Graduate Finance and Admin Officer Job at Search for Common Ground

Search for Common Ground (Search) is an international non-profit organization that promotes the peaceful resolution of conflict. With headquarters in Washington, DC and Brussels, Belgium, Search’s mission is to transform how individuals, organizations, and governments deal with conflict - away from destructive approaches towards cooperative solutions. With more than 600 staff worldwide, Search implements projects in more than 30 countries across the globe.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Position: Finance and Admin Officer
Job Location: Bayelsa
Employment Type: Full-Time
Minimum Experience: Entry-level

Position Summary

• Search for Common Ground seeks Finance and Admin Officer to provide finance, administrative and logistics support, liaising closely with the Admin and Logistics in the other offices and the finance team to ensure good record-keeping, as well as liaising with the housekeeping staff to support the smooth running of the office.
• The position holder will work under the direct supervision of the Project coordinator and will be functionally managed by the Associate finance coordinator based in Delta. The position holder will supervise the Cleaner. The position is full time, based in Bayelsa with frequent visits to the field.

About the Project

• With prolonged history of election violence in the Niger Delta, concerns over the conduct of peaceful elections in the region remain high every election season. In the build up towards the 2019 general elections, the region recorded huge fatalities in the states which were linked to elections, just as violence also affected the smooth conduct of elections in parts of Rivers, Bayelsa and Delta.
• In this light, the Bayelsa Election Violence Prevention Project seeks to mobilize stakeholders including Women And Youths (WAY Ambassadors) in a locally-led model comprising community led events, media activities and trainings, formation of Peace Architecture Dialogues, Community Security Architecture platforms etc; to promote wide acceptance of peaceful participation in the Bayelsa gubernatorial elections in November 2019.
• The project capitalizes on its existing conflict prevention programming in Bayelsa State, to elevate women and youth as leaders of peace and security in their communities. They will be supported with the capacity, platforms, and key relationships to lead early warning and early response processes in collaboration with other stakeholders; facilitate peace and dialogue activities to sensitize communities for peaceful elections and to build community resilience to violence
• Additionally, the project seeks to build stakeholders’ consensus for peaceful post-election activities to reduce violence and improve participation in the governance process in the state.

Roles and Responsibility
Finance Administration 60%:

• Support the Associate finance coordinator in effective financial administration of the project.
• Contribute to the preparation of internal and donor’s reports ensuring they are accurate, complete and timely.
• Ensure compliance with SFCG and donor accounting requirements.
• Undertake regular reconciliation and other expenditure and income, according to agreed timeframes and standards.
• Collaborate with SFCG finance teams in order to fulfil payments and other project expenditures.
• Ensure that all expenditure is charged to the correct budget line.
• Work with the Associate finance coordinator to ensure smooth and proper coordination related to regular payments and purchases

Admin and Logistics 40%:

• Prepare travel arrangements, relevant documentation and any necessary travel materials (Meeting confirmations, background or reference confirmations)
• Ensure that SFCG’s PR tracker is updated on regular intervals
• Handle all logistics of workshops, events, meetings, such as liaising with hotels for meetings, conferences and making reservations for planned activities and staff during visits
• Maintain and update vendor’s database for necessary goods and services
• Monitor the use of various office supplies, stationery, hotel accommodation, transportation and other equipment
• Maintain office equipment and oversee repairs
• On behalf of Search (at the state level), negotiate with vendors, contractors etc. for needed items while ensuring best value for money in such transactions
• Oversee office safety protocols, including the administration of the security company guarding the office
• Provide orientation for new staff, visitors or consultants on the use of general office equipment and other office systems

Note: As job descriptions cannot be exhaustive, the position holder may be required to undertake other duties that are broadly in line with the above key duties.

Qualifications
Education:

• Bachelor's Degree in Accounting & Finance. An ICAN Certification plus Master’s Degree in Accounting would be an added advantage.

Required Experience:

• 1-2 years Ì? professional experience providing finance, administrative, logistical and/or operational support
• Experience working in an NGO or civil society is a plus
• Experience working with little or no supervision

Other Relevant Requirements:

• Proven interest & commitment to humanitarian and development principles and a demonstrable understanding of conflict/post conflict development contexts
• Excellent in English (oral and written)
• Ability to plan, organize work, communicate and reports effectively (both in writing and verbally)
• Proven ability to prioritize tasks and meet deadlines; team player and effective communicator,
• Strong IT skills (Email, Microsoft Office applications, Google Drive, Google Docs, Sheets, Presentation).
• Good reporting capacity and experience
• Ability to function effectively under stressful conditions such as heavy workloads, and deadlines.

Application Instruction
To apply, interested candidates should send the following below:

• Current resume
• Cover Letter (which includes expectations of compensation)
• Please compile your writing sample and resume into one document as the system only has the functionality to upload two documents per application. Incomplete applications will not be accepted.
• Only applicants invited for an interview will be contacted. No phone calls please.