Finance Officer

Job Description

Land for Life – Sierra Leone Secretariat 10 Nylender Street-Off Cape Road; Aberdeen; Freetown; Email: info@landforlife.org.sl;

Website: www.landforlife.org.sl

VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT  

Finance Officer (1)

Summary Information  

Land for Life- Sierra Leone is seeking a suitably qualified Sierra Leonean to fill the position of  Finance Officer.  

Interested applicants must own a Bachelor’s Degree or its equivalent in Accounting and  Finance, Economics or a related field of studies from a legal learning institution that is  recognized;  

A minimum of 3 years experience is required  

The duty station is in Western Freetown with frequent travels to the provinces.  

About Land for Life  :

Land for Life started as a development intervention in the land sector through the joint effort of civil society partners in four African countries (Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Liberia and Sierra Leone), with  financial support from the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) through  the German NGO, Welthungerhilfe (WHH), and with the technical backstopping support of the Civil  Society Academy (CSA) and the Collective Leadership Institute (CLI).  

The overall aim of Land for Life is to contribute to strengthening the good governance of land and its  natural resources through a participatory decision-making approach towards poverty reduction, for the  attainment of national food security and the continuous existence of life on Earth. It is for its  commitment to dialogue for change that Land for Life is identified as a facilitator of a multi-actor process  in the four implementation countries.  

In Sierra Leone, Land for Life became a legal entity in August 2022 through the effort of four non-profit  making national civil society organizations partnering as a Consortium. These four organizations include  the Network Movement for Justice and Development (NMJD) which is acting as Consortium Lead, the  United for the Protection of Human Rights (UPHR) in Port-Loko, Partners Initiative for Conflict  Transformation (PICOT) in Pujehun and Forum for Human Rights and Developments in Tonkolili district.  These four organizations have interlacing organizational mandates and thematic focuses that are  contextually relevant to the campaign for responsible land and natural resource governance. NMJD is  hosting the Land for Life Secretariat at its 10 Nylender Street office, Aberdeen, Freetown.  

Main Responsibilities  :

The holder of the position will perform the following tasks/responsibilities: 

Documentation  

• Prepares payment vouchers and cheques for payments;  
• Posts all financial transactions daily in the organization’s QuickBooks accounting software;  
• Prepares monthly, quarterly, half-yearly and annual financial reports for each project, or as may  be required by the donor;  
• Prepares monthly payrolls for payment of salaries and other remunerations;  
• Develops and maintains fixed assets register;  
• Maintains proper filing systems and maintains all necessary financial records in both electronic  and hard copies;  
• Maintains a cash book and prepares monthly bank reconciliation statements for all the projects;  
• Prepares Monthly timesheet for contract staff and other personnel;  
• Ensures that all statutory compliance requirements are fully complied with. b. Accounts and  payables:  
• Timely preparation of statutory deduction payments  
• Preparation of withholding tax payments  
• Maintain a schedule of recurrent expenditure for the LfL Secretariat i.e., Utilities such as  electricity bills, water bills, internet bills, and security services to ensure that they are all paid  and accrued on a timely basis;  
• Receive all documents on behalf of the LfL partners and third-party contractors; 
•  Review and register the completeness of documents received on behalf of LfL partners and report  on any omissions/missing documentation to the National Coordinator or donor partner; 
• Support to LfL Secretariat and partner Finance Officers  

• Work closely with the National Coordinator in developing project proposals and budgets;  
• Coordinates to strengthen the financial accounting and internal controls of the LfL Secretariat  and partner organizations;  
• Facilitates regular virtual meetings with partner financial officers as a way of providing regular  backstopping support and responding to their capacity needs and other concerns;  
• Be able to identify possible risks and threats relating to financial accountability and recommend  immediate actions to the National Coordinator;  
• Assesses and review the financial documentation and vouchers presented by partners to ensure  that they are complete, accurately accounted and of the quality acceptable to the donor  compliance team;  

Administration and Reporting:  

• Handles other financial transactions as and when assigned by the National Coordinator or donor  Finance Manager;  
• Serves as the technical expert for budget control and provides advice to the National Coordinator  accordingly on decisions relating to financial expenses and records;  
• Make sure that petty cash and other advance payments made available to the Admin Officer and  other staff are properly accounted for before the next disbursement; 

Desired Qualifications and Other Specifications  :

Applicant should possess the following qualifications and experience:  

• Holds a Bachelor’s degree in Finance and Accounting or its equivalent from a recognised  university;  
• In addition to the academic qualification and experiences of an applicant, proficiency in the use  of MS computer programs with particular emphasis on Excel spreadsheets is a key  requirement;  
• Applicant must have held a similar position in a development sector and holds a minimum of 3  years experience;  
• Skilled in the use of QuickBooks or any other donor accounting software could be an added  advantage;  
• Must be skilled in project budgeting and prudent financial reporting, especially within a  framework of multi-partnership projects;  
• Interpersonal and effective communication skills including influencing, negotiation and coaching,  are desired;  
• Cultural awareness and ability to work in rural communities and with people from diverse  backgrounds and cultures;  
• Ability and willingness to work in teams and to adapt to prevailing circumstances/environments  (this requires character flexibility);  
• Fluency in English, both (verbal and written) and local languages could be an advantage. 
•  Proven record of credibility responsible behaviour and commitment to the organization’s core  values.  

Contract period 

Upon completing a 3-month probationary period, a successful applicant will be placed on an initial  1-year contract with a strong possibility for extension.  

Submission of Application  

• Interested applicants should send in their application letters backed by an updated CV bearing the  names, and contact of three referees; Please address your applications to: 

The National Coordinator,  

Land for Life- Sierra Leone  

10 Nylender Street,  

Off Cape Road Aberdeen, Freetown  

• Please note that only applications sent as an attachment to either info@landforlife.org.sl and copy admin@landforlife.org.sl shall be considered and that only short-listed applicants will be contacted  for interviews;  
• The deadline for application is the close of business on the 9th of February, 2024. Applications sent  beyond that time will be discarded unopened.