Job Openings at ActionAid Nigeria

Responsible to: Head of Finance
Line Management: Finance Officer & Finance Consultant
Internal Relationships: Entire AAN staff
External Relationships: Donors, partners, external auditors, and government agencies
Grade: 8

Overall Purpose

• The Finance Coordinator will ensure the financial and legal integrity of the organisation within the framework of the policies and procedures established and the requirements of the local law.
• S/he will be involved in financial management of AAN.
• The post holder will also support in making key financial decisions on AAN projects as well as provide input into AAN annual plans and reports.

Specific Responsibilities
Planning:

• Engage and lead financial planning processes of projects that fit into the organizational annual plan.
• Ensure that plans are consistent with ActionAid financial policies and procedures.

Financial Reporting:

• Responsible for accurate and timely financial and management reporting to donors and project leads
• Ensure that effective systems are in place to allow adequate financial monitoring.
• Ensure timely review of monthly financial reports of implementing partners.
• Support in the preparation of the Annual Finance Report and Statutory Report
• Responsible for timely release of funds to implementing partners.
• Review monthly bank reconciliation and quarterly staff debtor schedules.
• Posting of financial transactions data into SUN.

Audit:

• Take a lead on project audits.
• Responsible for the implementation of project audit recommendations
• Coordinate management response to internal and external audit findings, and to ensure proper follow up on agreed recommendations of project audits.

Organisational Development Support:

• Provide technical support to project staff.
• Build the capacity of non-finance staff and implementing partners on financial and grant management.
• Participate in the recruitment and assessment of finance staff and partnership assessment of local organisations.
• Ensure timely remittance of pension deductions to Pension Fund Custodians
• Support the development of accounting policies and procedures for AAN and implementing partners.
• Provide quality control checks on ensuring that valid input data are entered into the accounting systems.

Safeguarding Assets and Interests:

• Ensure that project funds and assets are being used for rightful purposes as intended by the donors.
• Responsible for regular update of project asset register.

Risk Management:

• Support Internal Audit unit in identifying project risks and mitigating actions.

Others:

• Reconcile and prepare monthly schedule for accrual, sundry creditors, and pension.
• Any other work as may be assigned by line manager.

Persons Specification
Education / Qualifications:

• First Degree in Accounting or Finance (Essential).
• Membership of professional accounting body (Essential).
• Master's Degree in relevant studies (Desirable).

Experience:

• Minimum of 7 years work experience, 4 of which should be in related finance field. (Essential)
• Experience in managing donor funded grant and supporting partner organizations. (Essential)
• IT literate and have excellent knowledge of Excel & word (MS Office in general).
• Ability to work with an accounting software. (Essential)
• Experience working in an INGO as an accountant. (Desirable).
• Ability to work with SUN software. (Desirable).

Skill Abilities:

• Fluency in spoken and written English language.
• Highly numerate
• Excellent planning and prioritisation skills
• Strong financial expertise and familiarity in management and accounting practices
• Proven experience in implementing financial and administrative control systems.
• Proven skills in training and developing staff.
• Ability to think strategically.
• Excellent (proven) interpersonal and both oral and written communication skills
• Strong analytical, reporting and problem-solving skills.
• Multi-tasking skills
• Negotiation skills.
• Project management skill (Desirable)

Personal Qualities:

• Creative and takes initiative.
• Able to work effectively in a diverse team environment.
• Good motivator of others.
• Willing to work additional hours at crucial times.
• Self-motivated person able to work without close supervision.
• Team player
• Effectively promote AAN’s mission values, and objectives.

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Reporting to: Manager, Humanitarian and Resilience
Line Management: Programme Officer(s) 4
Internal Relationships: Entire AAN team
External Relationships: Partners, Donors, CSOs and relevant government agencies
Grade: 8

Organisational Context

• The Programme Coordinator,“System and Structure Strengthening Approach against Radicalization to Violent Extremism (SARVE) Project” will work with communities through partners to understand the context, factors and issues of vulnerability, capacity to address them and support for groups, as well as on community resilience building. 
• The post holder will be based in FCT - Abuja, Nigeria with frequent travels to project states.

