Officer, Finance

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is the world’s largest humanitarian organization, with a network of 191-member National Societies (NSs). The overall aim of IFRC is “to inspire, encourage, facilitate, and promote at all times all forms of humanitarian activities by NSs with a view to preventing and alleviating human suffering and thereby contributing to the maintenance and promotion of human dignity and peace in the world.”  IFRC works to meet the needs and improve the lives of vulnerable people before, during and after disasters, health emergencies and other crises.

IFRC is part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement (Movement), together with its member National Societies and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The work of IFRC is guided by the following fundamental principles: humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity, and universality.

IFRC is led by its Secretary General, and has its Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. The Headquarters are organized into three main Divisions: (i) National Society Development and Operations Coordination; (ii) Global Relations, Humanitarian Diplomacy and Digitalization; and (iii) Management Policy, Strategy and Corporate Services.

IFRC has five regional offices in Africa, Asia Pacific, Middle East and North Africa, Europe, and the Americas.  IFRC also has country cluster delegations and country delegations throughout the world. Together, the Geneva Headquarters and the field structure (regional, cluster and country) comprise the IFRC Secretariat.

IFRC has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment and other forms of harassment, abuse of authority, discrimination, and lack of integrity (including but not limited to financial misconduct). IFRC also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. 

 The IFRC has been supporting and working with the Egyptian Red Crescent for many years in several humanitarian and developmental areas. This position will be based in IFRC EGYPT Delegation in Cairo

This post is responsible for ensuring the delivery of effective and timely accounting, financial, and treasury services in IFRC EGYPT Delegation. This post holder provides overall project financial management support and is responsible also for the provision of financial services to project managers within the Delegation.

Policies and Procedures

• Provide feedback to his/her line manager on improvements in policies or procedures.

• Have a deep understanding of the IFRC’s financial procedures that will allow validating the transactions accordingly (e.g. Supplementary Services, Shared Office and Service Costs, etc.)
• Advice project staff in the appropriate interpretation of the financial procedures so the transactions to be performed are following the compliance.
• Provide feedback to project managers on documentation submitted with incorrect coding or inadequate supporting documentation.
• Ensure that Federation Internal control is in place and continually review to identify possible areas of weakness in financial controls within the system, implement changes to address them.

Financial Reporting

• Performs a periodic review of the transactions posted to the projects to ensure they are accurately entered into the accounting system.
• Monitor donor reports list and submit the complete report prior to the due date.
• Verifies that the transaction process occurs according to the IFRS (International Financial Reporting Standards), the IFRC policies and procedures, and they comply with the donor requirements.
• Provide information about the status of reports to the finance analyst.
• Prepares income or expenditure reallocations to ensure that the reports are ready to submit (when it is necessary).
• Ensure supporting documents for NS settlement are completed based on agreement and technical guidelines.

Budgeting

• Provide technical support and advice to the project managers and / or programme staff during the preparation and/or revision of budgets
• Provide analysis of actual expenditures vs. budgets with its respective analysis of the variances (if there is any) and recommendations
• Coordinate the expenditure reallocations when it is necessary to align planned expenditures vs. the budget lines
• Prepare outlooks in terms of the estimated expenditures of a project to complement the information provided to the project manager

Validation of transactions

• Ensure that all the transactions related to his/her portfolio are validated following the expenditure authorization procedure and others
• Ensure all accounting transactions are properly authorized and documented by original and valid supporting documentation.
• Provide feedback to the project managers when findings have been identified in terms of documentation that does not meet the requirements or transactions that are not within the approved budget
• Follow up with the project manager or unit staff that the forecasts, journal of expenditures, working advance and travel per-diem claim forms and other documents are presented within the established deadlines in order to validate them
• Provide monthly account statements to staff to reconcile the balances and obtain the reimbursement or the settlement of the liability

Treasury (if applicable)

• The post will be responsible for the monthly cash request analysis submission.
• Ensure there are sufficient funds.
• Preparation of bank account reconciliations
• Conduct petty cash counts (surprise or planned)
• Ensure that daily, weekly, and monthly petty cash counts are being done.
• Ensure that the payments are done on a timely basis.
• Coordinate the opening and closing of bank accounts.

