Overview

Job Description

Area Finance Officer- Maternity Cover -Mogadishu Somali-National only

Save the Children is the world’s leading independent organisation for children. We work in 120 countries. We save children’s lives; we fight for their rights; we help them fulfil their potential.

We work together, with our partners, to inspire breakthroughs in the way the world treats children and to achieve immediate and lasting change in their lives.

We have over two million supporters worldwide and raised 1.9 billion dollars last year to reach more children than ever before, through programmes in health, nutrition, education, protection and child rights, also in times of humanitarian crises.

Following a major transition, our international programmes are now delivered through a merged operation with 15,000 staff, managed through seven regional hubs and reporting to a relatively small, central office. We’re changing to become more efficient, more aligned, a better partner, a stronger advocate, a magnet for world-class people and relevant for the 21st century.

Reports to: Area Finance Coordinator

Staff directly reporting to this post: None

Dimensions: Save the Children has been working in Somalia for more than 60 years. The Country Office has over 600 staff across 14 field offices (Boroma, Burao and Hargeisa in Somaliland; Bossaso, Garowe, Galkayo and Gardo in Puntland; Beletweyne, Adaado, Abudwak, Baidoa, Kismayo, Dhobley and Mogadishu in southern states). Our Country Office coordination and administration base is in Nairobi, Kenya. In 2017, as a result of significant scale up for the countrywide drought response, our annual spend FY2017 was US$117 million and we reached more than 2 million people through our humanitarian and longer-term development work in Health, Nutrition, Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH), Education, Food Security and Livelihoods (FSL), Child Protection and Child Rights Governance. The Country Office manages 61 active awards totalling US$165 million from a range of governmental/institutional donors, including DFID, ECHO, EU, FFP, OFDA, and DANIDA being some of our largest.

ROLE PURPOSE: The role holder will be the key contact person in the Area finance office daily operations including payment review and processing, ensuring compliance and controls are in place and management of the Area office cashflow. He or she will be required to support the Area Finance coordinator in ensuring that the financial operations of both Area and Field offices are seamless and the monthly diary is adhered to with no bottlenecks in meeting monthly payments, data posting and reconciliations.

TITLE: Area Finance Officer- Maternity Cover
TEAM/PROGRAMME: Finance DepartmentLOCATION: Mogadishu
GRADE: 4CONTRACT LENGTH: 5 months
CHILD SAFEGUARDING:Level 3:  Safeguarding the children that we come into contact with throughout our work is a key priority for Save the Children International (SCI) Within Save the Children, Child Safeguarding is making Save the Children safe for children. It is our individual and collective responsibility to ensure all children are protected from deliberate or unintentional acts that lead to the risk of, or actual, harm caused by Save the Children staff, representatives, partners, volunteers, contractors and visitors to our country programs. SCI has zero tolerance for all sorts of child abuse
ROLE PURPOSE:The role holder will be the key contact person in the Area finance office daily operations including payment review and processing, ensuring compliance and controls are in place and management of the Area office cashflow. He or she will be required to support the Area Finance coordinator in ensuring that the financial operations of both Area and Field offices are seamless and the monthly diary is adhered to with no bottlenecks in meeting monthly payments, data posting and reconciliations.
SCOPE OF ROLEReports to: Area Finance Coordinator

Staff directly reporting to: (None)

Dimensions:

Save the Children has been working in Somalia for more than 60 years. The Country Office has over 600 staff across 14 field offices (Boroma, Burao and Hargeisa in Somaliland; Bossaso, Garowe, Galkayo and Gardo in Puntland; Beletweyne, Adaado, Abudwak, Baidoa, Kismayo, Dhobley and Mogadishu in southern states). Our Country Office coordination and administration base is in Nairobi, Kenya. In 2017, as a result of significant scale up for the countrywide drought response, our annual spend FY2017 was US$117 million and we reached more than 2 million people through our humanitarian and longer-term development work in Health, Nutrition, Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH), Education, Food Security and Livelihoods (FSL), Child Protection and Child Rights Governance. The Country Office manages 61 active awards totalling US$165 million from a range of governmental/institutional donors, including DFID, ECHO, EU, FFP, OFDA, and DANIDA being some of our largest.
KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY:

1.     Receive request for payments and Verify completeness and accuracy of all payment supporting documentation before release and Checking the Budget holder approval and Authorizations limits.2.     Work closely with the Finance assistants and accountant in ensuring that Area office payment tracker is completed on daily basis and all payments for the month are released on time.

3.     Take a lead role and establish a close working relationship with Supply chain staff and departmental heads in ensuring that Supplier acknowledgments or receipts are obtained for all payments processed within the month.

4.     Ensure a continuous flow of cash is maintained for both Area and Field offices by completing the monthly fund request to the Country office and ensuring that cash is received in agreed tranches and acceptable cash balances are left in the accounts at the end of the monthly

5.     Timely disbursement of field offices cash requests and ensuring all transfers of Field FRs has been approved by the field Manager.

