Finance Specialist-Reporting and Budgeting

Title: Finance Specialist-Reporting and Budgeting 

Location: Addis Ababa

Contract duration: 12 months

Posting date: September 13, 2019

INTRODUCTION 

The Danish Refugee Council (DRC), an international non-governmental organization (NGO), has been providing relief and development services in the Horn of Africa since 1997. DRC promotes and supports solutions to the problems faced by refugees, internally displaced people (IDPs), and migrants. The organization has offices across the region, and has been operational in Ethiopia since 2009.  With funding from bilateral and multilateral donors, DRC is currently implementing a range of activities across Ethiopia and Djibouti, including WASH and shelter provision, child and youth protection, gender based violence response, awareness-raising of migration risks, protection monitoring of migration routes, and livelihoods support for returning migrants or those at-risk of migration. 

Project Background  

The Danish Refugee Council (DRC) is leading an international consortium to deliver a £21 million program to protect would-be migrants and refugees from unsafe irregular migration through and from Ethiopia Amhara and Tigray regions of Ethiopia as well as Djibouti.  The 4-year program, funded by the Department for International Development, UK (DFID, UK), will address the barriers to reducing unsafe irregular migration from Ethiopia and ultimately reducing unsafe regular migration through and from Ethiopia, taking into consideration attention to the most vulnerable group -- women, girls and unaccompanied irregular migrants -- and coordination with key stakeholders.  The program is anticipated to be innovative, cross-sectoral and solutions-oriented with strong emphasis on research, learning and adaptive management.   

Overall purpose of the role:  

The Finance and Reporting Specialist will be responsible for ensuring efficient budget monitoring, financial reporting and audit process for the Program, in compliance with donor and DRC policies and procedures 

Responsibilities:   

Budgeting 

• Ensure that new budgets follow internal DRC guidelines, external donor guidelines and respect the 70-30 rule  
• Assist the Support Services Manager in updating the country master budgets when needed 
• Work closely with the Support Services Manager to ensure inclusion of relevant support costs in new budgets and cost recovery of funding gaps as reported in the country master budget 
• Ensure timely preparation and submission of budget revisions or budgets for new project proposals  

Reporting 

• Review on a monthly basis the Rolling Action Plan for financial reports due to donor in the coming month 
• Review consortium partners’ financial reports for correctness and completeness and ensure they are submitted on time. 
• Review cash requests and documentation from Consortium partners and follow-up disbursement. 
• Prepare monthly financial reports to Donor for submission to RO and HQ  
• Develop monthly internal financial reports 
• Contribute to the Annual Performance Indicators for Finance 
• Ensure all required documentation for financial audits 

Financial management 

• Setup and organize project Budget Follow-ups (BFUs) in a way that enables the Chief of Party, program managers and budget holders to ensure effective budget monitoring and control 
• Propose and draft necessary adjustment or rebooking of entries on an ongoing basis 
• Liaise with relevant Managers on key financial issues for the program, including co-funding, financial reporting, key variances and any remedial action  
• Collect, consolidate and submit cash forecasts for the program and requesting funds in a timely manner 
• Support the development and implementation of program specific procedures and guides. 

Experience and technical competencies: (include years of experience)  

• Minimum 7 years’ proven progressive experience in finance related positions 
• Minimum 3 years’ experience working for INGOs 
• Proven experience in working with financial management of projects funded by humanitarian donors 
• Solid knowledge and understanding of financial compliance and procedures 
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills and the ability to work under pressure   
• Excellent skills in the use of computers (MS Word, Excel, Power Point); 

 Education:  

Master’s or Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting, financial management or related field 

Languages:  

Amharic - fluent 

English – fluent 

French is an asset 

All DRC roles require the post-holder to master DRC’s core competencies:

Striving for excellence: You focus on reaching results while ensuring an efficient process.  

Collaborating: You involve relevant parties and encourage feedback.  

Taking the lead: You take ownership and initiative while aiming for innovation.  

Communicating: You listen and speak effectively and honestly.

Demonstrating integrity: You act in line with our vision and values

TO APPLY 

Interested candidates who meet the required qualifications and experience are invited to submit updated CV and cover letter explaining their motivation and why they are suited for the post.  

We only accept applications sent via our online-application form on www.drc.dk under Vacancies.   

Please forward the application and CV, in English through the stated website no later than September 26, 2019

For general information about the Danish Refugee Council, please consult www.drc.dk. 

Gender Equality: DRC is committed to achieving gender parity in staffing at all levels. In light of this, women candidates are particularly encouraged to apply to bridge the gender gap.

Equal Opportunities: DRC is an equal opportunity employer. We value diversity and we are committed to creating an inclusive environment based on mutual respect for all employees. We do not discriminate on the basis of age, sex, disability status, religion, ethnic origin, colour, race, marital status or other protected characteristics

We encourage only qualified Ethiopian Nationals to apply. DRC considers all applicants based on merit.