Finance Specialist - ARE Activity

BACKGROUND

The Lebanon Agriculture and Rural Empowerment (ARE) activity, funded by USAID and implemented by Chemonics International, supports Lebanese rural and peri-urban communities to obtain technical and financial resources in order to facilitate increased productivity, sales, and exports, improved business income, while also ensuring livelihood sustainability. To support this purpose, ARE will increase jobs; improve incomes; improve female participation and employment opportunities; increase domestic and export sales; increase private sector investment; improve access to finance; link value chain actors to domestic and international markets; and improve production through improved practices, technology, increased volume, and/or decreased cost. ARE supports two key expected results:

1. Increased domestic and export sales at both firm and farm levels.

2. Livelihoods improved, especially in rural areas and for women. 

POSITION DESCRIPTION

The Finance Specialist will provide financial support to the project in accordance with Chemonics’s highest standards and USAID regulations. Job responsibilities are concentrated in the spheres of accounting and financial management.

DETAILED RESPONSIBILITIES

• Supports accounting and financial operations for the Lebanon ARE field office;
• Ensures that basic accounting operations are sustained in the office while also ensuring project accounting policies are followed;
• Works with the finance manager to coordinate and implement proper protocols and processes monthly field office project expenditures in the internal accounting systems and submits them to the home office on a monthly basis;
• Uses strong interpersonal skills to effectively work with all staff and ensure financial policies are followed;
• Ensures all necessary taxes are withheld from applicable payments;
• Prepares monthly financial projections and wire transfer requests to receive funds from home office;
• Responds to home office requirements and needs as regards financial reporting and accounting issues;
• Performs financial tracking of local subcontractors and other analysis upon request;
• Assists with ad-hoc financial monitoring and analysis of grant budgets and actual versus obligated disbursements and financial transactions as needed;
• Confirms backup documentation is complete for local employment agreements including both long and short-term;
• Prepares payroll calculations and ensure full compliant with all tax requirements prior to making payroll;
• Knowledge in Income tax preparation, Social security is a must
• Bank reconciliation and daily bank position
• Review and monitoring of all balance sheet accounts
• Processes payment of vendors and check preparation;
• Performs other duties as assigned by the supervisor or Operation, Finance and Grants Director;

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in finance or accounting;
• Minimum four years of professional experience in accounting or financial management;
• Strong accounting skills and experience, including managing general ledgers, journal entries, payables, and balance sheets;
• USAID or donor experience preferred;
• Advanced computer skills in MS office programs, particularly excel;
• Effective verbal and written communication, multi-tasking, organizational and prioritization skills;
• Excellent oral and written English skills required, proficiency in Arabic is required.

LOCATION OF ASSIGNMENT

The Finance Specialist will be based in the project’s main office in Beirut, with travel throughout the country as needed.

REPORTING

The Finance Specialist will report to the Finance Manager.