Senior Finance Officer at Mercy Corps

Requisition Number: SENIO001829
Location: Damboa, Borno
Employment Type: Full-time or Part-time
Supervisory Responsibility: Finance Assistant - Damboa and Intern Finance
Reports Directly To: Deputy Finance Manager - Maiduguri
Works Directly With: Compliance and Finance department in Maiduguri, program and operational teams for BHA program in Northeast Nigeria

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 Program Department, the Finance Department provides timely reports and assistance to the Country Director and the Program team to ensure that financial resources are used efficiently and effectively.

General Position Summary

• The Senior Finance Officer will work within the Finance Department based in Damboa LGA and under the direction of the Deputy Finance Manager- Maiduguri.
• S/he will have primary responsibility for managing the monthly accounting cycle and the routine daily accounting tasks and payments, the review and analysis of records, reports, financial statements, and reconciliation of the Cash Transferring program.
• S/he will ensure adequate internal controls are in place to mitigate risks in compliance with laws, regulations, donor requirements, and Mercy Corps policies and procedures

Essential Job Responsibilities
Strategy & Vision:

• Recognize opportunities for innovative action and create an environment where alternative viewpoints are welcomed.
• Set direction within the team by prioritizing and organizing actions & resources to achieve objectives and contribute to countrywide strategy development.
• Create and maintain systems ensuring effective and transparent use of financial resources for timely and informative reporting in line with donor and Mercy Corps policies and procedures.

Team Management:

• Create and sustain a work environment of mutual respect where team members strive to achieve excellence.
• Promote accountability, communicate expectations and provide constructive feedback via regular performance reviews.
• Supervise, hire and orient new team members as necessary.
• Provide team members with information, tools, and other resources to improve performance and reach objectives.

Accounting and Finance:

• Assist in the financial review of purchase requests, purchase orders, and payment requests to ensure compliance with MC policies and procedures and donors grants and contracts requirements.
• Ensure effective, transparent use of financial resources in compliance with Mercy Corps and donor policies and procedures.
• Assist in the month-end balance sheet reconciliations.
• Assist in the preparation of the monthly cash flow projections
• Maintain the cash and bank files, ensuring that all cash and bank information is properly filed and updated
• Ensure all outstanding advances are cleared on time.
• Ensure the petty cash count is performed on time.
• Make sure that all supporting documentation is prepared and filed according to MC procedures.
• Prepare the monthly bank reconciliations when is applicable.

Program Support Management:

• Set up and maintain filing systems of all protocols and Finance documents related to the program support department and Cash Transfer Programming are up to date for both the hard copies and soft copies files.
• Work closely with the Deputy Finance Manager and other departments to ensure the Standard Operating Procedures for voucher redemption are followed properly.
• Ensure vouchers payments are complete and reconciled against the ledgers.
• Lead Finance orientation to vendors on topics related to anti-corruption, anti-bribery, compliance, and vouchers reconciliation procedures.
• Maintaining strong tracking sheets for voucher payments and reconcile them against the ledger on regular basis.

Reporting:

• Prepare high accurate Voucher Reconciliation Activities Reports on a weekly and monthly basis.

Influence & Representation:

• Communicate effectively to ensure overall project targets and donor obligations are met.

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.

Accountability to Beneficiaries:

• Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically
  to our beneficiaries and to international standards guiding international relief and development work, while actively engaging beneficiary communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring, and evaluation of our field projects.

Knowledge and Experience

• A University Degree in Finance, Accounting, or equivalent is required.
• Four (4) or more years of compliance and finance experience is required.
• Strong understanding of Cash Transfers Programming (CTP).
• Advanced computer skills in MS Office programs, particularly Excel.
• Prior management experience and strong organizational skills.
• Excellent oral and written English skills.
• Good understanding of major international donor rules and non-profit accounting.
• Prior experience in Finance with NGOs is a plus.
• Fluency in Hausa is a plus.
• Strong coaching and mentoring skills to develop the capacity of a Finance Assistant and Intern.

Success Factors:

• The successful candidate will be capable of multi-tasking, rapid decision-making, have initiative, drive, and a lot of energy, as well as high emotional intelligence, constructive mentoring skills and proven experience with capacity building. S/he will be committed to long-term program sustainability and the delivery of high-impact activities at the community level. Successful Mercy Corps team members have a strong commitment to teamwork and accountability, thrive in evolving and challenging environments, and make effective written and verbal communication a priority.
• In particular, the successful candidate will be willing to travel to other locations such as Bama, Dikwa, Ngala, Gwoza, and other LGAs of the Northeast program according to the needs of the Mercy Corps program. This will mean sometimes staying and working in stressful environments with very basic living conditions, strictly following security protocols at all times, and sometimes working long and irregular hours).
• Mercy Corps team members represent the agency both during and outside work hours.
• Team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs, and MC's policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues.