Job Description
Concern Worldwide is a nongovernmental, international, humanitarian organisation dedicated to the reduction of suffering and working towards the ultimate elimination of extreme poverty in the world’s poorest countries. Concern Worldwide’s integrated programming approach aims to tackle all dimensions of poverty, focusing on the overlapping areas of health, education and livelihoods while maintaining our response to emergencies. Concern fully integrates equality in all its work, with emphasis on a gender transformative approach. Concern Worldwide has been operational in Sierra Leone since 1996. We currently operates in the Districts of Western Area Urban (Freetown), Western Area Rural, Tonkolili, Kambia and Port Loko – as well as remotely in Koinadugu, Falaba, Bombali and Karene.
Concern is hereby inviting you to send in your applications for the under mentioned positions:
Job Title |
Finance Officer |
Project |
Finance Department |
Reports to: |
Area Coordinator |
Direct reports: |
Nil |
Liaises with: |
Internal – All Staff, Systems and Programmes
External – Suppliers, Vendors and Auditors |
Location: |
Port Loko District, and surrounding Concern Operating areas |
Contract Details: |
Fixed term |
Job Purpose: |
The Finance Officer is responsible for ensuring the books and records for all bank and cash transactions in Port Loko, including reviewing all supporting documentation for payment requests to ensure Concern policies and procedures are being complied with consistently. He/she will also be responsible for all Port Loko bank payments, checking of supporting documentation, monitoring bank/cash balances in each account and in the office safes and notifying the Area Coordinator on a timely basis when a transfer between accounts or from Freetown is required. |
Main duties &
Responsibilities: |
Bank/Cash Oversight
- Review each month Port Loko’s bank & cash transaction to ensure correct supporting documentation is attached and Concern policies & procedures are being followed properly.
- Document any findings from the review of the bank and cash books and include any further comments from the FM & CFC before communicating it to the cashiers.
- Monitor issues as they arise on the bank and cash book reviews to ensure they do not continue to occur. Raise repeat issues with the FM/CFC and work with the cashiers to resolve the issues.
- Represent finance team and work as a member of the procurement committee in the Port Loko office.
Bank/Cash Management
- Monitor cash levels in the petty cash box and office safe and request cash transfers on a timely basis from the Area Coordinator to ensure that there are always sufficient funds in the office.
- Monitor the bank balance and notify the Area Coordinator on a timely basis when a transfer from Freetown is required.
- Ensure cash/bank payments are made within Concern’s limits and that all required documentation and authorization procedures for the payment have been followed.
- Ensure the issuing and retiring of cash floats to approve float holders and that all required documentation and authorization procedures have been followed.
- Carry out daily cash counts and weekly safe counts in conjunction with the Area Coordinator and reconcile to the cash/safe book
- Collect bank statement from the bank and carry out monthly bank reconciliations.
- Carry out cash transfers from the bank in conjunction with the Area Coordinator.
- Travel to Programme field sites as and when requested by the Area Coordinator to make cash payments.
Books and Records
- Ensure accurate cash & float logs are maintained and up-to-date.
- Ensure that Transaction Vouchers are manually raised to record all safe, bank & cash movements and filed numerically with the supporting documentation
- Ensure that electronic safe, bank & cashbooks are updated on a regular (daily) basis.
- Monitor cash flow to ensure that adequate funds are available in the bank & safe to support programme activities.
- Ensure accurate coding is used on all payment requests.
- Ensure that all receipts are properly checked and verified, including any payments to local partners.
- Monitor and record the issuing of pre-paid mobile phone credit to authorised users on a monthly basis.
- Send all bank and cash MGP books and bank and cash reconciliations to the finance office in Freetown by the first week of each month.
Miscellaneous
- Make prompt and timely payment of all local taxes where applicable.
- Cover for cashiers (Freetown/Port Loko) as and when tasks are heavy or when any one of them is on leave.
- Ensure all documents requested by auditors are presented to the auditors timely and in an orderly way and returned to the archive correctly.
- Occasionally travel to Freetown to assist the finance team or attend training as requested by the Country Financial Controller.
- Provide information and support to Programme and Support staff on issues such as budget coding and standard Concern Sierra Leone Finance Policies and Procedures.
- Ensure familiarisation and adherence to Concern’s Finance Policies and Procedures, particularly in the security of cash and confidentiality of information, at all times.
