Finance Officer Tripoli

PROGRAM/DEPARTMENT SUMMARY: The Mercy Corps Finance Department is responsible for all financial functions in MC Lebanon, including accounting, payments and banking, payroll, budgeting, financial reporting, and grant financial management and compliance.  The Mercy Corps Finance Department ensures compliance with donor regulations as well as Mercy Corps’ internal policies and procedures.  In its role as a support to the Program Department, the Finance Department provides timely reports and assistance to the Country Director and the Program team to ensure that financial resources are used efficiently and effectively. FUNCTION The Finance Officer/ Cashier is responsible for coordinating and ensuring the delivery of high quality, effective, and efficient financial support services for MC Lebanon programs working out of Tripoli region. DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES Assist Mercy Corps Tripoli office accounting functions including banking and cash handling, tracking expenses, maintaining monthly cash journals, reconciling accounts; enforcing internal controls, preparing cash flow analyses and insuring compliance with MC and donor requirements:   Manage banking including daily cash withdrawal, deposit, transfer orders, checks; obtain official bank statement on regular basis. Maintain relationship with the bank and stay abreast of local banking procedures. Maintain the bank file, ensuring all the bank information is properly filed and updated Including bank contracts and copies of signatory cards Maintain custody of the office cash. Manage office cash including daily cash receipts and disbursements against approved expenses; ensure that payment are made against correct and complete payment documents and are in compliance with MC and donor policies and procedures;  Perform daily cash count to ensure cash on hand matches cash balance in Navigator. Financial review of documentation and payments. Ensure that transaction has all necessary and appropriate documentation and that they explain the transaction, that the AAM has been followed, is in compliance with MC and donor policies, is within budget guidelines, has been coded correctly, and calculations are correct. To know and be familiar with the field finance manual, procurement manual and any additional local policies (National Staff Policy Handbook, cash management, local travel, etc) Prepare payment vouchers in support of all bank and cash transactions; get them reviewed and approved by designated personnel; Ensure all required and necessary paperwork is present to document and explain the transaction. Record all financial (cash & bank) transactions in the accounting software on daily basis; ensure their correct coding and allocation per cost center; ensure that all records are filed in an orderly manner and accounts reconciled regularly; Prepare the monthly bank and cash reconciliations Track and timely reconcile operational and travel advances and petty cash, payables and receivables; Regularly monitor cash-on hand and bank balances; ensure compliance with cash management policies while ensuring availability of cash for smooth operations of MC programs. Prepare cash flow projections and fund requests per established schedule. Assist the FM in preparing a monthly analysis of actual expenses vs. budgets (pipelines) and contractual provisions including comments on budgetary trends, expenditures and contractual compliance issues for all grants being implemented by MC Lebanon. Assist in compilation of monthly financial reports including copying and filing of documents; Assist with office balance sheet account reconciliations Assist in closing the month. Assist the Finance Manager in preparing and reviewing budget proposals and budget revisions for submission to donors. Provide inputs in the development of local financial policies and procedures ensuring compliance with MC global finance policies and donor regulations. Assist the Finance Manager in providing orientation on MC Lebanon’s finance systems, policies and procedures and in conducting financial management training to finance, administration and program staff. Assist FM in capacity building of finance staff. Conduct on-site financial monitoring of sub-grantees and assess their accounting system and if adequate internal control systems are in place.  Provide support in systems improvement if necessary. Coordinate closely with all departments to ensure that the internal control systems and financial policies are being implemented. Conduct himself/ herself both professionally and personally in such a manner as to bring credit to Mercy Corps and in no way jeopardize its humanitarian mission. Other duties as assigned.  QUALIFICATIONS BS or equivalent degree in accounting or a related field; Minimum two year of work experience in a related field; experience with INGO preferred; Fluency in Arabic, good working English skills required; Good computer skills with strong familiarity with Excel; Effective interpersonal communication and team working skills; ACCOUNTABILITY Area Manager or designated Head of Office with dotted line to Finance Manager Position Description