Finance Assistant

Job title : Finance Assistant

Type of Role: Fixed-Term

The Opportunity

• The purpose of this role is to Assist in ensuring financial accountability according to Plan International and AECID requirements, provide timely and accurate financial information on the AECID project in Borno State. 
• Position holder will support the finance focal person for finance-related activities (budgeting, cash flow management, reporting, auditing etc.) on the project.

Key Responsibilities
Support Budget preparation and Budgetary Control for the effective implementation of financial plans. To do this, the role will:

• Ensure proper documentation in accordance with AECID documentation requirements
• Ensure timely and accurate archiving of document in accordance with PIN and AECID requirements.
• Support Prepare AECID project annual budget as part of the preparation of the Country’s annual budget.
• Support Prepare monthly AECID project BvA (Budget variance Analysis) report and discuss variances and corrective action with project team.
• Support Prepare quarterly projects KP06 budget for AECID project.

Support to Prepare Financial and other Reports to aid the preparation of the overall country’s financial report for dissemination and decision-making. To do this, the role will:

• Assist the Finance Officer in the preparation of country’s financial management reports (Monthly, quarterly and yearly). 
• Assist to Prepare a monthly budget vs Actual spending for AECID project.
• Assist to Prepare the monthly Partners unliquidated advances report.
• Assist the Officer in the preparation of the quarterly and year-end financial schedules.
• Assist to Carryout monthly support visit to the project partners and submit report.
• Assist to Carry out identified capacity building trainings for partners. 
• Assist to Follow up staff advances to ensure prompt liquidation and submit monthly report to CO.

Support the Field Office Treasury Management and Cash Forecasting to ensure the availability of funds for country operations. To do this, the role will:

• Assist to Prepare and submit the monthly Cash forecast. 
• Assist to Support the Finance Manager – Humanitarian to ensure that monthly cash forecasts are timely submitted to CO.
• Assist to Prepare and submit quarterly cash forecasts to donor as may be required.
• Assist to Ensure that the cash and bank accounts balances are never in negative.
• Assist to Follow up bank account issues in a timely manner.
• Assist to Prepare the monthly bank reconciliation statement and submit to CO for consolidation.

Manage the operations of the SAP system in the field office to meet Plan’s spending and financial reporting requirements. To do this, the role will:

• Assist to Undertake accuracy checks to ensure all transactions entered in SAP are correct.
• Assist to Regularly review NRGRANT status to ensure grant related expenditures are charged on applicable grant.
• Assist to Ensure correct use of WBS (work breakdown structure) for all requisitions, purchase orders and journals.
• Assist to Ensure that invoices are posted only when good receipt note have been entered by Procurement dept., to avoid GR/IR (Good receipt/Invoice receipt) related issues
• Assist to Advice CO on all field level intercompany recharges.
• Assist to Ensure all required month-end procedures are carried out before SAP is closed e.g balance sheet accounts review, clearing of relevant open item managed accounts etc.
• Assist to Scan all vouchers charged to AECID project as support documentation to monthly financial reports.
• Assist to Maintain separate real time filing for the AECID project related SAP payment vouchers and reports.

Implement Internal Financial Controls & Payment processes for the attainment of value for money at all times. To do this, the role will:

• Assist to Ensure payments made are as per Plan’s approved policies, procedures, and that of the donor rules and regulations.
• Assist to Review the finance sections of purchase requisitions, advance requests, liquidations, and purchase orders for financial conformity with respect to Plan’s and AECID approved policies.
• Support the review of projects online payments/cheques issued before sign off by Plan Authorised Managers.
• Assist to Prepare project financial audit action list after each audit and ensure compliance.
• Assist to Monitor and submit quarterly report on field level financial risk.
• Assist to Ensure Field level accounting is processed and prepared based on the accrual accounting principle.
• Assist to Ensure all expected costs are timely and accurately recovered from the project.

Support the accurate and timely payment of statutory deductions. To do this, the role will:

• Assist to Ensure all withholding taxes are remitted as per statutory time lines and receipts collected.

Others:

• Ensure yourself IAP, six months’ appraisal and annual appraisal are timely completed and documented.
• Assist to Provide training and share good experience/practice among the team to strengthen team capacity and team building.
• Keep Supervisor informed of any initiative or difficulties relating to the job’s responsibilities.
• Fulfil Plan’s Child Safeguarding Policy at all times to protect children from all forms of abuse.
• Perform any other duties that may be assigned by your Supervisor from time to time to support the achievement of organizational goals.

Dealing with Problems:

• Assist to Ensures adherence to the Country’s financial and accounting requirements as per requirements of the Operations Manual (OM) and other organizational policies and procedures to support sound financial management within the organisation.
• Be creative in building and working effectively within a diverse working environment.
• Works with minimum supervision.
• Assist to Analyse financial issues for decision-making and refer to a higher manager for approval.
• Ability to manage competing priorities and expectations from internal and external stakeholders and remain calm and resilient in the face of pressure.
• Manage multiple and work with distant colleagues to form a virtual efficient finance team.
• Use Plan procedures to settle conflicts among colleagues.
• Refer, whenever necessary, any case to the Finance Coordinator-BAY.

Human Resource Development:

• Assist to build capacity of programs staff to ensure a high level of quality finance and grants management.
• Supports the orientation, on-going development/training and builds capacity of partner staff when required in line with Organizational requirements.

Learning and knowledge management:

• Shares relevant grant and financial information within the Programme team supporting the proper documentation of all grant and financial aspects of the projects.

Resource Mobilization:

• Support resource mobilization efforts through contribution to budget preparation for proposal writing and related engagements.

Safeguarding:
The Finance Assistant shall:

• Commit and contribute to an environment where children and programme participants feel respected, supported, safe and protected;
• Never act or behave in a manner that results in violence against a child or programme participant or places a child or programme participant at risk of violence;
• Be aware of and adhere to the provisions of the Global Safeguarding Policy and Safeguarding Code of Conduct including the PII Prevention of Sexual Harassment Exploitation and Abuse Policy in public and private life; and:
• Report and respond to safeguarding concerns and breaches of the policies immediately in line with the applicable procedures of Plan International Nigeria.

About You
We are looking to recruit person(s) with;

• University Degree in Accounting or equivalent; NYSC certificate is mandatory
• At least 2 years’ experience in a similar role;
• Fair knowledge in grants and project management.
• Knowledge and use of accounting software (Preferably SAP)
• Knowledge of and experience with the key donors in the industry is strongly preferred.
• Experience providing capacity development assistance to sub-grantees strongly preferred.
• Experience working with sub-grantees required.
• Communicates clearly and effectively.
• Ability to facilitate participative processes for all stakeholders for implementing grant projects.
• Strong team building skills, Organized and methodical.
• Independence, objectivity and integrity.
• Good supervisory & coordination skills and ability to deliver to tight deadlines.
• Fair knowledge of project planning, management, supervision, monitoring and evaluation tools.
• Excellent and demonstrable experience in grant and financial management.
• Knowledge and understanding of Nigeria’s policy environment.
• Highly developed interpersonal and communication skills including good listening skills, influencing, negotiation and coaching.
• Capacity to build and maintain relationships and to work effectively in a multi-cultural and multi-ethnic environment respecting diversity.
• Experience with Microsoft Word, Excel, Power Point and Outlook.