Finance Officer

Starting Salary: 262,061  

Contract: 2 Year Fixed   

Location: Freetown, Sierra Leone 

Job Profile  

This role is responsible for providing smooth and effective financial administration for the Women and Girls FIRST II programme funded by JOA in Sierra Leone. The post-holder will support in maintaining an accurate overview of programme finances, providing guidance and enabling the effective management for the programme. They will be responsible for financial aspects of donor compliance, in liaison with the Business Development Lead, Programme Manager, the Women and Girls FIRST II Project Manager and Programme Officer, the Finance & Admin Manager and the Country Representative.  

The postholder works within the Sierra Leone and Liberia Team based in Freetown, Sierra Leone, and reports to the Finance and Administration Manager based in Freetown. 

The role may line manage office support staff (Drivers and Office Cleaner) in the Sierra Leone Office in the absence of the Finance and Admin Manager. They are not a budget holder but may handle cash in the absence of the Finance and Admin Manager and ensure financial and administrative compliance.  

Key Responsibilities 

Support the effective financial management of the JOA Funded Project in Sierra Leone  

• Responsible for maintaining the BVA reports of the JOA programme.  

• Lead the financial management and reporting process of the Financial Inclusion and women’s empowerment project making sure deadlines are adhered to: 

• Review of partners’ financial reports for accuracy and compliance and submit them to the Finance and Admin Manager for checks.  

• Review monthly bank and petty cash reconciliations  of the Partners on a monthly basis  

• Perform petty cash count monthly under the supervision of the Country Representative in the absence of the Finance & Admin Manager. 

• Support the Finance and Admin Manager in preparing payment requests and filing of documents monthly.   

• Support the Project Manager and Finance & Admin Manager in preparing financial reports for the donor. 

• Support the budgeting processes and suggest relevant changes as necessary  

• Monitor expenditure against budgets and advise budget-holders of expenditure-to-date and variances arising and prepare budget forecasts 

• Ensure transfers to the Partners are made as appropriate, and receipt of such transfers are requested and uploaded on web promise.  

• Prepare payments that need to be made for all goods and services and submit them to the Finance and Admin Manager for checks  

• Under supervision of the Country Representative, administer the monthly payroll for staff in the absence of the Finance and Admin Manager 

• Assist in maintaining overview of the project finances, providing accurate and timely updates to Programme Managers and CAFOD in London when requested to  

• Coordinate the timely submission of any records and accounts as required  

• Ensure proper coding and categorization of project expenses  

• Support the budgeting processes and suggest relevant changes as and when necessary.  

• Assist in training of project staff in the policies and procedures for financial accountability.  

• Ensure upward and downward transparency and accountability throughout the programme.  

• Support partners in preparing documents for annual or donor audits.  

 

Programme Finance  

• Support programme staff in conducting financial assessments of CAFODs partners programmes, reviewing budgets and reports, reviewing audits; responsible for identifying any financial problems or fraud.   

• Review partner’s budgets, and donor financial and audit reports, and assist in identifying any financial problems, fraud or losses 

• Support CAFOD programme staff and partners to build their financial capacity where needed.  

• Provide support to the partners’ finance staff to enable them produce and submit accurate projects’ expenditure reports in line with CAFOD or donor requirements 

• Provide training to partners’ staff on policies and procedures for financial accountability, in collaboration with the Country Representative/Programme Officers. 

• Undertake regular visits to partner organisations to provide training on identified gaps and to support the implementation of the capacity strengthening plans related to finance matters. 

• Ensures that partners’ financial management practices are in line with CAFOD and donor best practice standards and checks that reports received from partners are accurate. 

• Works closely with the Finance & Admin Manager and ensure that relevant CAFOD Procurement Procedures or minimum standards are adhered to and implemented in a standardised manner across all partner offices. 

• Work closely with the programme and funding team and particularly the Business Development Lead to develop the accounting framework for all new funding and ensure costs are accurately captured in partner projects in WebPromise.  

 

Safeguarding  

All CAFOD staff share responsibility to promote and maintain a strong safeguarding culture, including identifying the key actions they should take given their role and responsibilities.  

 

Person Specification 

 

Understanding our context  

• Understanding Catholic identity  
• Understanding CAFOD  
• Understanding international development  

Working together  

• Managing ourselves  
• Working with others:  Coaches and mentors staff in sound financial management skills 
• Communicating 
• Looking outwards: Understanding of donors and ability to ensure compliance to donor requirements  

Making change happen  

• Managing resources: Creates budgets; Full understanding and practical application of good financial standards and PCM; Full understanding of CAFOD’s finance systems and grant making; Monitors and reviews expenditures accurately, recognises errors, issues and fraud;  
• Achieving results:  Suggests improvements in financial processes and practices   
• Managing our performance  
• Taking the lead:  Proactively ensuring financial analysis of partners’ spending   

Job-specific competencies 

1. Accounting qualification and experience. Proficient in double entry bookkeeping and accounting software; experience with SUN Infor10 an advantage
2. Strong analytical and deductive skills
3. Advanced level of written and verbal English 
4. Perform financial analysis using tools such as Microsoft Excel 

Safeguarding for Children and Vulnerable Adults  

CAFOD recognises the personal dignity and rights of children and vulnerable adults, towards whom it has a special responsibility and a duty of care and respect.  CAFOD, and all its staff and volunteers, undertake to do all in our power to create a safe environment for children, young people and vulnerable adults and to prevent their physical, sexual or emotional abuse.  CAFOD is committed to acting at all times in the best interests of children and vulnerable adults, seeing these interests as paramount.  Any candidate offered a job with CAFOD will be expected to adhere to CAFOD’s Safeguarding policy and sign CAFOD’s Code of Behaviour as an appendix to their contract of employment and agree to conduct themselves in accordance with the provisions of these documents.  

 

All offers of employment will be subject to satisfactory references, and appropriate screening checks can include criminal records and terrorism finance checks. CAFOD also participates in the Inter Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. In line with this Scheme, we will request information from job applicants’ previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment during employment, or incidents under investigation when the applicant left employment. By submitting an application, the job applicant confirms their understanding of, and consent to, these recruitment procedures. 

 

Please click here for a full list of CAFOD’s Staff Benefits 

 

Come and join us and help make a real difference in the lives of the world’s poorest communities. 

CAFOD is an equal opportunities employer. Recruitment and selection procedures reflect our commitment to safeguarding children and vulnerable adults.