Supplementary Services (if applicable)

• Validate the Partner National Societies (PNS) transactions related to providing supplementary services.
• Ensure the accuracy of the booking of these transactions.
• Prepare the draft invoice and ensure the content matches the supplementary services report.
• Do the necessary corrections if required after the finance analyst has provided his/her feedback.
• Liaise with the PNS in case of technical questions.
• Ensure all the bookings related to services provided have been reflected in the accounting.

Acounting verification

• Book all the transactions in the accounting system after the appropriate review.
• Review the accounting transactions booked in the accounting at least on a weekly basis to ensure that they reflect adequate coding, clear descriptions, document codes are the correct ones, document dates are correct, duplications of the same entries do not exist, etc

Balance Sheet items review and reconciliations

• Ensure the same amount that was counted matches the amount reflected in the accounting system.
• Provide reconciled account statements of the outstanding balances of staff and/or National Societies
• Ensure that other balance sheet items are reconciled (e.g., prepayments, guarantee deposits, supplier balances, etc.)
• Coordinate that corrections are done on a timely basis.

• Conduct emergency cash counts (surprise or planned)
• Validate the transactions in the petty cash
• Reconciled account statements of the outstanding balances of staff
• Ensure that other balance sheet items are reconciled (e.g. prepayments, guarantee deposits, supplier balances, etc.)
• Coordinate all accounting entry corrections and ensure these are correctly done

Month-end closed routines

• This post will support if required, the month-end close routines in the ERP within the deadlines. (keying in the petty cash and bank transactions, General Ledger transaction, invoice registration)
• Preparation of monthly checklist, reconciliations,

Financial Analysis

• Prepare ad-hoc financial analysis per the projects' demand under his/her portfolio.
• Interpret financial key performance indicators to the project managers and provide quality advice to improve the performance or minimize/mitigate risks.
• Timely checking, preparation and submission of donor financial reports.

Relationships with other stakeholders:

• Liaise with project managers and unit staff to provide effective services with the aim of contributing to the achievement of the plans and results.
• Liaise with the administration, accounting staff, or finance officers of other offices (when it is necessary)
• Liaise with the assigned finance analysts from regional finance unit to get advice, orientation, and support on technical matters and provide feedback on the findings observed in the monthly field returns, accounting, and financial matters.
• Liaise with the Head of Finance and Administration to highlight urgent matters and provide feedback on how to improve systems, processes, and internal controls.
• Support auditors in terms of clarification or providing supporting documentation

CRRA

• Ensure transfer of funds are within signed project agreement
• Provide training to NS on funds transfer budgeting and CRRA reporting template
• Perform verification on supporting documents at NS premises once reports are submitted as pe the CRRA Document Sample check table
• Prepare spot check reports accordingly

• University degree in finance/ accounting or any other professional accounting qualifications - Required

• 5+ years of experience in technical areas of expertise (finance/accounting) - Required
• Good understanding in overall accounting and financial reporting - Required
• Experience in working with financial/accounting system (ERP-Enterprise Resource Planning system) or any other relevant systems - Required
• Experience in project financial management analysis and support - Required
• Red Cross / Red Crescent movement, other international organizations, large NGOs, and governmental development agencies - Prefrerred

• Good stress management skills - Required
• Self-supported in computing systems (e.g., accounting software and MS Office) - Required
• Excellent communication skills - Required
• Good analytical skills and a solution-focused person - Required
• Skills in training, coaching and developing staff - Required
• Time Management skills - Required
• Fluent in spoken and written Arabic and English - Required

• 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

IFRC Disclaimer

IFRC has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment and other forms of harassment, abuse of authority, discrimination, and lack of integrity (including but not limited to financial misconduct). IFRC also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles.

If you appointed to or undertake a role within IFRC, whether as staff, staff on loan or secondees, you will be subject to the organization's Code of Conduct, which is available here and on our website.

Note: All offers of employment will be subject to satisfactory references and appropriate screening checks, which include prior professional conduct checks and review of criminal records. IFRC will request a conduct check from all prior employers for a period of 5 years, including but not limited to employers who like IFRC participate in the Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. For more details on the Scheme, please see THE MISCONDUCT DISCLOSURE SCHEME — SCHR.

IFRC ensures equal employment opportunities!