Finance Officer at African Women's Development Fund (AWDF)

About The Job

• We are hiring to fill a vacancy for the position of Finance Officer.
• To fill this position, we are looking for a highly motivated Finance Officer who is passionate about women’s rights in Africa, excited about African feminisms, embraces African women’s diversity and is innovative to join the team.

Finance Officer:

• Do you have experience in financial management and are you ready to develop your competencies and contribute to strengthening the financial health of AWDF?
• Do you have strong analytical and accounting skills? Are you ready to provide timely and accurate financial reports and procedures including cash management, payroll, budgeting and financial disbursement? Do you have experience in carrying out effective due diligence for grantee partners?

Job Summary

• Reporting to the Finance Manager, the Finance Officer is required to support the achievement of the financial management objectives of the organisation in line with the organisational strategy.
• The Finance Officer will be responsible for the financial operations of the organisation and ensure timely and accurate financial report and practises including cash management, payroll, participating in audits, budgeting, transaction monitoring and financial disbursement. 
• As part of the specific duties described below, the Finance Officer will have additional responsibility for due diligence work related to programmes and operational portfolios.

Specific Duties:

• Grantee due diligence and Financial processes
• Assist the Finance Manager to develop and conduct due diligence processes aimed at assessing, mitigating and managing the risk of financial fraud and mismanagement of selected grantee organisations
• In collaboration with the Finance Officer- Due diligence, support all AWDF finance department initiated due diligence related activities
• Conduct field visits of selected grant recipients.
• Follow up with grant applicants to submit additional information where necessary.
• Validate and verify the data submitted by grant recipients by investigating and researching background information.
• Identify and work closely with selected consultants who will be handling aspect of the due diligence processes.
• Follow up with grant recipients to ensure that gaps identified as a result of the due diligence processes have been addressed.
• Review financial reports submitted by grant recipients for accuracy and completeness and compliance with grant conditions and recommend follow up actions for the Finance and/or Resourcing teams as appropriate.
• Send grant confirmation to all grantee auditors on request.
• Work very closely with the Resourcing department to address all finance related issues of grantees.
• Contribute to monthly and quarterly reports on due diligence related activities to the Finance Manager
• Work in collaboration with the Agency and resilience team to develop ideas for financial management technical support to grantee partners.
• Financial and Management Accounting and Systems Support
• Ensure that all transactions are recorded and posted into Sun systems accounting software
• Create new accounts and setup in Sun systems with clearance from the Finance Manager
• Monitor Bank balances and check that there are adequate funds to meet payments
• Prepare investments schedules on a monthly basis
• Reconcile all balance sheet accounts monthly, send reports to the Finance Manager and follow up and investigate any queries or differences.
• Assist the Finance Manager to prepare project accounts, statutory accounts and audit schedules and liaise with auditors during the annual audit.
• Process monthly payroll on the 24/25th of each month
• Send emails to SSNIT and Enterprise monthly for verification of payments due
• Process payment to SSNIT, Enterprise and GRA monthly: Filling of all relevant forms
• Prepare End of Service (ESB) schedules for staff who are resigning, update the ESB fund accounts on a quarterly basis showing the fund movement
• Reconcile salary related accounts on a monthly basis
• Maintain all payroll records and supporting documents
• Act as the lead in all software and IT related activities of the department by checking that systems are working effectively.
• Provide oversight support to the Finance Assistants
• Planning and Budgeting
• Assist the Finance Manager in preparing budgets for the annual workplan
• Assist the Finance Manager to develop budgets for funding applications to donors

Teamwork:

• Attend and participate in staff meetings and other collective AWDF staff activities
• Ensure strict confidentiality on all appropriate matters and recognise that breaches of confidentiality can be dismissible offence
• Handle sensitive information in an appropriate manner.
• Exhibit high integrity and dependability.
• Contribute to team spirit and the upholding of AWDF values and principles

Other:

• Serve as backup for various finance functions.
• Assist with special projects as assigned
• Undertake any other tasks that are appropriate to the position and which reflect the needs of the organisation.
• Collaborate with communications, programmes, partnership and philanthropy teams as appropriate and requested
• Contribute to AWDF’s resource mobilisation initiatives
• The role holder will from time to time be required to carry out any other duties that are within the scope of the job.
• Promote and demonstrate AWDF’s values and principles which include a feminist ethos, equality, collaborative ways of working, team-work and positive interaction with diverse staffing and stakeholder groups

Essential Knowledge And Experience:

• Working knowledge of generally accepted accounting principles
• Experience and a full understanding of accruals accounting and the impact of entries on the statement of financial performance and position
• Able to carry out due diligence process for grant applicants and through the life cycle of the grant
• Able to draw conclusions and assess impact from analysis and interpretation of financial data
• Able to produce written reports giving a clear statement of financial issues/challenges and recommend remedial actions
• Knowledge of monthly procedures carried out within Sun Systems/any accounting system including setting of new cost types, and analyses codes, running ledger revaluations
• Able to make presentations about Finance work to any wider group using effective presentation tools and dealing with questions raised. Ability to present training sessions to finance and non-finance staff
• Methodical and systematic, with a strong attention to detail
• Act appropriately within established Finance Procedures
• Working knowledge of non-profit fund accounting
• Ability to prioritise work within goals and objectives
• Act appropriately within established Finance Procedures
• Working knowledge of non-profit fund accounting
• Ability to prioritise work within goals and objectives

Qualifications:

• First Degree (or its equivalent) in accounting, finance, or related discipline plus intermediary level professional accountancy qualification
• At least 5 years work experience in a substantive or relevant role in a finance department
• Previous experience of working within grant making and/or civil society organisations would be advantageous
• Proficiency in spoken and written English is required. Proficiency in French is an advantage.

Organisational Competencies:

• All staff members must demonstrate AWDF Core values in all their professional relationships and any interactions that may reflect on AWDF:
• Accountability & Integrity
• Solidarity & Collective care
• Intersectionality & Meaningful Inclusion
• Learning & Adaptability
• Courage & Joy
• Creativity & Curiosity
• AWDF has a Zero Tolerance Approach to all forms of corruption which is an offence for which immediate dismissal without benefits will result.

Salary range: 

• USD 23,642 - 41,374 (annually)
• Midpoint: USD 32,508 (annually)
• In practice, we only make offers between the entry point and the midpoint of our salary scale (i.e. between USD 23,642 and USD 32,508 (annually)