Finance Officer

  Job Title Finance Office Reports to Syria Projects Manager Functional Supervisor MENA Senior Programme Finance and Operations Officer (Beirut) Management Responsibility Currently N/A Job location Beirut - Lebanon Grade and level 4.2 Annual Salary Competitive annual salary based on our salary scale for Lebanese nationals Contract Duration 30 months with possibility of extension Employment Status As it is unlikely that we will be able to obtain a Work Permit for this role, all job applicants must already have the right to work in Lebanon.     Job Purpose International Alert’s Syria programme is new and growing. Through a network of partner organisations, we operate in Lebanon, Syria and Turkey. This position will ensure the robust financial management of grants within the Syria programme, in line with local laws, donor regulations, Alert policies and procedures and international best practice. In doing so, the Finance Officer will provide strategic and technical support to budget holders and partner organisations with all aspects of grant management. Duties and Responsibilities   1. Oversee and manage all finance activities in regards to Alert’s Syria projects in line with local laws, Alert Policies and procedures and international best practice. ·         Develop and maintain robust programme financial management systems to ensure the proper management of Alert financial resources in regards to Syria operations; ·         Maintain project accounts in accordance with local legislation, Alert’s finance systems and donor requirements; Ensure that all expenses are authorised and efficiently processed Ensure Alert’s tax payments and other statutory obligations are administered in accordance with the relevant local law; Submit timely, accurate monthly financial reports and expenditure forecasts as required by the MENA or London Finance Team; Receive monthly overseas financial data from MENA and London Finance Team, review it for accuracy and completeness; Ensure compliance by Alert’s Syria programme and budget-holders with local legislation, Alert policies and procedures as well as donor regulations; Comply in a timely, accurate way with any in-country reporting and audit requirements; Support London Finance team in providing financial information and documentation for the annual organisational audit.   2. Supervise all aspects of programme financial management related to Alert’s Syria operations and provide strategic and technical support to budget holders with all aspects of grant management. Provide timely and accurate financial reporting to MENA Senior Programme Finance and Operations Officer; Maintain an understanding of the overall financial picture of the Syria programme – including matched funding requirements – and communicate this to Projects Manager; Prepare expenditure forecasts and request project funds (from donors and partners); Ensure compliance with donor procedures and regulations, and oversee audits; Assist the Projects Manager and Senior Finance, Admin and Operations Officer with annual budgeting and forecasting and business-planning; Support budget-holders, Projects Manager and Senior Programme Design and Assessment Officer in developing budgets for new grant proposals. Provide induction and training on local finance policies, procedures and systems to staff and partner organisations; Bring any issues of non-compliance to the attention of the Syria Projects Manager.   3. Liaise with the partners and donor representatives of the Syria programme in relation to  administrative and financial issues, with an emphasis on ensuring effective grant management Conduct partner assessments (financial and organisational) of capacity to receive and implement grants; Develop and issue partners with sub-contracting and other partnership agreements, ensuring compliance with agreed terms; Ensure timely transfer of agreed funds to all partners; Maintain regular relations with grant partners on issues of finance and administration; Provide partners with basic capacity building in financial management, where needed; Monitor and review partner financial reports, checking for accuracy and completeness; Provide other administrative support with partner management and relations as required; Liaise with donor representatives on financial and administrative issues, as necessary; Contribute to donor reporting, in close cooperation with Projects Manager, and MENA Programme Manager and Senior Programme Finance and Operations Officer.   4. Other Provide administrative and logistical support to the team as required; Develop understanding of project activities and strategies; Participate in the development and implementation of Syria Programme Strategy; Maintain good relationships and collaborate with Alert’s London office, particularly the Finance team; Accompany senior colleagues when undertaking external networking or representation, as required; Any other duties which contribute to the smooth running of Alert, as required by the Projects Manager   5. Travel Requirements This position is based in Beirut, with occasional travel to other parts of Lebanon and to Turkey.     PERSON SPECIFICATION   Talents At Alert, we have introduced Talent Management to our business model as we believe talented people are crucial to the success of our work.  We believe all individuals are talented and success comes in matching the right talents to the right roles. For this role, the skills, qualifications and experience listed below are important, but we believe that to be successful in this job you will have the following talent: The post requires someone who is both highly organised and flexible and able to maintain a positive attitude to work even when under stress. You will have a ‘can-do’, solution-oriented, customer-focused attitude, because while the main focus of the position is finance and administration, the post requires frequent communication and liaison with project partners, requiring excellent interpersonal and communication skills (both verbal and written).       ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS   A degree or equivalent in a relevant subject Qualification in Management; ACA/ACCA/CIMA At least 4 years’ managing finance and administration for an INGO project/office in Lebanon or Syria, including experience of accounting for funds from international funders and grant audits Significant experience of developing  budgets and financial forecasts, monitoring and reporting Experience of systems development and management (financial and others) Experience in negotiating best value contractual agreements with service providers Excellent English and Arabic language skills Excellent computer literacy and knowledge of Microsoft Office applications - Word, Excel, Power point, internet, etc. Good understanding of Donor requirements, eg. EU/UK Foreign Office or DFID Good knowledge of accountancy packages (preferably SUN systems) Good interpersonal skills and communication skills Ability to work under pressure and to tight deadlines – to be able to prioritise clearly Personal and professional integrity, flexibility, initiative and a “can-do” attitude and meticulous attention to detail   Desirable requirements     Audit training with a reputable company Experience in financial capacity building of non-finance managers, in particular working with partner organizations (establishing and operationalising partnership agreements, capacity building) Business planning experience   SUMMARY TERMS AND CONDITIONS   Annual Salary Competitive annual salary based on our salary scale for Lebanese nationals Benefits Private Medical insurance and NSSF Leave entitlement 25 working days per year plus Lebanon statutory holidays. Notice period There will be an initial three months probationary period during which notice will be 15 days on either side. On successful completion of the probationary period notice will be one month. Working hours Full time staff are expected to work a standard 40 hours per week, a maximum of 48 hours per week, with some flexibility around start and finish times to be agreed with the line manager. All staff are required to work core hours10am–4pm.