Finance Officer

Main responsibilities:

• Ensure a rigorous financial management of the mission.
• Ensure a proper follow up of the administrative and financial issues.

Main responsibilities and activities of the Finance Officer can change according to the organization of the work and to the composition of the team.

Main activities:

1. Cash flow management and supervision:

• Supervise the physical maintenance and safety of cash boxes;
• Supervise the management of the cashboxes (LBP and USD). Make sure enough money is available in cashbox to cover the activities and that security money is available. This includes going to the bank;
• Perform monthly cash counts with the Admin Assistant and on randomly basis once per week;
• Ensuring the timely payment of the expenses paid by cheque or bank transfer related to the operation of the MDM programs. You prepare the payment in advance and have them signed by the person having the signatory. You are the solely responsible for the payment and you are the one contacting the suppliers to inform them;
• Issue receipts, check payments and bank transfer slip;
• Supervise and ensure a good a follow-up of operational advances (field trips, logistic department) and make sure advances are settled each week with correct supporting documentation;
• Manage and train the Admin Assistant on the cash flow management

2. Accounting management:

• Keeping the accountancy through the MDM accountancy’s system. Have the cash/bank book and balances up to date at any time;
• Prepares monthly reconciliation for the cashboxes and bank books;
• Send on monthly basis the accounting file in timely manner;
• Alerting and seeking advice from the Administrative Coordinator in case of discrepancies (failing in respecting the procedure in term of supporting documents, advances not settled on time, discrepancy in cashbox);
• Make sure that all the operations have appropriated supporting document and are well justified and translated: Before processing any payment, to make sure the supporting documents are respecting the MdM procurement procedures (MR, quotations, grid analysis, PO, invoices) and the commitment of expenditure procedures. No payment is processed in case procedures are not respected;
• Process to internal audit on quarterly basis in order to ensure the well justification of all the operations;
• Follow-up of the deposit payments;
• SAGA responsible:
  • Maintain the accounting software (responsible of the SAGA master of the mission);
  • Process to the monthly closure of the accounting
  • Ensure the creation of parameters, importation of up to date budgets, etc in close collaboration with the Administrative Coordinator;
  • Close the accounting after comments received from the Administrative Coordinator and regional financial Coordinator, send accounting files to HQ;
• Ensure a good archiving and scanning of the accounting and financial document;
• Manage and train the Admin Assistant on the accounting management

3. Financial Management:

• Prepare the monthly fund request along with the Administrative and Financial Coordinator;
• Assist the Administrative and Financial Coordinator in preparing the budget follow-up on a monthly basis: forecast and expenses monitoring according to annual reference budget and financing plan;
• Assist the Administrative and Financial Coordinator in providing budget’s analysis (check over/under consumption) for project management decisions;

4. Ensure a proper follow up of the administrative issues:

• Provide all the information and report in order to ensure that MdM is paying all the compulsory legal taxes (Income taxes, VAT, MoF Report, etc.) and providing to the reports needed to the Lebanese government;
• Ensure a good follow-up of the VAT reimbursement process
• Manage the relation with the bank, the audit company and authorities for financial matters
• In close relationship with the Administrative Coordinator and the General Coordinator, facilitates the link between MdM and the national and local authorities: Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Interior

5. Other:

• In charge of following up of the contracts and/or agreements renewals. To monitor and alert for timing of renewal. Have the table of contracts as well as archiving up to date at any time.
• Process to flight booking for all the employees
• Process to insurance registration for all the Lebanese employee travelling abroad
• Prepare and/or revise letters, agreements, or any other official document, according to the needs of the mission.
• Perform any other additional duty on request of his supervisor
• Assume part of the responsibilities and tasks during the absence of a team member.

Requested Competence/Skills/Profile

• Degree in Finance, economics, business and administration or other relevant field.
• 2 years of experience minimum as accountant or others finance positions with a NGO.
• Experience working with the accounting software SAGA is a plus.
• Experience with financial audit management is an asset.
• Rigor.
• Leadership skills with the ability to lead and motivate a team.
• Excellent interpersonal and negotiation skills.
• Ability to act as part of a multi-cultural and multi-disciplinary team.
• Ability to organize and prioritize workload, using initiative when appropriate.
• Ability to cope with stress; work under pressure often to strict deadlines.
• Flexibility, adaptability, and patience.
• Analytical and problem solving skills.
• Proficient spoken and written English and Arabic.
• Cross cultural awareness and sensitivity to cultural differences.
• Good computer skills on MS Office programs, especially in MS Excel.
• Clear understanding of donor compliance and traceability is essential.