Finance Officer: Budgeting and reporting

Objective of the Role:

The main responsibility of the Finance Officer is the maintenance of financial records related to the project and the undertaking of a range of financial reporting tasks. This post operates in a team environment and s/he will be expected to work in a collaborative way with staff and colleagues. 

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

    Define and analyze the project budget to ensure that funds are used according to the funding contracts, and proposing corrective actions if needed.
•    Prepare HR trackers and running cost tracker for each approved budget and update it on a monthly basis. 
•    Review PR Tracker and send recommendations to FM. 
•    Administer and monitor extra-budgetary resources, including review of agreements and cost plans, ensuring compliance with regulations, rules, and established policies and procedures.
•    Monitor expenditures to ensure that they remain within approved levels by assisting the Programs in preparing spending plans and updating it after each report sent to the donor. 
•    Provide advice and guidance to field staff on budgetary and financial procedures.
•    Review and finalize budget performance reports, analyzing variances between approved budgets and actual expenditures, including percentages to identify over/underspent. This will be shared with the Programs Department. 
•    Respond to donor comments on reports.
•    Participate in inter-departmental meetings and/or technical survey missions on matters related to resource requirements, programming and budgetary issues.
•    Keep up-to-date on documents/reports/guidelines that have an impact on matters related to program and/or project budgets by preparing monthly/quarterly financial reports. 
•    Ensures the integrity of financial and management systems.
•    Perform other related duties as required.

Competencies and Skills:

•    A minimum of 3 years’ experience in a similar role.
•    Excellent computer skills, particularly in Excel and MS Office Package.
•    Excellent organization skills.
•    General accounting experience with sound debit and credit comprehension and reconciliations experience.
•    Previous experience in financial control.
•    Experience of working with community and voluntary organizations.
•    Ability to work on own initiative.