Jobs at Mercy Corps

General Position Summary

• Working in the Northeast under the umbrella of the humanitarian response, the Senior Finance Officer under the direction of the Program Coordination and support of the Finance Manager in Abuja, will assist in the processing and recording of payment transactions in timely and accurate manner as well as provide financial review and support to the programs.
• This position requires travel within the Northeast of Nigeria for support to programs as well as Abuja for coordination on finances.

Job Description:

• For the finance specific role, the Finance Department is responsible for all financial functions 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

Essential Job Functions

• Manage the finance assistants in maintaining a balanced petty cash float, processing payments and recording in the financial system.
• Review employee expense reports, cash advance requests and travel approval requests within financial review authority for accuracy, completeness and compliance.
• Review procurement documentation within financial review authority for accuracy, completeness and compliance.
• Review payment requests within financial review authority for accuracy, completeness and compliance.
• Ensure all expenses are within assigned project budgets.
• Prepare checks or wire transfer requests based on fully approved documents and present to approved check-signers for review and signature.
• Prepare bank payment vouchers and ensure that all bank transactions are properly and fully documented.
• Record payment vouchers daily in Field Connection on Navigator, ensuring information in Navigator is as accurate as possible, including dimensions and expense details.
• Prepare timely and accurate month end reconciliations, ensuring all entries on the bank statement are accounted for, and follow up for completeness in a timely manner.
• Manage the bank accounts and banking relationship in the field and communicate with Abuja as needed.
• Maintain a balanced bank account balance and submit funds transfer requests to Abuja based on policy.
• Prepare monthly cash flow projections for program needs in coordination with program and operations and submit to Abuja.
• Maintain an efficient filing system such that files are updated, complete and safeguarded
• Assist in budget preparation and management activities as the need arises.
• Prepare monthly package of documentation for shipping to Abuja for safeguarding.
• Respond to staff requests for information regarding invoices and their program budgets in a proactive and timely manner. Escalate to Finance Manager if necessary.
• Identify and resolve invoicing issues, accounting discrepancies and other financial related issues.
• Liaise with statutory bodies and make statutory remittance to relevant bodies
• Extensive travel is required to different locations for the humanitarian programs including but not limited to Gombe and Adamawa.
• Conduct himself/herself both professionally and personally in such a manner as to bring credit to Mercy Corps and to not jeopardize its humanitarian mission.
• Other duties as assigned.

Knowledge and Experience

• Five or more years of bookkeeping, accounting and finance. Experience in development sector is preferable.
• A degree in Accounting or a relevant business field is required.
• Strong computer skills in MS Office programs, particularly Excel is a must.
• Accuracy in the processing of cash transactions, mathematical aptitude and attention to detail
• Excellent oral and written English skills
• Management of staff is highly of added value
• Fluency in Hausa language is needed.

Success Factors:

• A clear understanding of finance and procurement ethics as well as the willingness and ability to enforce compliance with Mercy Corps and donor policies and procedures is essential.
• A high level of personal integrity, honesty and transparency in all cash handling is absolutely essential.
• The ability to interact effectively with international and national staff members is required.
• A demonstrated ability to work quickly and accurately, meet deadlines and process information in support of changing program activities is necessary

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Project Description

• The finance intern will be based in Gombe, and will be providing day-to-day support to the finance operations in Gombe under the direct supervision of the Finance Officer based in Gombe. As part of the responsibilities of the Finance intern, the successful candidate will undertake finance and administrative duties, working in close collaboration with programs and operations teams.
• S/he will promptly and effectively provide all the required support to the finance, programs and operations unit so as to deliver the assistance to beneficiaries in a timely, compliant and transparent manner.

Essential Responsibilities

• Support collation/scanning of vendor documents for approval and review
• Support in filling of finance vouchers daily and organizing all finance documentation
• Stamping of vouchers and collation of relevant documents to support each voucher.
• Acts as liaison officer between Mercy Corps finance and third party such as banks , remittance offices e.t.c
• Act as receiving officer for Finance office and maintain relevant documents
• Support the team during end of month process.
• Understudy all finance processes especially payment process and uploading to navigator
• Support in obtaining tax receipt from tax office
• Any other responsibilities as may be necessary.

Learning Objectives
At the end of the internship period, the intern should have acquired the following knowledge and skills:

• Ability to process vendor payments especially as regard e-voucher transfers
• Ability to effectively manage an office filling system
• Knowledge of what constitutes good support documents for  financial transactions
• Learn to manage relationship with external parties to an organization such as banks, tax office etc
• If possible be able to use navigator accounting package

Deliverables

• Collate, scan and send all vendor documents for approval and fiancé review
• Stamp all paid documents
• Effectively and properly arrange finance department documents in a manner that will allow easy retrieval
• Able to use navigator accounting package via Field connection( if possible)

Qualifications
Ideal candidate should possess the following qualifications:

• A B.Sc or HND in Accounting is essential.
• A demonstrated ability to multi-task and process information into action as not to delay program activities.
• Ability to use a computer well and knowledge of any accounting software will be an added advantage
• Ability to learn very fast, meticulous and very detailed.
• An interest in learning the finance ethics and donor compliance is essential
• Fluency in written and verbal English required.

Terms & Conditions:

• Intern will be expected to support the project 40hrs per week
• Intern will be expected to strictly adhere to Mercy Corps rules, regulation and work ethics
• Intern will be given support and mentoring from his/her supervisor.