Finance Assistant - Dessie

Job Title

Finance Assistant

Location

Dessie

Contract Length

12 months

Role Purpose

Effect payments and collect cash and CPO on behalf of the Save the Children International Semera Field office, according to Save the Children International standard procedures.

In the event of a major humanitarian emergency, the role holder will be expected to work outside the normal role profile and be able to vary working hours accordingly. The Finance Assistant supports the finance function by ensuring accurate processing of financial transactions, proper record-keeping, and compliance with financial policies and procedures.

Scope of Role

The position primarily provides operational and administrative support to the finance function, which includes managing financial information, processing transactions, and maintaining proper documentation. This aligns with the broader purpose of the finance function, which is to manage financial resources, including cash receipts, disbursements, and financial records.

Reports to: Senior Finance Coordinator

Staff reporting to this post: None

Key Areas of Accountability

• Ensures that all payments are made against sufficient, complete, correct, and relevant supporting documents duly verified and approved by concerned managers or budget holders.
• Collects working /program advances and make various payments as per the authorization and approval of budget holders and in accordance with SCI’s financial management policy.
• Ensures that all payment documents bear ‘Save the Children Paid’ stamp.
• Summarizes expenses using relevant expense codes duly authorized by responsible person and timely settles all project advances before placing a request for another advance.
• Ensures that Government withholding tax is deducted from service fees to hotels, resource persons etc…
• Ensure all transactions have complete and valid supporting documents
• Ensure that all unused cash returned from specific project advance is deposited in SCI Bank account daily and expenditures settled timely.
• Facilitates the provision and settlement of travel advances of staff based outside of the PO.
• Ensures that all financial documents are well documented, filed, scanned and uploaded to the SCI Document Archiving System
• Record transaction into GLACOS on a daily basis.
• Collect funds and make various payments as per the authorization and approval of Budget Holders and in accordance with Save the Children International’s financial management policy.
• Ensure that all collections and payments are made against serially pre-numbered cash receipt and cash payment vouchers.
• Ensure safe security of cash and other related Cheques and CPOs in the office and initiate weekly and monthly cash counts.
• Always keeps cash, cheques, and CPOs in the safe.
• Maintain petty cash fund and prepare cash report with all supporting documents and gets replenished upon reviewed by the Area office Sr. FC and approved by the Head of Program Operation (OiC).
• Ensure weekly and monthly cash count is done and the count sheet prepared and approved.
• Reconcile cash accounts with financial documents and update the cash book regularly.
• Prepare documents for internal and external audits
• Perform all other duties related to the position.

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.

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.

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

• Minimum educational requirement: First Degree / Diploma in Accounting/Business Administration, Banking, and Finance or related fields to finance.

Experience and Skills

• Minimum experience required: Two years for diploma holders and one year for Degree holders of Finance experience.
• Demonstrated experience in disbursements related activities in NGO setting and knowledge about project funding and compliance requirements.
• Experience of organizing and assisting with workshops, training, and other events.
• Willingness to experience working on weekends and out of working hours with extensive field travels.
• Good understanding of project implementation process.
• Excellent interpersonal skills.
• Demonstrated proficiency in written and verbal English and Amharic, including business terminology.
• Excellent and demonstrated skills in computer system, MS-Excel & MS-word.
• Ability to travel as needed by the Project office.
• Desirable
• NGOs Experience working in a complex multi-culture working contexts in any one of the Support Services Areas

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 the 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.

Health and Safety

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