Finance Officer Save the children Zanzibar, Tanzania
Job Type: Full-Time
Closing Date: 30th October 2023
Location: Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
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TITLE: Finance Officer

TEAM/PROGRAMME: Finance Team project

LOCATION: Zanzibar

GRADE: 4

CONTRACT LENGTH: 1 year renewable

CHILD SAFEGUARDING:

Level 3: √ the post holder will have contact with children and/or young people either frequently (e.g. once a week or more) or intensively (e.g. four days in one month or more or overnight) because they work country programs; or are visiting country programs; or because they are responsible for implementing the police checking/vetting process staff.

 

As part of these responsibilities the post holder will promote a culture of keeping children safe, and ensure that potential harm to children (by our own staff and/or as a result of how we do our work) is identified and addressed on an ongoing basis. The post holder should report and respond to interventions as determined by position related responsibilities identified in the Child Safeguarding Policy.

ROLE PURPOSE:

The purpose of this post is to ensure that the Zanzibar field office adheres to all organization and donor policies. The position holder will be responsible in ensuring the integrity of the financial management processes and will contribute smooth financial management in the field office. The position holder will be travelling within Zanzibar to support program staff with finance follow ups, payments, training ,financial accounting, audits, asset management, partner support etc.

SCOPE OF ROLE:

Save the Children has been operational in Tanzania since 1986 providing support to children through developmental and humanitarian relief programmes delivered in support of GoT priorities and policies both directly and through local partners.  Current programming focuses on child protection, child rights governance, education, health & nutrition, HIV/Violence and emergency response.

Reports to: Senior Program Manager, dotted line to Finance Manager   

Staff directly reporting to this post:  none

Working contacts:

Internal: Country Finance Teams, Budget Holders, Awards, Logistics and HR Departments

External: Tax Offices, External Auditors, Regulatory Bodies, Bank, Suppliers, partners

Key primary accountabilities;

Financial Controls and Compliance

  • Support country office in maintaining high standard financial management, ensuring compliance to local statutory law and donors regulations and consistent with Save the Children accounting policies, procedures and tools. 
  • Work with supply chain in ensuring that source to pay processes are initiated and completed on time
  • Ensure invoices are loaded on a daily basis
  • Generate reports from Agresso on source to pay data and work with budget holders and supply chain to ensure that GRNs and invoices are submitted on time
  • Review support documentation for all invoices to ensure 100% compliance to donor ,SCI and government regulations
  • Train new staff and hold refresher trainings for staff on use of source to pay
  • Ensure that the Non-staff costs and program costs are recorded with accurate budget codes sometimes using Glacos
  • Responsible for the cash flow forecast of the field office
  • Issue program advances and ensure they are liquidated in a timely fashion
  • Process MPESA and other cash payments ensuring all support documents are adhered to
  • Escalate to the finance manager on processes that need review and corrections
  • Work with CO finance staff to ensure financial transactions are recorded in a timely, accurate and consistent manner and in accordance with the month end checklist and the new initiative to shorten the hard close.
  • Supporting the Finance Manager on enforcing internal controls and carrying out spot checks, reconciliations and reality checks
  • Work with other team members to complete the reconciliation of all balance sheet accounts, including having clear supported schedules 
  • Prepare payments for both PO and NoN PO invoices , ensuring they are done on a strict timely basis
  • Responsible for the monthly cash forecasts of the field office and subsequent revisions.
  • Support with the follow up of tax issues in Zanzibar and ensure they are resolved on a timely basis.
  • Archiving of all documents both digitally and physically per SCI policy
  • Follow-up on pending advance /receivable balances from staff member and ensure compliance of SCI policy is adhered at all levels. S/he will prepare a list of outstanding floats for Area Manager on a weekly basis and follow up to ensure retirement of all floats as per policy
  • The post holder will ensure accuracy of posting in accordance Save the Children Cost Allocation Methodology and Premises Guidelines
  • S/he will ensure field office KPIs for recording and posting are met according to set benchmarks i.e. weekly basis

 

Financial Planning & Analysis

  • Work with budget holder to identify big ticket items for support from supply chain and finance
  • Assist new staff on budget management and coding for timesheets
  • Review BVA with budget holder on a weekly basis and offer support on pending items
  • Generate TLs and other Agresso reports for use by the budget holder
  • Attend RAR meetings and give appropriate insights towards  KPI delivery
  • Raise pertinent issues related to budget with the budget holder and the finance director

 

Year-end closure and audits

  • Work with the other finance team to ensure that the balance sheets accounts schedules are properly supported ahead of audit
  • Lead on SIDA and other donor projects audits and ensure that they are properly managed and undertaken.
  • Support the Finance Manager in implementation of matters arising from the management letters from field office audits

 

Other duties

  • Covering for other finance team member when on holiday.
  • Supporting country office month end processes
  • Any other duties as directed by the line manager
  • The post holder will ensure that an up to date assets register is maintained by supply chain team
  • The post holder will assist in conducting stock counts and reconciliations on periodic basis
  • S/he will assist the Zanzibar Programme Manager and Finance Manager of any operational challenges or discrepancies relating to the financial management of the programme in a timely manner.
  • Represent the Finance Department on the Procurement Committee, in opening and evaluation of procurement bids
  • Ensure SCI’s policies on Fraud and Dishonesty are followed in daily routines, and complied at all level in accounting cycle.
  • Ensure induction training for all staff on matters associated with finance & compliance, and periodic refresher training at field office level

BEHAVIOURS (Values in Practice)

Accountability:

  • holds self-accountable for making decisions, managing resources efficiently, achieving and role modelling Save the Children values;
  • holds the team and partners accountable to deliver on their responsibilities - giving them the freedom to deliver in the best way they see fit, providing the necessary development to improve performance and applying appropriate consequences when results are not achieved;

Ambition:

  • sets ambitious and challenging goals for themselves and their team, takes responsibility for their own personal development and encourages their team to do the same;
  • widely shares their personal vision for Save the Children, engages and motivates others
  • future orientated, thinks strategically and on a global scale;

Collaboration:

  • builds and maintains effective relationships, with their team, colleagues, Members and external partners and supporters;
  • values diversity, sees it as a source of competitive strength;
  • approachable, good listener, easy to talk to;

Creativity:

  • develops and encourages new and innovative solutions;
  • willing to take disciplined risks;

Integrity:

  • honest, encourages openness and transparency; demonstrates highest levels of integrity;

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

  • A University degree in Commerce, Accounting or Business Administration (Finance or Accounting option) from a recognised university.

Essential

  • At least 3 years accounting and administration experience preferably in NGO Sector
  • A person with a willingness to go above and beyond and to work in a fast pace environment
  • Excellent knowledge and understanding of generally accepted accounting procedures
  • Knowledge in Pro Save systems
  • Good personal organisational skills, including time management, and ability to meet deadlines and work under pressure
  • Ability to work within a multicultural setting
  • Training skills
  • Computers literate, proficient with excel and computerised accounting packages.
  • High level of integrity and ability to work as part of a professional team

Desired

  • Certified accountant or currently pursing accounting certification

Additional job responsibilities

The duties and responsibilities as set out above are not exhaustive and the role holder may be required to carry out additional duties within reasonableness of their level of skills and experience.

Equal Opportunities

The role holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with the SCI Equal Opportunities and Diversity policies and procedures;

Child Safeguarding:

We need to keep children safe so our selection process, which includes rigorous background checks, reflects our commitment to the protection of children from abuse.

Safeguarding our Staff:

The post holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with the SCI anti-harassment policy

Health and Safety

The role holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with SCI Health and Safety policies and procedures.