Fnance Assistant at Mercy Corps

General Position Summary

Working in the Finance Department under the direction of the Finance Officer- accounting and with close coordination with program team, the finance assistant will assist MCN in adhering to the compliance procedures for financial, procurement, accounting process and ensure adequate internal controls are in place and in compliance with laws, regulations, donor requirements and Mercy Corps policies and procedures.

Essential job functions

• Assist the Finance Officer to enhance the efficiency of existing control system and ensure any identified compliance gaps is corrected.
• Enter transactions (PIs, GJs etc) into the accounting software accurately
• Prepare Monthly Payroll related statutory remittances (PAYE, Pensions, NHF, NSITF & WHT)
• Ensure accuracy of all Navigator recorded transactions by following Navigator entry procedures and by referencing coding against standard chart of account and coded budgets.
• Prepare and upload payroll register and net pay into the system.
• Performs AAM review of transactions and supporting documentation within direct purchase threshold matrix.
• Prepare Amortizations of prepaid expenses and tracking of prepaid benefits for compliance with policies and procedures.
• Prepare and reconciled the banks for both Naira and USD
• Coordinate with all field offices to collect HQ Monthly, Quarterly and annual packages for onward submission to HQ.
• Ensure compliance with GAAPs standard accounting practices
• Monthly submission of paid pensions and NSITF Schedules to the respective offices, print out proof of submission and make sure all relevant documents and proof of remittance are filled.
• Assist in Mail delivery to banks and other financial institutions, submission of cheques to the relevant government institutions for remittance of statutory returns.
• Ensure timely payments on the bank platform and monitor cash in the safe.
• Daily print out of payment vouchers for onward attachment to supporting documents by the archivist
• Ensure proper archiving of all documents.
• Weekly checking of all MCN Navigators entries against miscoding of LIN, Fund, Office, GL and follow for corrections
• Maintain the AMM file with up-to-date signature specimen
• Give maximum support for towards successful month and year end process.
• Always imbibe the culture of audit readiness
• Make sure all income taxes, withholding taxes, VAT and other taxes are withheld and paid accordingly.
• Be adaptable and flexible to take new tasks and new assignments as requested from time to time.
• Any other duties assign by the supervisor or designee.

Influence & Representation

Conduct himself/herself both professionally and personally in such a manner as to bring credit to Mercy Corps and to not jeopardize its mission and values.

Security

• Ensure compliance with security procedures and policies as determined by country

Organizational Learning 

• As part of our commitment to organizational learning and in support of our understanding that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities they serve, we expect all team members to commit 5% of their time to learning activities that benefit Mercy Corps as well as themselves.

Knowledge and Experience

• Degree or HND in finance, accounting or equivalent is required.
• Two or more years of compliance and finance experience is required.
• Two years’ experience in the compliance Department of an international NGO is preferred.
• Demonstrated competency with computerized general ledger software
• Advanced computer skills in MS Office programs, particularly Excel
• Prior management experience and strong organizational skills
• Excellent oral and written English skills