Finance Officer at Christian Aid Nigeria

Christian Aid (CA) is a UK-based international NGO, partnering with others to end poverty in Africa. At the heart of this vision is the transformation of the lives of people who live in poverty, empowering them to have a brighter future. Christian Aid works in more than 30 countries and has been operating in Nigeria since 2003. The Nigeria Country programme focuses on Community Health and HIV, Accountable Governance including humanitarian response and Gender.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Position: Finance Officer
Job Location: Borno State
Department: International       
Reports to: Finance Coordinator       
Expected travel per annum: 30%       
   
Role Purpose

• This role will be responsible for the financial management of ongoing Christian Aid Projects in Borno State. The role will manage all aspects of the program finance function of the project which include preparation of budgets, budget monitoring and tracking reports and preparation of timely variance reports that would guide program implementation.
• The role holder will ensure that all transactions relating to the project are uploaded into Christian Aid’s accounting system via weekly journals and that financial reports are prepared in line with Christian Aid and institutional donors reporting requirements.       

Role Context

• Based in Maiduguri, Borno State, this role is part of the wider CA Nigeria Team. The Finance officer reports directly to the Finance Coordinator based in Maiduguri.       

Key Outcomes

• In collaboration with other colleagues, budgets are prepared and monitored for donor projects as and when due and submitted to relevant stakeholders within and outside the organisation.
• Project financial information is entered accurately into Christian Aids accounting software in line with the field office monthly timetable.
• Christian Aid staff, partners and consultants complies with Christian Aid's and institutional donors' policies and procedures.
• In collaboration with Finance Coordinator, commission project and organizational audit and ensuring issues raised by auditors relating to project are resolved promptly.
• Ensuring that financial reports are stored on Christian Aid’s Program Management Information System in line with CA requirements.

Role Requirements
Relationships:

• External: Relationships with partners and Institutional donors. Represents Christian Aid and the programme externally with partners, other NGOs, donors and other agencies. Appraise, monitor and review programme in line with CA and donor requirements.       
• Internal: The position is line managed by the Finance Manager and will in turn line manage the Finance Officers (Maiduguri). The role links up strongly with the Programme Coordinators working on the humanitarian response in the region, key humanitarian surge staff as well as the Humanitarian/Emergency Programme Manager all based in Maiduguri.
• This role will have contact with other members of the Maiduguri sub-office, the Abuja finance staff, auditors (internal and external) as well as the international finance team based in London.       

Decision making

• This role is expected to work in close collaboration with Finance coordinator and Programme Officers to deliver financial information to Christian Aid and/or donors.       
• Analytical skills
• Ability to review financial information alongside programme objectives and outputs to ensure that CA delivers strongly on all identified targets.
• A strong understanding of partner financial management and financial reporting to donors is essential.       
• Developing self and others
• Continuously look for opportunities for self-development. Give and receive honest and open feedback in a timely manner. Will advise others in some technical financial matters.

Personal Specification
Applied skills/knowledge and expertise:
Essential:

• The role holder will be hold a Finance/ Accounting Degree (or equivalent) and a qualified member of a recognised accounting body (ICAN, ACCA)
• Strong knowledge of grant management for institutional donors
• Good experience in working with institutional donors such as ECHO,UN,,DFID,USAID.
• Experience working with partners and supporting them to build systems and structures to enable them meet donor requirements.
• Good experience working with accounting softwares such as SUN.
• 3-4 years' experience working on a similar role

Desirable:

• Knowledge of working with NGO’s providing similar responses in the North East Region
• Understanding of partnership approach to international development

IT competency required:

• Intermediate

Competency profile:
    
LEVEL 2:
You are expected to be able to:
Build partnerships:

• Take on different work when necessary to achieve a team or organisational goal.
• Actively consult with others to ensure you understand their needs or goals.
• Listen to and take on board fresh perspectives and views even if you initially disagree with them.
• Maintain on-going relationships with individuals and contacts through networks, based on mutual rapport and respect.

Communicate effectively:

• Make complex things simple for the benefit of others.
• Actively listen and question to check your understanding and draw out others when they are not expressing themselves clearly or seem to be holding back.
• Be sensitive to what others may be feeling, based on what they say, how they say it and their non-verbal behaviour, adapting your style and approach to fit.
• Address difficult issues when they arise, being honest and open.

Steward resources:

• Implement ways to reduce the inefficient use of resources or pass the ideas on to someone who can make them happen.
• Estimate the resources needed to achieve your own work plans or objectives and to deliver them in the most efficient and cost effective way.
• Set and communicate realistic timelines for achieving tasks, working out how best to adapt as priorities change or unforeseen circumstances arise.

Deliver results:

• Prioritise, plan and monitor own work to meet own and team deliverables to agreed performance or quality standards.
• Acknowledge others’ priorities whilst being prepared to say “no” if there are genuine reasons why their needs cannot be met.
• Use logical processes and relevant tools and techniques to report on information or analyse options.
• Make timely and considered recommendations or decisions based on analysis of available data, information and evidence.

Realise potential:

• Evaluate your own work and actively address gaps in knowledge and skills, without prompting.
• Recognise how you react to feedback and manage reactions positively, acting on specific feedback from others.
• Share your knowledge where it will help others to be more effective.
• Provide instruction, constructive feedback and guidance to others to help them learn.

Strive for improvement:

• Constructively challenge existing practice.
• Seek better ways of doing things, taking into account the possible implications.
• Make positive suggestions on a way forward when faced with challenges even if these fall outside own scope of work.
• Look inside and outside Christian Aid for new ideas and evaluate them for own work.

Remuneration
Salary (full time): 7,044,862

Interview Date
16th November, 2018.

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