Finance Officer at Forward in Action for Education, Poverty and Malnutrition (FAcE-PaM)

Job purpose

• This role will ensure compliance with FAcE-PaM’s financial policies and procedures for payments, receipts and cash management, and ensure completeness and accuracy of FAcE-PaM’s financial accounts, as well as escalating issues to the Project Manager and the Head of Finance as may be necessary.
• This role provides all round financial support to FAcE-PaM’s operations to ensure effective and efficient management of donor funding. 
• The post holder is responsible for supporting program team in budgeting and tracking implementation burn rate staff compliance with donor specific financial policies & procedures requirement; the appropriate use of and application of grant funds and accurate and timely submission of financial reports in line with approved budgets. 
• The Finance Officer will also build the capacity of the Project team on various aspects of financial reporting and grants management.

Key Responsibilities

Financial Reporting: 

• Prepare monthly cost recovery analysis and reconcile cost recharges to the GAC – EmpowerHer project for compliance with Global Affairs Canada grant principles. 
• Prepare project financial reports, consistent with donor and FAcE-PaM procedural and reporting requirements (monthly, quarterly, semi-annually and annually). 
• Deal with requests for transfers to staff and partners on time whilst ensuring full compliance is achieved with financial regulations in reviewing requests for fund transfers to staff and partners. 
• Provide timely and accurate input into Month month-end and year-end processes. 
• Preparing project / donor reconciliation of staff advances monthly, confirming accuracy of balances and timely retirement of outstanding advances.

Internal Controls: 

• Ensure accurate and adequate documentation and recording of FAcE-PaM’s expenditures in compliance with FAcE-PaM ‘s and Donor’s procedures Provide support throughout external & other audits, including preparing relevant supporting evidence and records needed.

Grant Management: 

• Prepare accurate and timely project financial reports using the standard Global Affairs Canada grant reporting template. 
• Assist in budget preparation and support the programme team to manage donor funds by providing accurate and timely financial reports. 
• Work closely with the Partner Finance Officer with partner management in the State. 
• Build the capacity of all project team on donor compliance requirements. 
• Support project managers in reviewing the budget vs actual monthly expenditure report for variance explanation.

Tax Management: 

• Responsible for Statutory remittance in the State and follow-up to ensure all tax matters are resolved.
• Prepare the monthly statutory remittance of payroll deductions for the project team for remittance to the relevant tax authority. 
• Prepare monthly and year-end PAYE returns and process tax clearance certificate. 
• Prepare and reconcile the Withholding Tax and Stamp Duty on a monthly basis and to ensure timely remittance of deductions from vendors and suppliers. 
• File annual tax returns for Bauchi state within agreed timelines.

Programme Support: 

• Support the Project team in processing payments to service providers and suppliers. 
• Ensure complete and valid supporting documentation for the payment request before completing the digital app. Periodic review of. 
• Provide support to the Project team for activity costing, budgeting and preparation of annual costed work plan. 
• Mapping of work plan to donor budget and to assign activities to donor budget lines. 
• Provide relevant support to proposal development, including budget development, for new opportunities.

Policy and Procedure: 

• Guide and provide support to staff in the application of FAcE-PaM chart of accounts, budget code, annual planning, budgeting, activity costing, forecasting, financial policies procedures. 
• Conduct project-specific finance induction for new staff.

Month & Year End: 

• Provide timely and accurate input into month-end and year-end processes. 
• Take responsibility for reviewing & reconciling Balance Sheet accounts, including bank accounts and making corrections as necessary following the approval of the Head of Finance and IT. 
• Maintain proper filling of all financial and accounting records on Finance Shared Drive.

Risk Management: 

• Regularly review assigned risk management roles, ensure data integrity and adequate controls are in place and report accordingly.

Cash Management:

• Prepare a monthly cash request for the Project. 
• Maintain office petty cash for adequacy and safety. 
• Ensure weekly cash counts and timely reimbursement of office imprest.

Fixed Asset: 

• Prepared and maintained project asset register in compliance with FAcE-PaM and donor requirements.