Job Description
- Job Title: Finance Officer
- Duty Station: Taiz
- Contract Type: Full-time
- Duration: 10 Months
Job Summary:
The Finance Officer is responsible for overseeing all financial aspects of the project, ensuring the effective and transparent management of funds. This includes maintaining accurate accounting records, monitoring budget utilization, preparing financial reports, and ensuring compliance with donor and organizational regulations. The role also involves handling audits, reviewing project expenditures, and ensuring timely financial operations to support smooth project implementation.
The Finance Officer plays a key role in maintaining financial accountability, monitoring expenditure accuracy, and preparing reconciliations to ensure that all transactions are properly documented and accounted for.
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Key Responsibilities:
1. Financial Management and Accounting
- Manage all project accounts from initiation to completion, ensuring adherence to financial standards and donor requirements.
- Prepare and maintain accurate accounting records for all project-related financial transactions.
- Ensure that all expenditure documentation (invoices, receipts, payment vouchers) is complete, accurate, and properly filed in compliance with organizational and donor policies.
- Produce monthly, quarterly, and year-end financial reports for internal and external use, ensuring timely submission in accordance with donor deadlines.
- Perform daily financial tasks, including preparing payment vouchers, reviewing expense requests, and monitoring disbursements.
- Ensure that bank reconciliations and petty cash settlements are prepared in a timely and accurate manner and submitted to the Chief Accountant for review.
- Monitor project cash flow to ensure sufficient funds are available for operations, forecasting financial needs to avoid delays.
- Maintain organized and systematic filing of financial documentation (both digital and physical records) for easy access and audit purposes.
2. Budget Monitoring and Reporting
- Monitor the project budget, tracking expenditures against approved allocations to ensure financial targets are met.
- Identify variances between actual and budgeted expenditures, analyze their causes, and submit variance reports to management with recommendations for corrective action.
- Work closely with the Project Manager to review project expenditures and ensure alignment with financial plans and approved activities.
- Prepare customized financial reports and respond promptly to inquiries from project management regarding expenditures, balances, and financial projections.
- Assist project teams in planning and forecasting financial needs to ensure efficient use of resources.
3. Compliance and Audit Support
- Ensure strict adherence to donor regulations, organizational financial policies, and procedures in all financial operations.
- Review and audit payment requests for completeness, accuracy, and compliance with financial guidelines before approval.
- Support internal and external audits by compiling required financial documents, preparing audit schedules, and ensuring timely responses to audit queries.
- Coordinate closely with the Procurement and Logistics Department to verify supplier invoices, ensuring proper documentation and compliance with procurement policies.
- Ensure financial rules, regulations, and policies are followed for all project-related transactions.
4. Project Financial Closure
- Prepare project final financial statements, ensuring all costs are accounted for and aligned with project deliverables.
- Close project accounts upon project completion and archive all relevant financial documentation for audit or future reference.
- Reconcile project financials, ensuring there are no discrepancies and all accounts are cleared.
5. Communication and Coordination
- Maintain regular and effective communication with the Project Manager and senior finance staff regarding financial matters, including contracts, invoices, and budgetary concerns.
- Provide financial advice to project teams to ensure informed decision-making regarding resource allocation and expenditures.
- Maintain communication with external parties (e.g., suppliers, auditors) to resolve financial matters, including invoice payments and audit requirements.
- Collaborate with field teams to ensure the timely submission of financial data, receipts, and documentation.
6. Other Duties
- Perform any other finance-related tasks as required to ensure the smooth implementation and financial accountability of the project.
- Provide training or guidance to project staff on financial processes, reporting requirements, and budget management as needed.
- Ensure a high level of confidentiality, integrity, and accuracy when handling sensitive financial information.
Qualifications and Experience:
Educational Requirements:
- Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field from a recognized university.
Professional Experience:
- Minimum 3 years of relevant experience in financial management, accounting, or budgeting, preferably in an NGO or INGO setting.
- Experience in project financial management and donor compliance reporting.
Technical Skills:
- Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office, particularly Excel (formulas, pivot tables, financial models).
- Proficiency in accounting software and tools used for financial management.
- Strong knowledge of financial reporting standards and budgeting principles.
- Familiarity with internal and external audit processes and requirements.
Language Skills:
- Native Arabic with good written and spoken English.
Soft Skills:
- Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills to identify variances and recommend corrective measures.
- Strong attention to detail and high levels of accuracy.
- Ability to work under pressure and meet strict deadlines.
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to effectively liaise with internal teams and external partners.
- Flexible and adaptable, with the ability to work long hours or weekends when needed.
- Strong organizational skills, including the ability to manage multiple priorities.
Personal Attributes:
- Commitment to the mission, vision, and values of Deem Organization.
- High level of integrity, honesty, and ethical behavior in financial dealings.
- Proactive approach to problem-solving and achieving results.
Core Competencies:
- Financial planning and management.
- Budget monitoring and variance analysis.
- Strong reporting and documentation skills.
- Attention to detail and accuracy.
- Effective communication and teamwork.
- Compliance and audit preparedness.