Finance Officer at Danish Refugee Council (DRC)

Purpose

• The Danish Refugee Council (DRC) is currently seeking a qualified Finance Officer to join our team in Maiduguri, Borno State.
• Under the supervision of the Finance Manager (FM), the Finance Officer will be responsible for ensuring effective financial and accounting management of the Maiduguri base office. The role includes overseeing daily financial operations, maintaining strong internal controls, and ensuring that all financial records are properly managed and archived in a timely manner.
• The Finance Officer will also support financial monitoring, capacity building of staff, and the implementation of sound financial management practices. He/she will ensure that all financial procedures and policies are followed in strict compliance with DRC and donor guidelines, contributing to the overall achievement of DRC’s goals and mission.

Responsibilities and tasks:

Management of the office cash and biweekly/monthly cash flow forecasts.

• Prepare the bank transfer instructions for suppliers’ payment on time for Maiduguri office.
• Make payments on field when required by program team.
• Manage the cash box for cash payment when necessary.
• Collect financial information from program team and prepare the monthly cash flow forecast and send it to the finance/Accounting specialist
• Ensure good relations with financial partners (banks, PFA, etc.);

Manage entries in organizational software Microsoft Dynamics with supporting documents in high quality on a weekly/monthly basis

• Ensures accurate recording of all transactions made by cash or bank, monitors timely receipt and expenditure returns from Program Team and ensures correct data entry and reconciliation in dynamics; ensures that work advances are accounted for in line with DRC and donors’ financial guidelines.
• Manages daily operation in the area of accounting system which is in line with DRC and Donor’s requirements, maintains Journals posting in Microsoft Dynamics transactions, ensures the use of proper and correct budget code/Budget lines; monitors cash payment and ensures the records or entries are up-to-date in the organizational ; pays attention on fluctuating exchange rate used for any transactions paid in dollars USD.
• Complies with Finance and Procurement guidelines when dealing with any transactions; provides initiative to review current guidelines and proposes relevant recommendations.
• Check the justification of operational advances before making payment and ensure of the settlement in a reasonable time.
• Check and control the elements of accounting packages, including the consistency between vendor account and respective GLS entries, physical counting, and balances;
• Proceed to the monthly closure of accounting: physical counting, editing of accounting documents (cover sheets), verification of supporting documents;
• Stamp monthly the invoices with the stamp “paid”;
• Ensures proper financial documentation in Maiduguri office; prepares well and sends documentation to central archive in timely manner; follows the financial check-list.

End of the month accounting management of the base.

• Records all assets and liabilities in the organizational software(Microsoft Dynamics journals) at weekly/monthly basis and follow properly their settlement.
• Ensure that all payments of suppliers are cleared on time and the PO are invoiced and vendor balances are settled on weekly bases/Monthly bases
• Ensure a monthly reconciliation of all assets/liabilities in X-es overview received from the region office/Headquarter.

Management of the archiving of finance records of the base.

• Ensure monthly scanning of finance records and save them on finance hard drive/drop box.
• Update monthly the scanning report and share it with the Finance/Accounting specialist /Finance Manager.
• Ensure monthly archiving of finance records and transfer to the archive Room.
• Ensure that reallocation request of costs is archived in related finance records when previous allocation has been modified.

Tax deduction and remittance on time

• Ensure that the withholding taxes is well calculated, recorded in the cash book and paid at monthly basis.
• Follow up on the staff statutory and taxes payment at monthly basis and ensure that all receipts are collected and archived.
• Collect the taxes clearance certificate or credit notes when the payment is done.
• Ensure a good relationship with the tax offices of Maiduguri
• With support of Finance/Accounting specialist and/or Finance Manager, takes the role of info-sharing to staff in relation to HR matters (PAYE, PENSION, NSITF, NHF Payment).

Other support required for this position

• Participate in audits preparation/execution (compilation of audit requirements)
• Provides feedback and enhances internal controls to satisfy audit requirements; takes part of providing data and records during the audit process; reports immediately on irregular spending to Finance/accounting specialist or Finance Manager as deemed appropriate.
• Identify the technical problems encountered on the base of Maiduguri to be addressed by the management.
• Provide technical support to the program team of Maiduguri base.

Takes part in regular staff meetings and respect the weekly task report in line with performance management

Required Qualifications

• Experience working in international Non-Governmental (INGO) is considered as an asset.
• A minimum of 3 years of relevant professional experience in general accounting, finance, and clerical experience is needed
• Ability to work closely and effectively in a team to achieve work priorities and objectives.
• Enthusiasm as a team player, who is flexible, always ready to take on new challenges and drives for results in a dynamic environment
• Ability to plan, organize, prioritize, and deliver under pressure.
• Ability to provide technical guidance and advise especially to non-finance colleagues.
• Good Knowledge of Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, Etc.) is considerable.
• Previous experience in knowledge of at least two different account software or Microsoft Dynamics is an added advantage.

Required Skills & Qualities

Core Competencies of DRC:

• Striving for excellence
• Collaboration
• Taking the lead
• Communication
• Demonstrating Integrity

Desirable

• Working knowledge of Microsoft Dynamics
• Experience of working on monthly and annual tax submission to tax authorities.