Administrative and Finance Assistant

Expertise France is a French public agency under the tutelage of the French Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Economy and Finance with a strong inter- ministerial vocation. Expertise France offers project engineering and technical assistance by developing and implementing international cooperation actions worldwide. EF operates in various fields of development and institutional cooperation including safety and security reform, post-crisis/ stability, public health, human rights, strengthening of institutions and NGOs and governance. Carrying out large-scale, multi-stakeholder projects, EF can ensure the cooperation between individuals, teams and institutions with very different statuses, cultures and specialties. Besides, EF has acquired a sound experience in administrative and financial management of large-scale international projects and is accredited by the European Union for the management of delegated Community funds.

Context

The Middle East is currently experiencing a profound crisis. The conflicts in Syria and Iraq are both a reflection and a transmitter of this crisis, with growing potential to further destabilise neighbouring countries and the wider region. These crises have resulted in a humanitarian disaster affecting more than 13.5 million people who were forced to flee their homes from Syria, and more than 17 million people in need of humanitarian aid (12.2 in Syria and 5.2 in Iraq).

Lebanon is now home to the largest number of Syrian refugees per capita relative to its total population, putting a severe strain on the country’s fragile infrastructures, economy, and security. The population of Lebanon was estimated at about 4.8 million (including almost half a million Palestinian refugees) in 2013. Even though Lebanon has not signed the 1951 Refugee Convention, up to date it has taken in about a fourth of its own population. According to UNHCR, in September 2016 about 1,017,433 persons from Syria were registered as refugees in Lebanon. In the Lebanon Crisis Response Plan 2017- 2020 (2018 update) (LCRP), the total number of people living in Lebanon is estimated at 5.9 million, with 3.3 million people in need. Among the Syrian refugee population in Lebanon, which today comprises over 1.5 million people.

Background information on Qudra Specific Objective 3

’Qudra – Resilience for Syrian refugees, IDPs and host communities in response to the Syrian and Iraqi crises’ is a regional action financed by the EU Regional Trust Fund in Response to the Syrian Crisis, the Madad‘ Fund and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), seeking to strengthen the resilience of Syrian refugees, IDPs and host communities in response to the Syrian and Iraqi crises.  The programme launched in June 2016, is being jointly implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, Expertise France (EF) and Spanish Agency for International Development (AECID) in programme partner countries of Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey and North Iraq.

In Lebanon, Expertise France ensures the consistency and the implementation of the Specific Objective 3 of Qudra. The project seeks to improve social stability between communities in Lebanon through a comprehensive and local approach of protection for children and adults. To do so, activities will revolve around four pillars: (i) support to Social Development Centers (SDCs) of the Ministry of Social Affairs (MoSA), (ii) Child Protection activities, (iii) protection activities and (iv) campaigns and communication activities. Expertise France will work within the framework of the LCRP and MoSA National Plan for Safeguarding women and children in close partnership with Ministry of Social Affairs (MoSA). The programme will be implemented in the SDCs of the MoSA and if needed in annexes that might be developed during the project’s lifespan. Expertise France will select local NGOs as partners to implement the activities, these NGOs will hire the necessary staff and implement the activities following a precise programme drafted with the MoSA.

Description of the Tasks:

Accounting:

• Ensure that EF accounting process is compliant with EF and EU guidelines in collaboration with the Administrative and Finance Coordinator
• Record the accounting entries after proceeding with a payment after checking that the supporting documents submitted are compliant to EF rules and regulations
• Reconcile EF accounts and prepare end of month financial closure package including the bank accounts reconciliations, cash inventories and monthly financial report
• Assist in the preparation of the annual accounting closure pack
• Handle the filing of the supporting documents (i.e.: invoices, receipts, contracts, timesheets) in reference files as per EF filing rules and regulations
• Ensure a systematic electronic filing in addition to the hard copies

Finance:

• Assist the finance department with various tasks, including preparing budgets, monthly and quarterly financial reports and cash forecasts
• Check and ensure that all project invoices are aligned with the contracts clauses and terms in coordination with the Administrative and Finance Coordinator
• Assist in the consolidation of the BvA in collaboration with the different departments
• Support in the preparation of the project audits and annual HQ audit and follow up on the recommendations

Cash Management:

• Manage the petty cash and report any discrepancy to the line manager (including but not limited to issuing cash payments, cash inventory, change operations)
• Manage EF bank accounts and prepare the bank reconciliation at the end of each month (including but not limited to preparation of checks and transfers, bank visits, money withdrawal, bank statements request)
• Under the supervision of the Administrative and Finance Coordinator, support the cash forecasts and cash requests process to be submitted to EF – Paris in collaboration with all departments (mainly procurement and program)

Administration:

• Conduct regular support duties (i.e.: English/Arabic translation, project related researches, financial and HR related benchmarks)
• Support the Administrative and Finance Coordinator with HR related tasks according to the needs
• Handle the relevant program administration according to EF Lebanon rules and regulations (i.e.: staff advances, communication)

Requested Profile

• University degree in a relevant field (business administration, finance, accounting, management)
• At least 3 years of experience in the nonprofit sector in administrative, accounting or financial support department
• Excellent MS Office skills, with proficiency using MS Excel is mandatory
• Precision and rigor
• Diplomacy and negotiating skills are priorities
• Good knowledge of international donors’ rules and regulations, especially EU regulations is a distinctive advantage
• Excellent reporting and writing skills
• Professional working knowledge of English & Arabic are required. French is an asset
• Good coordination and team work skills

Source: UNRWA - http://data.unhcr.org/syrianrefugees/country.php?id=122 - http://data.unhcr.org/syrianrefugees/region.php?id=90&country=122, last update, September 2016