty cash management, compliance, and maintaining proper, accurate and well-organized Finance documents, etc.
• He is also responsible for updating and tracking cash issued and finance files. He is responsible to make sure that all AAM, segregation of duties and policies and procedures are respected as per the FFM, procurement manual, assets mgt and other manuals/policies and procedures.
• This position is not localized but open to experiences and intended applicants from our locations, considering the time frame and work.

Learning Objectives:
At the end of the internship period, the intern should have acquired the following skills and knowledge:

• A clear understanding of the financial process.
• Understand the basics of donor’s regulations of procedures as well as Mercy Corps ones.
• Be familiar with bookkeeping.
• Be familiar with the Finance archiving system.
• Provide financial support for non-finance team members.
• Demonstrate a good understanding of accounting skills.

Essential Job Functions

• Follow all Mercy Corps policies, procedures, grant compliance and documentation requirements.
• Prepare and maintain filling records of all program activities and other related financial documents.
• Identify and follow up on outstanding obligations.
• Receive, check and submit travel advance claims from field-based
• Keeps record of all cash, bank, advances and regularly updates
• Carries out weekly cash counts and whenever requested by the Roving Senior Finance Officer/Finance Officer, prints off all payment vouchers and matches with the documents to be filed.
• Pays or receives authorized bank payments and receipts.
• Enters transactions to the accounting software under the supervision of the Roving Senior Finance Officer/Finance Officer whenever required.
• Code all expenditures following the standard chart of accounts, code budget and record to the accounting software or recording system daily and ensure weekly review and posting.
• Prepare cash, bank and advances reconciliations and submit for review/approval every week and monthly.
• Make sure all income taxes, withholding taxes, VAT and other taxes are withheld and paid accordingly.
• Keep all finance documents and reports are properly filed, labelled and stored in a clear and easily accessible manner following FFM.
• Assist in preparation and processing bank payments online, attach payment advice and upload details for multiple payments
• Assist in petty cash management
• Cross-checking purchase requests, quotation analysis, purchase orders, expense reports, payment requests and others before cash transfer after approvals and reviews are done.
• Stamping all Bank transactions for office with PAID Stamp and ensuring prompt filing.
• Make follow up on original documents for all payments processed on behalf of satellite offices Gombe on a weekly basis and ensure prompt filing.
• Assist in tracking returned payments and follow up with the bank and vendors for correction.
• Printing posted vouchers/cash batch summary reports after posting, labelling and archiving.
• Match invoices/receipts with payment vouchers, GRN and other required documents sequentially as per the Procurement/Finance review checklist.
• Supporting in reviews of supporting documents, calculations and approvals/reviews, vendor’s bank account information before uploading any payments
• Be adaptable and flexible to take new tasks and new assignments as requested from time to time.

Supervisory Responsibility:

• None.

Accountability

• Reports Directly To: Senior Finance Officer/ FO
• Works Directly With: Finance Manager,Program Managers, Finance Staff, Support Heads (Operations, Logistics & Human resources) and other MC staff.

Requirements

• Minimum of Degree / HND in Accounting
• Partial (Level two and above) or full ACCA is an added advantage
• Extensive knowledge of financial management and accounting.
• Two years experience in Finance and Accounting is preferred.
• Strong analytical skills including attention to detail are essential.
• Demonstrated experience and skill with financial reports preparation and presentation and proven ability to translate technical financial data into informative reports.
• Advanced computer skills in MS Office programs, particularly Excel and accounting software experience.
• Excellent oral and written English skills
• Willing to travel rotate to any Mercy Corps Field Offices and Head office whenever the need arises.
• Knowledge of Hausa is required.

Success Factors

• An ability to support programmatic objectives with timely and meaningful financial information is essential. A demonstrated ability to multi-task, meet deadlines and process information in support of changing program activities is necessary.
• An impeccable professional standard of finance and procurement ethics, as well as the willingness and ability to enforce compliance with Mercy Corps and donor policies and procedures, is essential.

Working Conditions

• The intern will be expected to work 40 hours a week
• The intern will be paid a monthly allowance of N100,000
• The intern will be entitled to full health insurance.