Specific Responsibilities
Programme:

• Develop quarterly plans within the framework of the SARVE programme in general but particularly the agreed objectives and outputs for the year, in collaboration with partners for the delivery of activities in support of SARVE outputs in project states.
• Implement on timely basis, agreed activities but also taking advantage of unplanned activities that may come up.
• Lead in assessment of potential partners in new communities.
• Conduct partner capacity building activities, collaborating with CSO partner to address capacity gaps identified during assessment (including attitudinal and systems gaps) as well as any other gaps or capacity deficiencies that would be observed from collaboration with partner.
• Provide continuous support (through coaching, support visits, feedback. mechanisms, and informal training) to Programme Officers and CSO partners on ongoing basis
• Ensure timely implementation of agreed activities by Programme Officers and CSO partner.
• Strengthen the capacity and system of line Ministries in the project states to ensure appropriate project implementation.
• Undertake such activities that promote the healthy relationship among implementing partners of SARVE and between implementing partners and other collaborators in the field.
• Maintain in collaboration with Programme Officers and other partners in the field, an efficient M&E system that traces performance in process, progress in results and allows for easy retrieval of information.
• Provide information to AAN that would link AAN’s national level policy advocacy work with community/state level issues.
• Offer critique of interventions under the SARVEProgramme and AAN Humanitarian and Resilience programmes in general, making suggestions for changes that would strengthen or improve AAN delivery.
• Promote the adoption of participatory approaches by Programme Officers and other actors
• Strengthen capacity of service providers in project communities to provide quality and target specific humanitarian and resilience services and rights.

Policy, Advocacy and Research:

• Initiate and coordinate the activities in Humanitarian and Resilience advocacy directed at improving the lives of  vulnerable groups, especially women and girls
• Collaborate with relevant ministries and other agencies, alliances and networks for Humanitarian and Resilience issues
• Support discussions on the localization of humanitarian interventions in Nigeria
• Collaborate with relevant stakeholders to initiate and support advocacy activities directed at protecting women and girls within the conflict affected communities in Nigeria.
• Take responsibility for all research initiatives including baseline studies.

Documentation:

• Collate and submit monthly, quarterly and annual reports from partner organisations
• Document and follow up on outcome of mid-term and annual project reviews
• Contribute to SARVE and AAN bi-annual and annual newsletter.
• Document and share learning from the project at national and international fora

Reporting and Accountability:

• Submit to Manager, Humanitarian and Resilience timely informative reports, indicating performance in processes planned for the month and progress towards outputs and objectives of the SARVE programme.
• Submit situational and any other non-routine reports when necessary or when asked to.
• Participate in programme meetings of the AAN SARVE Team, sharing experiences, bringing up issues of general programme nature for collective decision making.
• Facilitate the sharing of information among Programme Officers, partners and with other stakeholders on the project.
• Submit human and other success stories or case studies on lessons learnt for sharing.
• Identify and recommend opportunities for collaboration and other forms of engagement by AAN outside the ambit of SARVE.

Financial Management:

• Participate in and contribute to the development of AAN annual plans and budgets
• Submit timely financial reports for use of funds released for activities in the state ensuring compliance with AAN financial reporting requirements.
• Support partners to develop realistic budgets, linking budgets to planned and agreed activities.
• Ensure judicious and appropriate use of Programme resources given to partners, combining adherence to agreed use of resources with flexibility in use so as to respond to changes and value adding opportunities when they occur.
• Ensure timely and accurate accountability for use of programme resources by partners in accordance with agreed format for accountability.
• Recommend assessment of partner financial system or financial management style where evidenced that these are not working

Human and Other Resource Management:

• Control the use of AAN property in the state in accordance with AAN policies.

Representation:

• Represent AAN in project states – including attending meetings on behalf of AAN, presenting papers at fora, and protecting AAN image and profile

Others:

• Carry out any other responsibilities assigned by the Programme Manager.

Persons Specification
Education / Qualifications:

• First Degree in Social Sciences or Arts / Humanities (Essential)
• Master's Degree in a relevant field (Desirable).
• Membership of relevant professional Institute (Desirable).

Experience:

• At least seven (7) years’ experience, 4 of which should be in project management.(Essential)
• Excellent working knowledge of Excel, Word & Outlook (MS Office in general). (Essential)
• Experience working with vulnerable communities (Desirable).

Skill Abilities:

• Strong communication and writing skills
• Ability to provide practical solutions within set deadlines.
• Ability to maintain donor relationship and accountability in line with funding policies and standards.
• Excellent skills to motivate and inspire a functional team will be essential
• Strong analytical/problem solving skills
• Multi-tasking skills
• Negotiation skills
• Excellent planning and prioritization skills

Personal Qualities:

• Team player, a personof integrity
• Creative and takes initiative.
• Able to work effectively in a diverse team environment
• Willing to work additional hours at crucial times.
• Self-motivated person able to work without close supervision
• Effectively promote the AAN’s mission values, and objectives
• Proven Leadership Qualities.