Senior Finance Officer (JISRA / Peacebuilding) at TearFund

Tearfund is a Christian international relief and development agency working globally to end poverty and injustice, and to restore dignity and hope in some of the world’s poorest communities.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Senior Finance Officer (JISRA / Peacebuilding)

Location: Abuja / Jos, Plateau
Job Schedule: Full Time; 40hrs / week
Employment Type: Contract
Contract Length: 1 Year, 5 months
Responsible to: the Finance Manager, Nigeria.
Grade: Croner 5 Level

Main Purpose of the Job
The Senior Finance Officer will be responsible for:

• Overseeing the PoV Financial Management and liaise with the Country Consortium Lead and PoV Consortium Partners and Implementing Partners (SfCG, CAFOD, MM, Tearfund, DIWA, DREP, FOMWAN, RURCON & SUWA).
• Harmonise the Nigeria Consortium Financial reports in liaise with Tearfund West Africa Finance Team.
• S/he will also be responsible for the provision of practical support and advice to Tearfund partners on the following: strengthening financial management capacity, strengthening partner’s internal control systems, improving financial budgeting and reporting. Responsible for ensuring donor compliance for all financial management issues. Provides accounting functions and financial management input to Tearfund Nigeria.

Tearfund’s Christian culture
We believe that prayer and discernment is fundamental to Tearfund achieving its mission of restoring relationships, ending extreme poverty and transforming lives. As a Tearfund staff member you are expected to:

• Engage with Tearfund Prays and the Prayer hub
• Lead or participate in spiritual sessions of prayer and biblical reflection within your group
• Be committed to Tearfund’s Mission, Values and Beliefs statement and to be actively working and living in accordance with Tearfund’s Christian beliefs and theology of mission
• Maintain your own spiritual development, discover your gifts/callings and grow in discipleship

Organisational Requirements

• The post holder will be expected to live out Tearfund’s values as they represent Tearfund externally.
• S/he will be expected to fulfil their personal objectives set by their line manager, contribute to their team’s overall objectives, take responsibility for reviewing their ongoing personal development and maintain an awareness of Tearfund's strategy.
• S/he will be expected, along with all Tearfund staff, to share responsibility to promote and maintain a strong safeguarding culture, including identifying the key actions they should take given their role and responsibilities.
• The post-holder will be required to actively participate in the spiritual life of Tearfund in the following ways:
  • To model godly leadership in all aspects of character and conduct.
  • To lead or contribute in Christian worship, prayer, teaching and biblical reflections during collective staff prayer times and encourage staff to attend as is appropriate.
  • To be committed to and share in the outworking of Tearfund’s Mission, Purpose, Values and Statement of Faith.
  • To actively work and live in accordance with Tearfund’s Statement of Faith and Tearfund’s Christian ethos.
  • To pursue and maintain a Christian faith through ongoing personal spiritual development and a relationship with God.
  • To provide support and spiritual encouragement to staff and colleagues, in line with biblical principles.
• The post-holder will be expected to behave in accordance with Tearfund’s ‘Code of Conduct’ as referred to in the Personal Conduct Policy.

Position in organisation:

• Works closely with the Project Manager (Consortium Lead)
• Works directly with Tearfund’s partners, especially the finance staff of partners.
• Works closely with the Tearfund’s Finance team, Support Services Coordinator, and other in-country Tearfund staff.

Duties & Key Responsibilities
Support to Partners:

• Carry out financial management reviews/assessment of partners by identifying critical gaps and capacity development needs.
• Provides direct support to partner on:
• strengthening internal controls, improving organisational and project level budgeting and reporting
• appropriate tools for senior management and board to ensure adequate monitoring and decision making on financial management.
• quality of financial and administrative documentation.
• computerised financial packages
• Develop specific financial management capacity building plans for partners.
• Facilitating training on financial management for non-financial managers at partner level.
• Develop a work plan that prioritises key areas of support to partners.

Financial and Accounting Supervision:

• Ensure that all Tearfund's internal controls and other financial procedures are adhered to and fully implemented.
• Ensure that all Tearfund’s financial transactions (bank, cash, accruals) are properly recorded in accordance with Tearfund's policy
• Ensure that all government regulations concerning finances are respected (Taxes and other statutory Deductions)
• Maintain an inventory list of all office equipment and fixed assets.
• Ensure compliances with Tearfund finance policies, standards, procedures and government VAT & Tax requirements.
• Ensure that the requirements of the Donors are followed.
• Ensure that all accounting operations (Both Tearfund and Partner) are submitted to the FM in time for uploading in PSF. Close the cash and bank books on the second day of each month and send the details to the FM.
• Manage all payments made, including: -
• Verification of the accuracy and appropriateness of invoices and other documents provided for payments.
• Ensure that all relevant supporting documents are in place and that all Tearfund policies and regulations have been followed.
• Ensure payments reach the beneficiaries
• Record all bank transactions made in the accounting system provided.
• Classification of all supporting documents according to the procedures defined by Tearfund:
  • Inform Project Managers and Partner Staff of specific donor regulations for procurement, distribution, and reporting.
  • Ensure that Tearfund and Partner books and records, insofar as they relate to donor-funded projects, are kept in accordance with donor requirements.
  • Produce accurate and up-to-date reports using required formats.
  • Petty cash management.
  • Ensures that the cash count is made every end of every month (or as determined by the FM).
  • Management of advances to staff (ensure that advances are accounted for over time and that no double advances are issued)
  • Classification - Ensure that all financial documents are stamped "PAID" and classified in accordance with Tearfund's policies and practices.

Accounting and Financial Management:

• Verification of telephone billing and other monthly invoices from service providers such as medical bills, tax, and rent, ensuring that personal expenses are passed on to the respective employees.
• Track service contracts to ensure they are renewed on time and for those who expire, follow the correct process if they need to be terminated or renewed.
• Provide financial / accounting assistance to the country office to ensure that procedures and policies are not flouted.
• To be a leader in the prevention of fraud at the base and to provide technical support for fraud investigations.
• Undertake any other task assigned by the FM and Country Director.

Qualifications
The successful candidate will have:

• A Degree in Finance / Accounts or equivalent experience
• Minimum of five (5) years' experience in accounting
• Strong technical experience in bookkeeping, accounting and financial management.
• In-depth experience in providing financial capacity assessment to local partner
• Experience in carrying out financial management reviews/assessment of partners by identifying critical gaps and capacity development needs
• In depth knowledge of direct support to partner on strengthening internal controls, improving organisational and project level budgeting and reporting
• Excellent written and verbal communication in English language.
• Planning, budgeting, monitoring and evaluation skills
• Communication and presentation skills
• Self-motivation and a twam player
• Computer literate in MS-Word, Excel, Powerpoint, etc
• Initiative and attention to detail

Desirable criteria:

• ACA / MBA / CA, ICAN, ANAN or equivalent
• Proven experience in relief and disaster response work
• Experience of working with Christian based partners
• Understanding of accounting issues in the charity/NGO sector.
• Ability to Prioritise
• Good analytical skills
• Training and mentoring skills
• Ability to communicate in Hausa
• We are looking for an individual with vision, commitment and energy, someone who is a committed Christian and who shares and supports Tearfund's values and vision. 

Salary
NGN 10,710,845 per annum

Application Closing Date
7th July 2024.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online

Note

• All applicants must be committed to Tearfund's Christian beliefs.
• The recruitment process will include specific checks related to safeguarding issues.
• In addition, personal identification information will be submitted against a Watch list database to check against criminal convictions as a counter-terror measure
• Only shortlisted applicants will be invited for the interviews!