Financial Officer

Financial Officer - Climate-Smart Livelihoods Initiatives and Market Access Tailoring (CLIMAT)

CLIMAT is a one-year Food for Training (FFT) project implemented by Cooperation Without Borders (CWB) and the Environment and Sustainable Development Unit (ESDU) at the American University of Beirut and funded by the German Cooperation through the World Food Program (WFP). It aims to sustainably improve the skills, capacities and livelihood opportunities of vulnerable Lebanese and Syrian refugees in Northeast Baalbeck and West Bekaa. CLIMAT will build capacities for women and youth, provide agriculture training for individuals and cooperatives including skills building and material support, and create market linkages. Three value chains will be targeted including small ruminant production, alternative and climate-smart agricultural crop production, and agro-food processing. 

Under this project, CWB is seeking to recruit a part time Financial Officer having extensive financial and administrative skills. He/she will be under the supervision of the Project Coordinator and Financial Manager, and provide financial, administrative and office operations support to the team and project as detailed below.

Objectives

The objective of the Financial Officer position is to provide financial and administrative support to CWB team and relevant stakeholders of CLIMAT project. He/she should develop an in-depth knowledge of the projects’ activities and processes and be a key point of contact for other project staff members on financial and accounting matters.

Scope of Work

The Financial Officer will be primarily responsible of the following activities:

• Ensure all financial activities comply and are consistent with WFP policies and procedures and AUB accounting and auditing standards and adhere to the terms and conditions of the project’s budget agreements

• Manage a sound cash management system and ensure sufficient funds are available in the office petty cash fund

• Compile all cash payment requests for employees and consultants for authorization and payment approval; follow up accountabilities of expense and reimbursement claims

• Ensure time sheets for the field staff are filled and signed and that these correspond to the time worked

• Verify the accuracy, validity and legitimacy of all procurement and creditors payments

• Check completeness of all financial documents (purchase requests, invoices, vouchers, etc.)

• Keep and maintain all project accounting records in soft as well as hard form

• Maintain cash book, ledgers and trial balance for project office

• Submit the financial report to the CWB Coordinator for compilation, review and onwards submission to ESDU Coordinator

• Prepare monthly cash reconciliations and weekly cash count reports and ensure clear audit trail of processed transactions and their linkage to the accounting system

• Maintain project finance and administration records including an asset register, consultancy contracts, various service and supply agreements

• Relocate or face a longer commute as and when required

Essential Minimum Qualifications

• Advanced university degree in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration or relevant fields

• Proven work experience as a Financial Officer or related position

• Strong skills in financial planning, managing profitability, and strategic planning

• Excellent communication skills

• Excellent knowledge of Arabic and English languages

Main Deliverables/Expected achievements:

• Financial activities are well-managed to comply with WFP policies, AUB accounting and auditing standards and the project’s budget agreements.

• Petty cash fund is well-managed and sufficient funds are always ensured.

• Cash payment requests for employees and consultants, accountabilities of expense and reimbursement claims are regularly managed

• Procurement and creditors payments are regularly audited, verified and processed.

• All financial documents (purchase requests, invoices, vouchers, etc.) are well-managed, audited and archived.

• All project accounting records are archived in soft as well as hard form.

• Records and receipts are well-managed, invoices are processed, and balance-sheets are prepared.

• Finance operational strategies are developed by evaluating trends and establishing critical measurements.

• Financial performance is regularly monitored, results are regularly measured and analyzed, and corrective actions are initiated whenever required minimizing the impact of variances.

• Financial status is regularly reported by developing forecasts, reporting results, analyzing variances, and developing improvements.

• All milestones are reached with the allocated budget.

• Weekly and monthly required reports and related documents are shared with CWB Coordinator.

Period

• 12 months from January 1, 2019 to December 1, 2019

How to Apply

• Deadline to submit CV: December 15, 2018

• Interested candidates should send their CV to: info@cwb-lb.org