Finance Officer

• Employment Category:  H2
• Reporting To: Base Manager
• Start of Contract & Duration: May 31, 2023

OVERALL PURPOSE OF THE ROLE:

The Danish Refugee Council (DRC) has been providing relief and development services in East Africa and Great Lakes since 1997. DRC has mainly focused on forced displacements. The Regional Office is based in Nairobi, Kenya, and has other offices and operations in EAGL.

The Danish Refugee Council (DRC) has been operational in Somali Region since December 2009 to assist the displacement-affected Communities in the Region. DRC had implemented so far humanitarian, recovery, and development programs in Somali Region mainly with refugees, IDPs, and affected host communities. To improve compliance and adhere DRC operations handbook mainly on Financial management and also able provide proportional support to increasing programs in Dire Dawa, DRC is looking to hire a dedicated and experienced Finance officer based in Dire Dawa with frequent field visits to the implementation sites in Sitti zones. The Finance officer under the supervision and in coordination with Finance Team Leader and the Addis team will be doing finance-related activities as per the JDs below. This position is responsible for carrying out all bank and cash transactions and booking of expenses for the Dire Dawa program, managing expenditures, and working with all teams to develop project budgets and monthly or weekly cash forecasts.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Accounts:

• Ensure the monthly closing and cash follow status report is produced on time in electronic and hard copies to Head Office; get familiar with DRC dynamics mainly in the finance section.
• Maintain proper filing systems of financial documents, scan and burn on CDs those monthly financial reports to be forwarded to Addis;  
• Maintain an electronic monthly cash book and perform daily and weekly cash reconciliation of the program books;
• Check expenditures against budgets, preparation of monthly expenditure statements and properly filing of financial documents;
• Ensure that accounting records are kept updated, are reliable, and are maintained according to DRC accounting practices;
• Code transactions for the project floats and ensure it is in line with project budget lines;
• Manage cash balances to ensure that sufficient balances are maintained for ongoing activities while preventing too high balances to avoid incurring high exchange rate charges.
• update monthly staff payroll for deduction for advances,  and keep track of clearing all outstanding;
• Ensure timely and accurate encoding of all financial movements using DRC’s ERP or dynamics system;
• Produce serially numbered cash receipts and cash payment vouchers, and code expenditures appropriately;
• Support payment to service providers, suppliers, and contractors, and clearance of advance of procurement officer against a “Goods Received Note” signed by the supply chain Officer
• Prepare and distribute monthly expenditures reports on project and program level in support of managers and program staff
• Ensure that all documents relating to financial transactions and donor contracts are properly filed in order to facilitate their retrieval and to safeguard DRC's financial interest
• Facilitate smooth internal and external audits of donor contracts

Procurement and assets tracking

• Support adherence to DRC procurement regulation
• Assist in tendering process and bidding analysis to facilitate the procurement of goods, contracts, and services
• Assist management in producing annual procurement plans – revised on a quarterly basis – for new asset and equipment acquisitions
• Support updated records of assets and equipment disaggregated per individual donor contract.

Budgeting

• Assist field management and program staff in preparing annual program budgets based on quarterly and annual expenditure reviews
• Support coordination and preparation of bi-Monthly cash requests in coordination with relevant program staff, forwarding it to Country Finance Officer in a timely manner
• Assist finance team Leader and programme staff in budgeting, monitoring, and financial reporting for specific activities or sub-projects
• Report immediately on all cases of financial mismanagement, such as theft, corruption, or non-adherence to DRC financial management rules; and, if necessary, coordinate with AA in developing new policies to safeguard against future mismanagement
• Support the production of timely and accurate encoding of all financial movements and the preparation of monthly budget monitoring reports
• Coordinate and monitor monthly financial reports at the field office and compile with TL for reports;
• Train new finance staff like assistants and cashier in the DRC Finance System and Regulations and advise on their performance to ensure sound accounting and procurement practices and that DRC’s financial regulations are always strictly adhered to
• Undertake regular visits to sites and advise and mentor field staff on project accounts and procedures
• Support annual performance reviews of Finance Staff with the Team Leader and assist in identifying their training needs
• Assist Finance team Leader in preparing financial reports for donors or checking reports prepared by the Finance department in Head Office on the agreed reporting date

Other

• Any other job as assigned by the Base Manager and finance team Leader or Area Manager in DRC Jijiga and Addis Finance team.

All DRC roles require the post-holder to master

DRC’s core competencies:

• Striving for excellence: You focus on reaching results while ensuring an efficient process.  
• Collaborating: You involve relevant parties and encourage feedback.  
• Taking the lead: You take ownership and initiative while aiming for innovation.  
• Communicating: You listen and speak effectively and honestly.
• Demonstrating integrity: You act in line with our vision and values.  

Job Requirements

Experience and technical competencies: (include years of experience)

• Proven ability to prioritize tasks and meet deadlines
• Stable and robust character and a good team-player
• Experience in working in NGOs, at least three years (3 Years)
• Excellent communication skills, calm, and a good sense of humor
• Proven commitment to accountable practices.,
• Strong sense of personal integrity
• Competent use of PC especially spreadsheets.
• Full proficiency in Microsoft Office, including Word and Excel.

EDUCATION: (include certificates, licenses, etc.)

• Relevant education (degree or Diploma) and work experience in the financial/accounting field.

LANGUAGE: (Indicate fluency level)

• Excellent English skills both spoken and written. Knowledge of Somali, an advantage

How to Apply

Interested candidates who meet the required qualifications and experience are invited to submit an updated CV and cover letter explaining their motivation and why they are suited for the post. 

We only accept applications sent via our online-application form on https://candidate.hr-manager.net/ApplicationInit.aspx?cid=1036&ProjectId=166429&DepartmentId=19012&SkipAdvertisement=true under Vacancies.  

Please forward the application and CV, in English through the stated website no later than December 12, 2022. 

For general information about the Danish Refugee Council, please consult www.drc.ngo

Gender Equality: DRC is committed to achieving gender parity in staffing at all levels. In light of this, women candidates are particularly encouraged to apply to bridge the gender gap.

Equal Opportunities: DRC is an equal opportunity employer. We value diversity and we are committed to creating an inclusive environment based on mutual respect for all employees. We do not discriminate on the basis of age, sex, disability status, religion, ethnic origin, color, race, marital status, or other protected characteristics

We encourage only qualified Ethiopian Nationals to apply. DRC considers all applicants based on merit.