Programme Accountant – Trócaire Syria Response hosted by Caritas Lebanon

DUTIES

Project/Partner Budget

• Support the development of project budgets and/or conduct a review of such budgets and provide detailed feedback.
• Responsible for ensuring timely receipt of the partner’s budgets, they are correctly calculated and prepared making sure that unit cost and unit are correct as per the current market price.
• Responsible for ensuring the project/partners are submitted in the prescribed budget template and formats.
• Ensuring the project/partner budget items are exactly reflected and linked with the project proposal and results framework/ logframe,
• Responsible for preparing, consolidating and submitting the monthly and quarterly cash forecast, spending rate for programmes and submit to Finance Manager and Project Managers.

Project/Partner Financial Reports

• Responsible for reviewing partner financial reports, ensuring there is accurate reporting as well as adherence to agreed budgets and compliance with Trócaire and/or donor contracts.
• Conduct expenditure verifications, in line with agreed schedules and Trócaire/standard accounting practices, and possible donor conditions.
• Responsible for reviewing and providing feedback, comments and recommendations on project financial reports to the Finance Manager.
• Supporting and assisting the Finance Manager for external audit of donors’ funded projects funds.
• Responsible for maintaining and updating the appropriate hard copies of reports and supporting documents from partners for accountability, audit purposes and to meet the donor’s requirements.

Internal Control and Compliance

• Responsible for checking the programmes staff for issuing staff travel floats and timely clearing travel floats and other advances as per the approved float/advance form as per Trócaire internal requirements and regulations.
• Responsible for assessing, reviewing and updating the status of the partners against the Trócaire
  Minimum Requirements (MRs) for the Partnership Funding.
• Assisting and supporting the Finance Manager in carrying out the project end external audits for the IF donor funded projects.
• Responsible for ensuring that the partners are complying the Trócaire partnership agreement, IF donors rules and regulations and local legislations.
• Work with Project Managers to ensure that supporting documentation is uploaded (key IT platforms include Agresso Business World, Sales Force, Box).
• Bring to the attention of the Head of Programmes and Finance Manager any issues arising from the development programme team use of the global accounting package (Agresso Business World).
• Review with all programme budget holders’ monthly reports as available on Agresso Business World and facilitate with programme staff follow up of any issues or variances arising.
• Complete all institutional funding requirements prior to inclusion on Agresso Business World.

Project/Partner Financial Reviewing and Monitoring

• Responsible for partner visits, reviewing their financial management systems including verification of expenses, following up of the previous visit report recommendations and agreed partner action points and supporting the improvement of management systems.
• Responsible for organising partner financial management training and orientation as agreed with the Finance Manager and partner organisations.
• Supporting and assisting the Finance Manager to roll out Trócaire’s minimum requirement for partnership funding.
• Responsible for ensuring that all partner financial visit reports (including the partner financial management Tracking Tools- PFMTT) and minimum requirement data is inputted and updated within the partner record on Salesforce.
• Responsible for updating the Partner Financial Management Tools for all partners and submitting to Finance Manager on a quarterly basis with issues and appropriate recommendations.

Partner Financial Management Capacity Building

• Supporting and facilitating the partner organisations in developing their finance manual, financial procedures, systems, forms and format.
• Organising the partner financial management training as requested by partners and also observations and recommendations mentioned in the partner financial monitoring visit reports.
• Participate in programme and partner meetings to stay informed of programme strategies, approaches and challenges.
•  When necessary, support the induction of new programme partners including assessing financial systems and governance. 

 Other Duties 

 Fulfil other reasonable duties and responsibilities, as requested by the Finance Manager

QUALIFICATION

University Degree in finance and/or accounting or higher Diploma

EXPERIENCE

At least 3 years financial accounting experience, preferably in a NGO environment

SKILLS

• Solid accounting and administrative skills; including experience and skills on budget vs actual, management and financial reports
• Skills and knowledge on financial management of Institutional Donor Funds (IF)
• Experience of internal & external auditing of the IF donor funded projects
• Practical skills in preparing the multi-currency IF donors budgets using the FTE (Full Time Equivalent) methods, consolidation of financial reports in IF donor currency from expenditure of different currencies, calculation of FX gain and losses, budget revision
• Strong computer skills: must be competent in the use of Accounting Software,
  Windows, MS office programs (Word, Excel, Outlook); Skills of Accounting Software called Agresso Business World (ABW) would be an asset
• Fluency in English and Arabic language
• Able to work independently being a strong team player
• Strong organisational skills, initiative, ability to prioritise work
• Ability to perform several tasks with attention to detail
• Strong ability to multi-task and respond to unanticipated requests quickly
• Ability to perform essential functions under stressful and changing conditions and represent the department in a professional manner
• Excellent communication skills, both oral and written to team members and partners;
• Ability to maintain outstanding working relationships with external and internal sources
• Strong problem solving and analytical skills
• Ability to show initiative and take responsibility

QUALITIES

Commitment to, and understanding of, Trócaire’s aims, values and principles, including a commitment to principles of partnership, rights-based approaches, social justice and development

DESCRIPTION - Trocaire

Trócaire is one of Ireland’s top INGO’s, having over 40 years’ of experience in international development. Trócaire works with partners and is a member of worldwide networks such as Caritas and CIDSE. This is an exciting time in the history of the organisation as we deliver upon our new strategic plan 2016-2020.

Since 2013, Trócaire has responded to the Syrian humanitarian crisis, working remotely from Ireland and supporting local caritas and other partners in Syria and Lebanon. The Strategic Plan and programme has focused on the provision of humanitarian relief, protection and psychosocial support, and in strengthening livelihoods, and has an approx. budget of €1.5-2m.  Working with local partners, and realising the values of partnership, continue to be an important approach for the organisation. 

Trócaire has recently decided to establish a presence in Beirut to facilitate and manage our ongoing response to the humanitarian crisis. The country strategic plan (2016-2020) continues to provide programme focus, however, it is expected to further grow the programme and strengthen partnerships. With increased programming in the region, Trócaire is seeking to recruit a Programme Accountant to play a critical role in supporting financial management and monitoring expenditure.

The purpose of this role is to provide financial technical support to the programme team members and partners in preparing & facilitating for the preparation of project budgets, financial reporting, reviewing project budgets vs actual, assisting in financial management capacity assessments and capacity building measures, accompanying and mentoring partners in their financial tasks, monitoring partners’ financial situation and assisting the Finance Manager in financial reporting requirements to donors. The position holder will be a part of the Finance and Admin team ensuring Trócaire’s partnership approach is maintained while ensuring donor compliance and adherence to guidelines and policies.

Please note: this position is only open to national candidates. For the candidate with the required experience and passion for the role, Trócaire offers a competitive package of salary and benefits based on the Trócaire national staff Grading and Salary Structure.

Safeguarding Programme Participants Policy

Trócaire is committed to Safeguarding people within our programmes from Exploitation and Abuse and has specific policies on this commitment (including a Global Code of Conduct) which outlines the expected behaviour and responsibility of all staff, consultants and other organisational representatives. Any candidate offered a job with Trócaire will be expected to sign Trócaire’s Safeguarding Policies and Global Code of Conduct as an appendix to their contract of employment and agree to conduct themselves in accordance with the provisions of these documents.