Finance and Grants Officer

Back ground

Action Against Hunger leads the global movement to end hunger. We innovate solutions, advocate for change, and reach 24 million people annually with proven hunger prevention and treatment programs. As a nonprofit that works across 50 countries, our 8,300 dedicated staff members partner with communities to address the root causes of hunger, including climate change, conflict, inequity, and emergencies. We strive to create a world free from hunger for everyone and for good.

Action Against Hunger USA is part of the Action Against Hunger International network. As an independent NGO, Action Against Hunger USA currently manages operations in eight countries: Kenya, South Sudan, Somalia, Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia, Zambia, and Haiti. Action Against Hunger-USA has over $100 million in programs and approximately 1,800 permanent staff based in New York City, Washington D.C., Nairobi, and country offices. Additional growth is anticipated.

Summary of position

The Finance and Grants Officer will be responsible for the day-to-day management of the financial transactions and procedures of the organization. S/he will also provide support to the SMT in Zambia Managing occasional work with the Regional Finance Specialist. The Finance and Grants officer will work under the guidance and direct supervision of the Support Services Manager.

The Finance and Grants Officer’s role has the following purpose, engagement and delivery:

Purpose

The Finance and Grants Officer will be responsible for executing day-to-day ACF-Zambia financial transactions and managing budgets by ensuring financial data accuracy, effective and efficient utilization of resources in line with the organizational and financial management policies, procedures as well as the donor policies and guidelines.

Engagement

The Finance and Grants Officer will work collaboratively with the Support Services Manager to ensure the issuing of accountancy bundles is timely, accurate, and complete. Program Managers by sharing and discussing BFUs, and all other staffs by sharing knowledge and awareness with respect to budget methodologies, policies, internal control policies and procedures.

S/he will also work with the logistics and administration team to ensure compliance with the procurement policies and procedures.

Delivery

By timely submission of accurate accountancy bundles, sharing of BFUs within adequate period and ensuring Zambia is compliant with internal policies, IFRS and Government regulations. S/he will promote high standards of integrity and accountability on the utilization of organizational resources.

1. Ensuring high-quality accounting

· Disseminating information about accounting procedures to Zambia Staff & country offices and ensuring compliance.

· Recording all monthly commitments and recharges ensuring correctness of accounting and analytical entries.

· Verifying bankbooks and performing bank reconciliations before the 5th of every month.

· Setting up proper budgets and other accounting parameters on the accounting software.

· Processing payments promptly ensuring compliance with ACF payment policies.

· Preparing and updating the share cost tool regularly and reviewing balance sheet accounts thoroughly with monthly schedules.

· Sharing accurate and complete monthly accounting bundles with the HEARO Finance team before the 12th of every month.

· Responding to HEARO queries on the monthly accounting bundles within a reasonable time.

· Ensuring proper filing and archiving system of all finance documents.

· Acting as a focal point for internal and external audits; providing auditors with all necessary information and responding to their queries.

· Following up on recommendations by auditors to ensure they are adhered to.

2. Ensuring high-quality cash management

· Ensuring respect for the ACF finance procedures and Cash Management Policy in Lusaka Office and country bases.

· Identifying risks of fraud and corruption and setting up preventive and monitoring mechanisms.

· Ensuring liquidity in Zambia and advising the F&A Manager for the need of exchange operations.

· Preparing the Treasury cash forecast on a bi-monthly basis in collaboration with the program, admin, and logistics departments and forwarding it to the F&A Manager for review and validation.

· Ensuring safekeeping of necessary cash and performing cash count as per set requirements.

· Monitoring the correspondence between the Treasury cash forecast and the payments done.

· Anticipating treasury risks and resolving these difficulties in advance.

· Acting as a bank agent for cash collection, exchange operations, cheque collections & deposits, and other bank transactions on behalf of ACF.

3. Providing financial and budgetary management

· Establishing the HEARO annual budget and forwarding it to the HOD- Finance for review and validation.

· Producing, checking, and forwarding budget follow-ups (BFUs) to the coordination team and Program Managers before the 12th of every month.

· Participating in the BFUs meetings with the program team to update the forecasts and revise the allocated expenditures.

· Monitoring level of over/underspending per budget lines and providing timely feedback to budget holders.

· Performing cost analysis and issuing budgetary alerts where necessary.

· Producing and archiving of grants related documents according to the deadlines and formats required by funding bodies. (ie. Agreements, financial reports, etc)

· Taking the lead in project audits by providing the requested support documents and responding to queries raised by auditors.

4. Archival of Financial Documents

· Maintain cash , bank, supplier contracts, PAYE, vendor & all other finance relevant contracts in finance department

· Verify & cross check all base monthly financial documents are correctly allocated & completed as per ACF Archiving guidelines

· Archive financial files as per ACF archiving guidelines, keep copies at the base & send original to capital on monthly basis

5. Grant Management:

· Work with the Global Support Office on finance-related changes, including implementation of new systems, policies and procedures.

· Monitoring project spending on a monthly basis, communicating about any under/over spend and working to agree appropriate actions in order to bring spending in line with approved budgets.

· Contribute to the financial management of signed donor grants.

· Prepare for financial audits, providing all information required by local legislation, donors.

6. Security and Fraud Prevention:

· Control and manage the security of in-country cash when held on site and when being transferred.

· Conduct regular internal audits and report immediately any possible fraud or theft.

· Conduct trainings with staff and advise on improvements to financial security and fraud prevention.

7. Communication:

· Provide training, advice, mentoring and coaching as required to all relevant staff on financial management, procedures, internal controls and financial requirements of donors.

· Liaise with local banks and programme partners as financial focal point.

· Participate in meetings with donors and partners regarding project financial performance.

Internal & External Relationships

Internal:

· Directly reporting to Finance manager

· Directly responsible for the Finance Intern

• Liaise with Log team / PMs
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External:

• Interaction with suppliers, banking and financial institution service providers, and tax offices
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Reporting Responsibilities:

· Contributions to weekly Sit Rep

· Monthly Cash Forecast

· Mid-Month Cash Forecast Review

· Weekly Accountancy report - Sylogist

Monthly Accountancy Closure – Sylogist

GENDER EQUALITY COMMITMENTS & ZERO TOLERANCE TO ABUSE

· Foster an environment that supports values of women and men, and equal access to information.

· Provide a work environment where women and men must be evaluated and promoted based on their skills and performance

· Respect beneficiaries’ women, men, boys and girls regardless of gender, sex orientation, disability, religion, race, color, ancestry, national origin, age or marital status,

· Value and respect all cultures.

· Promote and uphold the Safeguarding/PSEA policy and procedures.

Requirements

Requirements

Academic Qualifications:

• BSc. Accounting, Bachelor level degree in management, finance, or related field; MBA or similar higher degree a plus/ACCA added advantage

Required Skills & Experience:

· 2+ years of experience in one or more of the following areas: Administration, HR, Finance, Logistics

· Exceptional organization and planning skills, ability to manage and follow work plans

· Highly developed interpersonal, communication, able to negotiate, influence, give effective feedback, be a team player

· Able to manage stress effectively, juggle competing priorities, balance various programmatic, logistic and team needs

• Champion of ACF Charter values of : Professionalism, Transparency, Neutrality, Access to Victims and Non-Discrimination

· Previous ACF experience, previous INGO experience

· Experience with donor-funded programs

• Experience supervising others