Finance Assistant – Hargeisa, Somaliland

Finance Assistant

Date: 08-Nov-2022

Oxfam is a global movement of people working together to end the injustice of poverty.

Together we save, protect and rebuild lives. And we won’t stop until every person on the planet can defeat poverty or any type of inequality or discrimination.

We are an international confederation of 19 organizations (affiliates) working together with partners and local communities in the areas of humanitarian, development, and campaigning, in more than 90 countries.

All our work is led by three core values: Empowerment, Accountability, Inclusiveness. To read more about our values please click here.

The Country Office in Somalia/Somaliland is currently recruiting a: Finance Assistant

Fulltime / 40 hours a week

Contract length: 1 Year with the possibility of extension

Location: Hargeisa , with frequent travel to other offices

TEAM PURPOSE: Support the Accounting function for the Country Office and process payments for other field offices too

JOB PURPOSE:

To work closely with the Senior Accountant to ensure that the country office maintains a high standard of accounting and financial control to effectively support. To ensure that the Field office based programmes payments are handled on time and correctly and cash/bank books are recorded on a daily basis, ready for upload in Pastel as per the business rules.

DIMENSIONS:

• The nature of this job demands rigorous and careful attention to routine systems and procedures, good inter-personal skills and complete integrity at all times. Strict adherence to detail is required. The following responsibilities are not exhaustive. They aim to provide a clear sense of the nature and scope of the job.
• Responsible for resources within finance unit.
• High level of confidentiality is required as the staff will have access to staff personal information
• Providing support and information on areas of work covered by their remit.
• Implements country plans to agreed standards.
• Responds to routine problems and escalates complex problems
• Responds to and uses information received in a variety of formats from different sources.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Payments processing

• The Finance Assistant provides essential support to the Senior Accountant to ensure maximum impact of the Oxfam Somalia/Somaliland. Working under the authority of the Senior Accountant, the Finance Assistant is responsible for all payments processing related to programmes/business units
• He/She is also responsible for payment requests done from Field office
• Assisting the Senior Accountant with maintaining close links with the banks, which hold Field office Business Unit accounts and checking on, following up and acting on routine discrepancies and any problems, which may arise.
• To process and write cheque and or cash payments ensuring that invoices are thoroughly checked and supporting documents attached and cheques together with payment vouchers are raised are appropriately approved.
• To maintain a log of all cheque payments made. Ensure that a complete and accurate record of all petty cash transactions is maintained at all times; that expenditure of petty cash is accurate; and that requests for replenishment are made in a timely manner, when required.
• Ensure proper invoices/re-charging of other Oxfam offices and staff for private expenditure especially those based in Field office in relation to the personal use of Oxfam assets (including private mileage in Oxfam vehicles, fax, telephone, photocopier) and all other costs & charges incurred by them.
• Ensure that they are fully supported and well authorised before payment.

Float, advances and loans accounts

• To follow up on Personal accounts, i.e. Floats, Welfare loans and rent advances by ensuring that monthly statements are shared and recoveries are made where required.
• Prepare and mobile phones analysis monthly for sharing with business unit FMs for payment.
• Inform the Senior Accountant of any major discrepancies or problems and assisting in resolving relevant issues/problems.

Compliance with Oxfam Policies and Finance Procedures

• To ensure Oxfam Novib core standards in terms of ethics, safety and procedures are met and/or adhered to in providing support services. This would include the review, discussion and implementation of the revised petty cash procedures guide, as well as improve payroll management

Statutory Compliance

• To ensure that statutory obligations are adhered to and all taxes are remitted on time.
• To recover salary deductions from staff and process payments to respective government bodies.

Pastel and Financial Systems use

• To ensure the proper use and maintenance of computerised financial systems (including the accounts package designed for Oxfam Novib purposes, (Peoplesoft) for all financial matters relating specifically to the Shared Services unit.

Accounting and Record keeping

• Liaise closely with the Senior Accountant to ensure a high standard of clerical support for financial accounting especially with Pastel month end transactions, bank payments and receipts, petty cash and payroll transfers.
• Ensure transactions are fully coded and properly authorised before processing payment and uploading to cashbooks.
• Ensure journals are uploaded in the Pastel System every two weeks.
• Ensure petty cash is updated and reconciled on a daily basis and updated in Pastel at least every two weeks.

Filling:

• Support in document retrieval for audit purpose.
• Maintaining up to date financial records and consolidating data to ensure that all-financial information is accurately keyed into the Pastel system.
• Assist in the preparation of monthly financial reports for authorisation by the Business Support Manager and submission to Oxfam Novib with supporting documents and resolving any discrepancies if arising.
• To ensure proper paperwork and filing is well maintained in soft copy and hard copy and stamped paid before filing for all units respectively.

SKILLS AND COMPETENCE:

• Bachelor Business administration or Bachelor of Commerce degree
• Minimum of 3 years working experience in accounts, with thorough knowledge of book keeping
• Working understanding of project cycle
• Manages resources and deadlines with minimum supervision.
• High level of initiative
• Good communication and interpersonal skills.
• Shows evidence of high level of planning skills.
• Responsible, flexible and adaptable.
• Good team player and builder.

OTHER:

• Commitment to Oxfam’s philosophy, aims and policies
• Self-confidence, maturity & ability to co-operate with a wide variety of people
• Ability to work on own initiative & under pressure and to meet deadlines
• Personal commitment to working as reliable, honest, & trustworthy member of a team
• Enthusiasm for good working practices and ability to analyse and improve systems
• Tact/diplomacy
• Ability to work effectively in a culturally diverse organisation
• Proactive and self driven

Application Procedure:

Please apply for the position by clicking the Apply button. Application Deadline on 21 November 2022. However, applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and assessments might be carried out before the Deadline and the internal candidates will be first priorities.

We are committed to ensuring diversity and gender equality within our organization. Therefore, people of all gender identities, sexes, sexual orientations, races, colors, religions, cultures, abilities, etc. are eligible for this position.

Oxfam aims to attract great talent that not only fits the job but also Oxfam’s high standard of values and principles, who shares and demonstrates Oxfam’s commitment to prevent and eradicate any type of misconduct including sexual harassment, exploitation and abuse, any other type of misuse of power or lack of integrity and financial misconduct. We are committed to promoting the welfare of children, young people, and adults. We place a high priority on ensuring that only those who share and demonstrate our values are recruited to work for us.

Note: All offers of employment will be subject to satisfactory references and may be subject to appropriate screening checks, which can include criminal records and terrorism finance checks, or integrity screenings/references relating to misconduct and disciplinary actions in prior employment.

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