Finance Specialist at GOALPrime Organization Nigeria (GPON)

Location    Northwest Nigeria (Katsina/Zamfara)
Reporting To    Director of Programmes, GOALPrime Organization

The Opportunity

• Lead the consolidation process for work plan budgeting and ensure that the process is coherent and aligned with the overall project and expected deliverables.
• Prepare consolidated project financial reports and ensure timely submission.
• Review and verify payment requests and ensure compliance with the donor and Plan policies and procedures.
• Financially analyze reports and provide recommendations to the Project Director on future forecasts and planning.
• Review audit reports, analyze, review, assist/prepare audit responses, and ensure follow-up and implementation of their recommendations for finance and administration.
• Monitor budget versus expenditure for the grant.
• Support partner organizations in financial management and reporting.

Key Functions and Responsibilities

• Reporting to Country Director and Director of Programmes, the Finance Specialist will be responsible for day to day activities of financial and grant management. S/he will provide financial management support on various aspects of financial, grant, audit, and support to sub-recipients of GPON Projects and visit various partners to review and strengthen the financial system according to the grant.
• She/he will be responsible for providing day-to-day technical support to finance and account coordinators.

Responsibilities

• Develop and update standard guidelines and systems for finance management for the GPON.
• Develop a checklist and undertake a pre-grant assessment of sub-recipients.
• Ensure compliance with financial and grant management for the project towards the minimization and elimination of financial risks.
• Support budget holders in Budgeting, Budget monitoring (BVAs), and Budget control. 
• Maintain financial records and monitoring systems; record and reconcile expenditures, balances, payments, and other day-to-day transactions; facilitate internal and external audits by providing all required information to the auditors.
• Manage and maintain the capitalized GPON fixed asset (FA) schedule, tracking acquisitions, disposals, and write-offs, and compute monthly depreciation charges.
• Prepare annual financial statements and schedules, and ensure that GPON adheres to month-end and year-end procedures for audit readiness
• Execute financial review and monitoring, on-site data validation, and provide technical assistance to the sub-recipient partner organizations.
• Ensure the training for finance teams of sub-recipient partners through supportive monitoring visits.
• Communicate with donors, auditors, and other statutory bodies with regard to the GPON project.
• Support to the senior management team on the budget and forecast preparations and revisions.
• Ensure the verification, approve payment requisitions and fund requests submitted by the sub-recipient partners.
• Preparation and submission of timely and accurate financial reports to donors. 
• Participate in periodic reviews of the project progress by the technical team.
• Assist in periodic financial audits and donor reviews and adhere to recommendations made by the auditors and donors.
• Undertake any other activities as required by the organization.
• Other appropriate duties as assigned by the supervisor.

Performance Indicators

• Producing accurate reports on time.
• Meet the financial needs of all GPON interventions in an effective and timely manner.
• Effective management of donor financial requirements and responsibilities.
• Maintenance of proper and accurate financial records.
• Support to partners and program staff when required and in a timely manner.
• Effective maintenance of the grants management system.

Behaviours (Values in Practice)

Accountability:

• Holds self-accountable for making decisions, managing resources efficiently, achieving, and role modelling GPON values.
• Holds the team and partners accountable to deliver on their responsibilities – giving them the freedom to deliver in the best way they see fit, providing the necessary development to improve performance, and applying appropriate consequences when results are not achieved.

Ambition:

• Sets ambitious and challenging goals for themselves and their team, takes responsibility for their personal development, and encourages their team to do the same.
• Widely shares their vision for GPON, engages and motivates others.
• Future-oriented, thinks strategically and on a global scale.

Collaboration:

• Builds and maintains effective relationships with their team, colleagues, Members, and external partners and supporters.
• Values diversity and sees it as a source of competitive strength.
• Approachable, good listener, easy to talk to.

Creativity:

• Develops and encourages new and innovative solutions.
• Willing to take disciplined risks.

About You

• An MBA in Finance and/or Accounting or equivalent qualification is required
• ACA, ICAN, or relevant professional certification is required. 
• High level of advisory skills.
• Relevant professional experience as a Finance Specialist.
• Strong experience in working with donor-funded projects.
• Ability to work well with others under deadline situations and respond to changes in priorities.
• Ability to interpret and work in accordance with laid-down procedures.
• Proficient in computer skills and use of relevant software and other applications, e.g., word processing, spreadsheet, database, QuickBooks
• Proven experience in managing the donor’s procedures.
• Numeracy and the ability to interpret financial data, in order to provide management support to budgetary processes, including planning, monitoring, and reporting.
• Ability to communicate effectively and build high-performance teams in support of the achievement of organisational objectives.
• Excellent English and Portuguese oral and written skills are required.

Level Of Contact With Children:

• High contact- the job responsibilities of this position require the post holder to have very frequent contact with children. It is expected that children shall be protected at all times.

Salary
N900,000 - 1,100,000 monthly. 

Equal Opportunity:

GOALPrime Organization Nigeria is an equal opportunity employer and encourages applications from qualified individuals regardless of race, religion, gender, or disability.

Confidentiality:

All information provided by applicants will be kept confidential and used for recruitment purposes only.