Junior Finance & Administrative Officer _ UDPNL

Job Profile

A.        Required qualifications, competences and experience

Formal Education

• University Degree (preferred in Business / Finance / Accounting or similar)

Professional Experience

• At least 3 years of pertinent experience
• of which at 1+ year of experience with donor-funded projects (NGOs, INGOs, etc.)
• in-depth understanding of financial planning and accounting; broad experience of project’s financial management and administration

Other knowledge, additional competences

• Arabic native speaker, very good knowledge of English language; German is a plus.
• good working knowledge of ITC technologies and related software (e.g. Outlook, internet applications) etc.  and computer applications (e.g. MS Office, Excel, Power Point; knowledge of SAP is a plus).
• Gender sensitivity expected
• Excellent time management skills and ability to organize a daily workload by priorities
• A proactive approach to problem-solving with attention to details and ability to multi- task
• Must be able to meet deadlines in a fast-paced quickly changing environment
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• willingness to upskill as required by the tasks to be performed – corresponding measures are agreed with management

• ability to travel inside Lebanon as needed by the programme.

B. Major responsibilities

1. Financial Administration

• Checking and preparing invoices for payments according to GIZ rules and regulations and Lebanese Tax law
• Reviewing the classification and completeness of all vouchers/ receipts
• Handling payments according to GIZ rules and regulations up to a set value limit using GIZ software
• Handling of bank payments, bankbook and monthly bank reconciliation
• Monitoring cashboxes and safe contents, keeping the respective lists updated
• Following up monthly reports on receivables, unsettled items and advances registered in project’s bookkeeping journals
• Supporting of an overall smooth and correct functioning of the financial accounting system of the project in line with GIZ standard procedures
• Preparing for internal control sessions conducted by GIZ Office Lebanon, GIZ HO Audit Unit and other related external audits

2. General Administration - Office Management

• Providing administrative support to the project
• Making sure that financial and administrative requirements are met
• Procurement of material and goods for the project according to GIZ rules and regulations
• Keeping Head of Programme and Experts informed about the status of procurement/ custom clearing etc., especially in cases of delays
• Assisting with filing documents in reference files or DMS in line with GIZ filing rules
• Ensuring that necessary office supplies are available
• Organizing and monitoring the service and repair of office equipment - liaising with CO and other projects with whom the project office is shared

C.  Tasks

1. Finance and Accounting

The position holder     

• assist in the programme’s (monthly/ annual) financial planning
• monitors expenditures/ costs with regard to the budget
• initiates/ executes all payments related to bank, prepares and enters vouchers
• checks requests for funds before release
• checks and updates the bank book (bank and petty cash transactions) daily
• checks travel expense statements of staff for approval by the superior
• drafts, prepares, updates and controls all kind of contracts, controls its fulfilment, and initiates payments
• maintains proper and confidential filing of financial related documents

2. Procurement

The position holder

• monitors the availability of supplies/ office assets and performs procurement-related activities up to the specified guideline amount 
• preparation of tenders
• preparation of finance agreements and service contracts (e.g. construction)
• keeps database on suppliers’/ service providers and conducts regular search for alternatives
• receives/checks delivered materials and advises suppliers of defective goods delivered and arranges necessary follow-up
• encodes required information into the monitoring database
• maintains the office asset register and project inventory list
• assists in the contracting of external services and monitors price and quantity/ quality

3. Other Duties/ Additional Tasks

The position holder

• prepares and organizes meetings, workshops, etc.
• assists in making travel arrangements for project staff
• facilitates information exchange between the project members, work partners and other institutions
• updates the project organizational chart on a regular basis
• monitors availability of supplies (stationary etc.) and arranges for its replenishment
• monitors and bills private telephone, vehicle use etc.

Description of the project: The project "Local Development Programme for Deprived Urban Areas in North Lebanon (UDP_NL)" aims at improving the economic and social living conditions of young people and women in disadvantaged urban areas of North Lebanon. A needs analysis has identified great potential in the apple, milk and olive value chain to promote the income and employment situation of vulnerable population groups. An expert exchange of national and international experts will take place to analyse and develop the above-mentioned value chains. In addition, trainings on value chains, sustainable agricultural production and land use as well as business creation & development for women and young people in Northern Lebanon will take place. This will strengthen their competence to generate their own income and promote the establishment and development of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises.

Location: Tripoli