TEAM/PROGRAMME: Finance

LOCATION:  Area Office based in Addis Ababa

POST TYPE: National 

Child Safeguarding: 

Level 2 - the responsibilities of the post may require the post holder to have regular contact with or access to children or young people.

Risk and Compliance:

The role holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with the SCI Fraud, Bribery, and Corruption policy and code of conduct. The key responsibilities include understanding and complying with the SCI policies and procedures, not committing any act of fraud, bribery, or corruption, understanding risks in their area/role, and implementing mitigation measures, report any suspected fraud, bribery, or corruption immediately, declare conflicts of interest in accordance with internal procedures and complete mandatory training related to ethics and anti-fraud measures

ROLE PURPOSE: 

The job holder has overall responsibility on financial management and supporting of the field office program operations. The role holder will be accountable for coordinating the financial and operational aspects of the annual and strategic business plans. In addition, he/she is expected to support the Area Office Leadership in managing and reporting of risk across their Area Offices and ensures that appropriate mitigating controls are in place.

SCOPE OF ROLE: 

Reports to: Area Manager, and dotted line with Head of Financial Controls and Compliance.

Staff directly reporting to this post:  dotted line with Field Offices’ Finance Officers.

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY:

Business partnering 

Becomes a valued business partner to the Area Office and field operation program leaders and finance staff and help them to achieve their objectives.

Communicates monthly &  year-end spending plans for each FOs.

• Works closely with FO finance staff to track spending  and monitor operational KPIs.
• Monitors financial gap and control spending on NTC of the field office under the area office management.
• Attends BvA meetings & hold a meeting with field office & Area office managers to discuss field offices performances.

• Assists field offices in preparation of their master budgets & work closely with the FO manager and budget holders when phasing budgets.

• Supports the decentralization effort of the Country Office and provide advice to the Area Manager on financial matters. 

• Provides budget holder and other training to build the capacity of the operational team.

Financial control & compiance 

• Supports, monitors and tests field-based finance team adherence to accounting and internal control and reporting requirements, policies and procedures of the organization and various donor and statutory requirements.

• Ensures that field offices meet accounting timetables and schedules.

• Ensures that field offices submit good quality and on-time monthly summary accounts, including cash flow and other information as defined to the country office.

• Champions accuracy in coding and assists managers in becoming effective budget holders.

• Manages and monitors the work of Senior finance officers through mentoring and providing guidance. 

• Identifies capacity gaps and training needs at Area Offices and Field Offices and facilitates provision of relevant training.

• Facilitates and supports during audit processes and closure of audit findings.

• Supports the Country Office in the preparation and closure of year-end accounts.

• Assesses capacity and propose online access to Agresso FMS for off-line field offices. 

• Generates and shares monthly BVA with AO, FO and Budget Holders (BHs)and track performance.

• Supports the Financial Reporting Team in compiling donor financial reports.

• Ensures smooth cash flow management and maintains very minimum month-end cash balances at field offices. 
• Ensures monthly payroll, pension and withholding tax payable settled on time. 
• Monitors posting status on weekly bases to maintain standards of posting transactions.
• Monitors weekly and monthly spending of AO/FO and projects and track with BHs to address finance related actions.
• Participates in budget development for new opportunities in particular for NTC staff and none staff costs

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.