Officer Finance

The Finance Officer is responsible for financial and administrative functions, budgeting, and supporting the preparation of financial reports for IFRC projects and programs under the supervision of the Senior Finance Controller. This role also involves grant management, preparing financial reports for donors and coordinators, and providing staff training.

The Finance Officer will assist National Societies with financial, administrative, and risk management related to cluster programs. This includes advising and enhancing the capacity of IFRC staff in the effective management of program financial resources. The officer will work closely with the Finance team to lead, coordinate, and oversee the preparation and validation of the budget, program income and expenditure, and ensure compliance with internal and external financial reporting. They will conduct ongoing financial monitoring and manage audits in accordance with IFRC and donor reporting requirements.

In addition, the Finance Officer will support in monitoring available resources to meet program needs and oversee budgeting and planning, financial reporting, risk management, and accountability.

Internal Control and Risk Management

• Process payments and ensure these are in line with IFRC policies and procedures, ensuring the supporting documents fully support the invoice being paid from initiation of the process to final approval
• Perform Receipts review on Expenses Management returns and ensure advances collected by staff are utilized in line with IFRC policies and procedures. Escalate anomalies as identified.
• Perform matching of travel advances vs expense returns vs cash returns vs reimbursements
• Ensure that a rigorous internal control environment is maintained, including review, advise and validate all contracts for approval.
• Coordinate financial risk assessment for various countries and ensure implementation of finance policies, processes, and procedures.
• coordinate and review the capacity risk assessments for all National Societies receiving programme and operational support
• In-corporate risk management framework and control mechanism in the operation, and also provide training and disseminate the procedure on Fraud and Corruption prevention and control policy
• With ever evolving Program initiatives, seriously consider the financial risks inherent in program activities, and suggest/implement methodologies to reduce such risk, in particular, field spot checking and approaches that lead to greater physical verification and validation of transactions.

Financial Reporting

• Provide monthly reports on Working Advances held by all delegates and national staff
• Provide monthly reports on Travel advances held by all delegates and national staff
• Provide monthly reports on warnings in the balance sheet account after advice and take corrective actions to clear the same monthly.
• Provide clear oral reports to internal and external stakeholders to enable understanding and decision-making.
• Prepare timely monthly and quarterly financial reports for management purposes.
• Review and provide feedback on donor financial reports, ensuring quality and compliance.

Audit and Compliance

• Support the Implementation of audit findings for the program touching on finance
• Review compliance to IFRC policies e.g. finance, contract, procurement, consultancy policies. Highlight areas of non-compliance and advise finance team on the same including advising on action plans to address issues raised.
• Oversee external audits for all programs where applicable.
• Ensure implementation of internal and external audit recommendations.
• Support field-based audits with internal/external auditors and country finance management teams.
• Support in developing a plan of action for all control deficiencies raised by the external auditors
• Support in submission of supporting documents quarterly as required by donor service providers.

Financial Management

• Perform the month end closure process within required timelines and provide all balance sheet reconciliations supported by appropriate closure documents.
• Settlement process for staff working and travel advance accounts
• With a view to matrix management, work with Operations and Cluster Links to support cluster delegations and National Societies with financial needs.
• Support the timely development of Operating Budgets and related expenditure authorizations.
• Work with Heads of Delegation, Country Operations and Cluster Links to ensure expedited cash transfers to National Societies.
• Support the Country Operations and Cluster Links with the timely execution of contracts with National Societies to enable timely program and operational implementation.

• Manage the day-to-day processing of transactions in accordance with established procedures.
• Facilitate the physical review of supporting documents and ensure quality and compliance.
• Support the timely/quality preparation of WBS and program budgets.

Treasury Management

• Work with project managers to ensure forecasts are submitted on time, booked into the system and funds are availed to carry out activities. Follow up with the other departments for the submission of forecasts for escalated payments. Ensure recurring costs are forecasted on a monthly basis. Prepare documents for inclusion and deletion of signatories to the bank accounts as well as documentation for opening of bank accounts once approved.
• Manage the bank analysis between the disbursement, the transfer and the expenses.

Administrative Management

• Assist in managing agreements with partners, ensuring compliance with IFRC administrative procedures.
• Collaborate with the program team to monitor strategies and operational needs.
• Work closely with the Finance team to track implementation levels.
• Support the processing of payment requests from various countries.
• Support in other administrative tasks.

Capacity Strengthening and continuous learning

• Train, support and advise the National Societies in the development of their financial management and systems with the collaboration of Finance Development colleagues in the region.
• Support improvements, good practice and continuous learning and knowledge sharing in the Country in the above areas of service delivery.
• Encourage and promote a culture of continuous learning and sharing of best practices among the finance team within the lead applicant and the recipient national societies.
• Support in conducting Program Managers' Finance training for key stakeholders such as appeal and project managers, national societies and partners.

Duties applicable to all staff.

• Actively work towards the achievement of the Federation Secretariat’s goals.
• Abide by and work in accordance with the Red Cross and Red Crescent principles.
• Perform any other work-related duties and responsibilities that may be assigned by the line manager.

• Relevant University in Administration, financial management accounting. Required.
• Professional financial and accountancy qualification. Preferred.

• 5 years’ experience in finance and administration management, accounting, and audit and risks management. Required.
• Previous experience working for the Federation and/or National Society or a comparable international organisation. Required.
• Experience in managing and developing teams. Preferred.
• Practical knowledge of computers (Windows, spreadsheets, word processing, e-mail, Accounting and Financial software). Required.
• Experience in training financial and non-financial staff on financial matters. Preferred.
• Experience in writing narrative and Financial reports. Preferred.
• Strong communication and administrative skills specifically in office management. Required.

• High degree of integrity, discretion and personal conduct. Required.
• Flexible and adaptable to changing working conditions. Required.
• Excellent interpersonal and written communication skills. Required.
• Ability to prioritize, meet deadlines and work under pressure. Required.
• Excellent staff management skills. Required.
• Self-motivated, proactive with good judgement and initiative. Required.
• Fluently spoken and written English. Required.
• Good command of another IFRC official language (French, Spanish or Arabic). Preferred.

• Core Competencies: Communication; Collaboration and teamwork; Judgement and decision making; National society and customer relations; Creativity and innovation; Building trust.
• Values: Respect for diversity; Integrity; Professionalism; Accountability
• Functional competencies: Strategic orientation; Building alliances; Leadership; Empowering others.