6.     Maintain an updated tracker of all unconditional cash transfers (UCTs), timely disbursement to the beneficiaries through the existing MTA and ensure all commission fees for the monthly UCTs is paid on time.

7.     Perform a monthly reconciliation of all UCT payments, commission fees and address any complaints raised by beneficiaries through the FSL

8.     Receive the payroll tracker from the Human resource department, reconcile, prepare staff payrolls, and communication allowance and ensure all staff receive their salaries and communication allowance on 25th of every month.

9.     Prepare terminal grant (TG) and leave accruals (LA) for the month, ensuring timely review by the Area Finance coordinator and posting on monthly basis.

10.  Ensure all tax deductions from staff payroll is made and monthly tax obligations is remitted to tax authorities on time.

11.  Work closely with Finance assistant-archiving in ensuring that both physical and electronic files are maintained in the area office financial records with ease of accessibility and retrieval for audits and any other reference.

12.  Support compliance desk reviews and external audits when required.

13.  Ensure cash & bank controls are in place including segregation of duties,

14.  Complete the month end cash and bank reconciliations and submit to the Country Finance Coordinator

15.  Comply with all relevant Save the Children policies and procedures with respect to health and safety, security, equal opportunities and other relevant policies.

16.  Perform any other duty assigned by your line manager.

COMPETENCIES AND BEHAVIOURS (our Values in Practice)Applying Technical and Professional Expertise

·       Makes decisions based on professional expertise and experience without deferring unnecessarily to others

·       Shares knowledge and best practice on technical solutions so that others can make best use of that expertise

·       Actively seeks new ways to develop the application of technical and professional standards within the team 

Delivering Results

  • Delivers timely and appropriate results using available resources
  • Takes responsibility for their work and its impact on others
  • Plans, prioritizes and performs tasks well without needing direct supervision
  • Understands the link between their work and the organization’s objectives

Innovating and Adapting

  • Suggests creative improvements and better ways of working
  • Seeks out and applies successful ideas from others to overcome challenges
  • Shifts tasks, roles and priorities to perform effectively under changing or unclear conditions
  • Applies lessons learned to enhance future ways of working

Working effectively with others

  • Actively listens to new and different perspectives and experiences of those they work with
  • Proactively supports team members and trusts their capabilities
  • Demonstrates understanding of their skills and how they complement those of others within diverse teams and groups

·       Clarifies their role and responsibilities within the team to maximize impact

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

·       A University degree in Commerce, Accounting or finance from a recognized University.

·       2 years’ experience working in similar role in an NGO or with a busy working environment

·       Computer skills especially in Ms Excel, spread sheets, Ms Word and Agresso or FMS Accounting packages

·       High level of integrity and ability to work as part of a professional team

·       Ability and willingness to work under high pressure to meet tight deadlines

·       Good communication and interpersonal skills

·       Supportive personnel management style

·       Good command of Witten and spoken English

CHILD SAFEGUARDING POLICY:Any employee, consultant, contractor or the supplier undertaking an activity on behalf of SCI must sign the Child Safeguarding – Declaration of Acceptance Form] and comply with the SCI’s Child Safeguarding Policy which is a statement of SCI’s commitment to preventing abuse and protecting children with whom it comes into contact.

This extends not only to children with whom SCI and its partners work directly, but also includes children whom staff are responsible for.  SCI believes that the situation of children must be improved through the promotion of their rights supported and demonstrated by all members of staff. Save the Children International’s Code of Conduct sets out the standards which all staff members must adhere to.

CODE OF CONDUCTBecause Save the Children’s work is based on deeply held values and principles, it is essential that our commitment to children’s rights and humanitarian principles is supported and demonstrated by all members of staff. Save the Children’s Code of Conduct sets out the standards which all staff members must adhere to.
Application procedures:

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

  • A University degree in Commerce, Accounting or finance from a recognized University.
  • 2 years’ experience working in similar role in an NGO or with a busy working environment
  • Computer skills especially in Ms Excel, spread sheets, Ms Word and Agresso or FMS Accounting packages
  • High level of integrity and ability to work as part of a professional team
  • Ability and willingness to work under high pressure to meet tight deadlines
  • Good communication and interpersonal skills
  • Supportive personnel management style
  • Good command of Witten and spoken English

Please apply in English saving your CV and covering letter as a single document. To see a full a job description, please visit our website at https://somalia.savethechildren.net/careers

https://stcuk.taleo.net/careersection/jobdetail.ftl?job=2100018O&lang=en

Application will be close on 24st  Feb 2021.

We need to keep children safe so our selection process reflects our commitment to the protection of children from abuse. Employment is subject to our Child protection standards including background checks and adherence to our Child Safeguarding Policy

Save the Children is an equal opportunity employer and seeks to employ and assign the best qualified talent.

Disclaimer:

Save the Children International does not charge any kind of fee at whichever stage of the recruitment process and does not act through recruitment agents