Senior Officer, Finance & Admnistration

Closing date (Geneva time zone):30-11-2017

Duty station:Dakar

Country:SENEGAL

Duty station status: N/A

Accompanied status: N/A

Duration:12 months

Category of Staff: National Staff

Grade: Not applicable

Vacancy No:IFRC01917

 Background

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is the world’s largest humanitarian organization, with 190 member National Societies. As part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, our work is guided by seven fundamental principles; humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity and universality.

Organizational Context

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC or “the Federation”) is the World’s largest volunteer-based humanitarian network. The Federation is a membership organization established by and comprised of its member National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. Along with National Societies and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the Federation is part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. The overall aim of the IFRC is” to inspire, encourage, facilitate, and promote at all times all forms of humanitarian activities by National Societies with a view to preventing and alleviating human suffering and thereby contributing to the maintenance and promotion of human dignity and peace in the world.” It works to meet the needs and improve the lives of vulnerable people before, during and after disasters, health emergencies and other crises. The Federation is served by a Secretariat based in Geneva, with regional and country offices throughout the world. The Secretariat is led by the IFRC Secretary General and provides the central capacity of the International Federation to serve, connect, and represent National Societies. The Secretariat’s focus includes providing support to the IFRC governance mechanisms; setting norms and standards; providing guidance; ensuring consistency; coordination and accountability for performance; knowledge sharing; promoting collaboration within and respect for the RCRC Movement; and expanding engagement with partners. The Secretariat’s headquarters is organized in three main business groups: (i) Partnerships, including Movement and Membership; (ii) Programs and Operations; and (iii) Management. The Secretariat has five regional office, as follows: Americas (Panama City); Africa (Nairobi); Asia/Pacific (Kuala Lumpur); Europe (Budapest); Middle East and North Africa (Beirut).

Job Purpose

To coordinate the accounting and administrative functions of the Sahel Cluster office in line with Federation procedures and policies, in a coordinated fashion to compliment the delivery of programming, administrative and financial support to all departments.

Job Duties and Responsibilities

Internal Control and Risk Management

•Ensure that all the officers’ bonafide transactions are appropriately processed into CODA using the correct project, account, activity and donor code. Thereafter ensure monthly closure of accounts within required deadlines and the preparation of the office cash request.

•Coordinate all work that will easily facilitate and enhance successful audit of the cluster office operations and programs.

•Ensure that program advances to the NS are controlled and cleared with acceptable documentation and vouchers. This will involve monitoring and audit trail work from time to time.

•Perform delegated responsibilities on all financial matters to ensure that internal control is in line and effective as required.

•Ensure proper maintenance of office equipment as well as the provision of office consumables.

•Be responsible for the finance and administration control environment for the Cluster office.

•Conduct surprise cash counts to ensure proper cash controls are in place.

•Support the regional finance and administration manager to review local administration policies and contract negotiation, seeking technical support from the finance analyst.

 Financial Reporting

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•Prepare accurate, regular and timely donor financial reports

•Review and analyse the monthly financial analysis report prepared and take appropriate measures to clear issues of concern.

•Identify and discuss donor financial reports monthly with the budget holders and program staff and develop a plan of action to address any issues identified

•Alert program managers on due financial reports and any follow ups that might be required to be done with the national society (NS).

•Review financial reports submitted by the NS, identify and query any anomalies.

 Audit and Compliance

•Perform the month end petty cash reconciliation and ensure that the cash account statement is supported by a CODA print out

•Perform bank reconciliation of all the accounts, check and ensure that all the daily bank register is updated by the cashier

•Implementation of audit findings for the cluster touching on finance & administration.

•Be responsible for implementation of all finance & administration policies and procedures in the cluster.

•Review all documents for compliance check and authorize only if there is full compliance.

•Support the Sahel Cluster Office to oversee the implementation of audit improvement recommendations as and when pointed out.

•Provide financial management support and advise to budget holders/project managers.

Financial Management

•Coordinate all cash requests for the cluster after which consolidate the cash request before onward submission to the regional finance analyst

•Regularly ensure all program budgets are prioritized in line with available funding and ensure that all budgets and project expenditure approval requests(PEAR) is established.

•Review the payroll coding and cluster staff

•Validate the monthly payroll before onward processing for payment.

•Review and analyse the monthly financial reports and take appropriate measures to clear issues of concern

 Monitoring

•Monitor NS advances and ensure timely reporting.

•Follow up on dormant working advance (WA) by working closely with the NS finance team

 Emergency Preparedness and Response

•Support in the preparation of emergency and DREF budgets

 National Society Development

•Support financial development for the NS as and when necessary.

•Ensure advances to the NS are controlled and cleared with acceptable documentation and vouchers.

•In consultation with the finance analyst, propose and support NS development initiatives.

 Procurement

•Conduct 100% check on all cluster procurements and only authorize payment after ensuring compliance to IFRC policies.

•Alert the finance analyst for any anomalies noted.

 Administration

•Coordinate outsourced functions such as housekeeping, conferencing, gardening and catering to ensure cost effectiveness and service delivery in accordance with agreements

•Ensure that all in-coming international staff are well facilitated, and that they return all equipment, assets and any other property in their possession before they are signed off.

•Implement standardized filing and archiving system for the Sahel Cluster Office while promoting adherence to the same among program departments.

•Draft and keep up-to-date procedures and guidelines on housing, telephone, travel and other administrative processes as necessary and promote adherence to them.

•Safeguard contracts signed by the office and service providers.

•Safeguard fixed assets and maintain a robust and updated asset management register.

•Coordinate and manage mobile phone bills and telephone lines.

•Maintain an updated inventory of office stationery.

•Ensure all utilities are settled in time and there are no service disruptions.

•Work with security delegate to enhance security in the premises.

 Education

Master’s degree in Business Administration or any other relevant fields

 Experience

– Minimum BAC+5 years’ experience in finance and administration management, accounting, and audit and risks management

– Experience in managing and developing teams

– Practical knowledge of computers (Windows, spreadsheets, word processing, e-mail, Accounting and Financial software)

– Experience in setting up and/or rolling out systems to enhance Administrative processes

– Experience in training financial and non-financial staff on financial matters

– Experience in writing narrative and Financial reports

– Strong communication and administrative skills specifically, in office management

– Previous experience working for the Federation and/or National Society or a comparable International organisation

 Knowledge, skills and languages

– High degree of integrity, discretion and personal conduct

– Flexible and adaptable to changing working conditions

– Excellent interpersonal and written communication skills

– Ability to prioritise, meet deadlines and work under pressure

– Excellent staff management skills

– Self-Motivated, proactive with good judgement and initiative

– Fluently spoken and written English and French

– Good command of another IFRC official language (Spanish or Arabic)

 Competencies and values

– High level of attention to detail

– Able to prioritise and meet deadlines

– Sensitive to cultural diversity

– Advanced verbal and written communication skills

Comments

Apply: http://www.ifrc.org/en/who-we-are/working-with-us/