Region: Middle East & North Africa
Office: Amman, Jordan
Hours: 36 hours
Application deadline: January 23, 2024
Hivos is looking for a Regional Finance Officer to join the team in Amman, Jordan. The role of the Finance Officer is be twofold.
1) The Finance Officer supports finance tasks to ensure the healthy functioning of the regional hub (Hivos MENA), including assuming related administrative tasks to that end. This requires close collaboration with Hivos finance team at the Global Office in the Hague, the Head of Finance, the MENA finance team, and the MENA Regional Director.
2) The Finance Officer supports project teams in delivering program results against agreed budget spending plans and in full compliance with donor and Hivos procedures. This requires close collaboration with key program staff and contracted partners.
Responsibilities
Optimization of financial accounting system
- Contributes to improving the financial accounting system
Financial management
Manages and maintains the financial registration systems and processes such that:
- detailed and summary trial balances are generated from system correctly, on time and in full
- the records of financial transactions, including the payroll records, are audited
- outstanding items are kept to a minimum and are explained to the extent that they are still present
- the systems and processes contribute to monitoring and achieving the financial targets
- bank reconciliations & compliance with local laws (tax, social security etc.) in each operational country is ensured
Financial reporting
- Prepares the periodic financial information and reports to the Regional Finance Manager such that: discrepancies compared with the budget and previous periods are analyzed and explained and effective liquidity management can be conducted.
Budget design & fundraising support
- Prepares Hivos’ own activity and implementation budgets.
- Supports partners in developing financial plans as needed.
- Provides input and ideas to the management team on financial formats and reporting schemes.
Participatory assessment
- Assesses financial-administrative aspects of organizational level and joint plans, in line with requirements and procedures, and prepares feedback and advice for improvements.
- Participates in assessment teams, bringing in their specific financial-administrative knowledge.
- Shares and reviews partner assessments with RFM and discuss a capacity building plan where needed.
Capacity strengthening
- Conduct start-up/inception sessions with partners to ensure contractual responsibilities are understood, and develops/monitors capacity building plan as required.
- Supports, guides and coaches partners in strengthening their financial-administrative capacities.
- In regular communication with partners to respond to questions relevant to funded programs.
Partner contract management and financial monitoring
- Prepares contracts with partners, in coordination with the project officer and in line with agreed plans
- Administers funding-streams, and monitors implementation of budgets contracts in terms of ‘rights and obligations’ to comply with.
- Follows-up on reporting cycles and prepares internal and external financial program and project statements.
- Assesses financial reports and supporting documentation of partners, and ensures compliance with donor guidelines and requirements
- Holds regular meetings with partners to ensure financial requirements and other risk-based grant management procedures are being met, and any project-affected issues are discussed and resolved.
- Reviews and administers revenue and expenditure and income statements for individual implementation contracts assigned to Hivos, according to donor and Hivos regulations and procedures
Quality improvement
- Advises and supports the overarching management team about the improvement of formats and ways of working, in order to enhance accounting and reporting methods and capabilities on both the organization and the individual level.
- Participates or leads queries or investigations related to identified cases of irregularities or fraud.
Donor reporting & audit support
- Prepares financial reports for external auditors and donors and coordinates project audits from start to finish, including being available to answer questions and communicate directly with partners on requests.
Local compliance
- Liaise with relevant authorities and financial institutions to ensure Hivos is compliant with local tax and legal regulations.
Systems support (All Solutions)
- Enters all relevant financial data into the project administration system
Office and administrative management & other support
- Inducts, trains and supports other finance staff as requested.
- Supports/leads on other programs when there is work overload and covers absences for other finance staff within MENA as needed.
- Supports financial and administrative tasks related to smooth functioning of country and regional operations, as may be requested
- Other tasks as requested by Regional Finance Manager & Regional Director
Requirements
This is a local position for residents of Jordan
- Bachelor’s degree in finance, accounting, or related field.
- At least 5 years of relevant working experience, several years of which in accounting and with international NGO.
- Substantial experience supporting and/or leading an audit.
- Substantial experience working regionally (in at least 3 MENA countries) and in complex operational environments.
- Extensive knowledge and experience working on programs funded by US government, EU, and Dutch Ministry (additional donors would be a strong advantage).
- Extensive experience working with partner grant-management, project financial monitoring & management and compliance experience.
- Substantial capacity building experience vis-à-vis local & national partners required.
- Experience working with colleagues and partners from a diverse background, and culture (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is a core priority area for Hivos).
- Experience with supporting the managing of country/regional operations, both financially and administratively.
- Fluent in spoken and written English & Arabic, with French a plus.
- High level of computer literacy with sound knowledge of financial accounting software and complex spreadsheet packages.
- Able to travel both internationally and domestically as requested.
- Mandatory behavior skills: professionalism; takes initiative; high integrity; collaborative; communicative; flexible; positive attitude, team player and culturally sensitive.
- Mandatory job skills: highly structured and organized; analytical; results-oriented; strong attention to details and accuracy; multi-tasker; able to meet deadlines; ability to prioritize competing priorities; can work independently & remotely with teams; and ability to manage heavy workload and stress.
- Legally have the right to work in Jordan without any support from Hivos (at the time of application deadline).
What we offer
We offer a stimulating work environment in a professional international organization with very dedicated staff. We offer a one-year national contract based on Hivos local labor conditions, with a remuneration commensurate with the experience and expertise. Contract renewable depending on funds, need and performance.
About Hivos
Hivos is an international development organization guided by humanist values. Together with citizens and their organizations, we aim to contribute towards just, inclusive and life sustaining societies where people have equal access to opportunities, rights and resources. We work in partnership with others in the Middle East, Africa, Asia and Latin America on three impact areas: Civic Rights in a Digital Age; Gender Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, and Climate Justice.
How to apply
Interested candidates are encouraged to apply as early as possible. You must submit both a letter of motivation/cover letter (maximum 2 pages) and resume/CV (maximum 3 pages) in English. Candidates are highly encouraged to provide a clear track record in their CV and description in cover letter that matches the requirements of the position as above.
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Hivos reserves the right to close the position as soon as a suitable candidate is identified.