- Ensure the organizational anti-fraud policy, 4P and equality issues for maximizing better quality work and changing life of the targeted extreme poor peoples
Any other duty that may be determined by the Area Coordinator/ Finance Manager/ Country Financial Controller |
Person specification: |
Education
Required: Diploma in Accounting or Finance related Field or with strong experience
Desired: Degree in Accounting or Finance related Field or Part Qualified AAT, ACA, ACCA, CIMA
Job related Experience and Knowledge
- At least 4 years’ experience in finance / related field.
- At least 1 years’ managerial level experience
- Experience in working with an International Non – Governmental Organization.
- Experience of management reporting would be highly desirable.
- Computer literacy, particularly in Microsoft Office programmes such as Word and Excel (Essential) as well accounting packages & other database competencies (Desirable).
- Experience in developing finance staff capacity on the technical aspects of finance and training/awareness raising of non-finance staff on finance functions.
- Ability to work under pressure to meet tight deadlines.
- Ability to work in a Team.
Time required in Job to reach effective performance
Probation period – 4 months.
Time to reach full effectiveness – 4 months. |
Emergency response |
Concern is committed to responding to emergencies efficiently and effectively in order to help affected people meet their basic needs, alleviate suffering and maintain their dignity. To this end, when emergencies strike and Sierra Leone Programme is to respond, all staff are expected to be willing to actively participate in emergency responses, regardless of location and contribute to the efforts aimed at achieving the humanitarian objective of the organization. |
HIV & AIDS |
Concern Sierra Leone is committed to respond to HIV & AIDS and to a supportive working environment for those infected or affected. Each staff member is required to contribute to achieving this commitment by:
- Raising awareness and being updated on HIV & AIDS issues.
- Protecting him/herself and colleagues.
Sharing information with colleagues and avoiding stigma and discrimination. |
Gender Equality |
Concern Worldwide in Sierra Leone recognizes that the establishment of equality of opportunity between men and women is fundamental to both the achievement of fairness and to poverty elimination.
Therefore, each staff member of Concern is expected to be sensitive to equality issues in their relationships with colleagues and in their work and to participate in implementation of gender mainstreaming plans, both at the workplace and in programmes. |
Safeguarding at Concern: Code of Conduct and its Associated Policies
Concern has an organisational Code of Conduct (CCoC) with three Associated Policies; the Programme Participant Protection Policy (P4), the Child Safeguarding Policy and the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Policy. These have been developed to ensure the maximum protection of programme participants from exploitation, and to clarify the responsibilities of Concern staff, consultants, visitors to the programme and partner organisation, and the standards of behaviour expected of them. In this context, staff have a responsibility to the organisation to strive for, and maintain, the highest standards in the day-to-day conduct in their workplace in accordance with Concern’s core values and mission. Any candidate offered a job with Concern Worldwide will be expected to sign the Concern Staff Code of Conduct and Associated Policies as an appendix to their contract of employment. By signing the Concern Code of Conduct, candidates acknowledge that they have understood the content of both the Concern Code of Conduct and the Associated Policies and agree to conduct themselves in accordance with the provisions of these policies. Additionally, Concern is committed to the safeguarding and protection of vulnerable adults and children in our work. We will do everything possible to ensure that only those who are suitable to work or volunteer with vulnerable adults and children are recruited by us for such roles. Subsequently, working or volunteering with Concern is subject to a range of vetting checks, including criminal background checking. |
HOW TO APPLY
Interested candidates should apply with:
- An application letter clearly justifying how you meet the selection criteria
- Recent Curriculum Vitae including names and full contact addresses of three (3) referees, one of whom must be their current or most recent employer.
- Candidates must state the position of each referee and his/her relationship to the candidate.
- A copy of a valid labour card must be attached to ALL applications (written or electronic)
- Police Clearance will be required from the successful candidate
Applications should be sent either through email or by hard copy to the following addresses.
You can send through email to info.sl@concern.net OR deliver in Hard copy to the below locations
HR Department, Concern Worldwide, 20 Old Railway Line – Signal Hill, Freetown
HR Department, Concern Worldwide, 156A Freetown Highway, Mile 91, Tonkolili
HR Department, 24 Upper Kamara Lane, Back of EDSA Substation, Port Loko
Please mark your application as per the references stated in position above
(by email please put the reference in the SUBJECT heading).
Closing date for receipt of applications for the above vacancy is 17.00 on Tuesday 6th August, 2024
Only short listed candidates will be contacted.
PLEASE NOTE THAT A COPY OF THE APPLICATION LETTER (written or typed) MUST BE SENT TO THE NGO DESK OFFICER, MINISTRY OF LABOUR, NEW ENGLAND OR EMAILED TO Email: employmentdesk71@gmail.com
“FEMALE CANDIDATES ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO APPLY”