Finance Coordinator - (Budgeting and Reporting) - Somalia

The purpose of a Finance Coordinator is to ensure timely and quality reporting of Somalia financial and grant management information.

• Minimum Qualification: Bachelor
• Experience Level: Mid level
• Experience Length: 5 years

Job Description

Rights Respected, People Protected

Founded in 1946, today the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) works in both new and protracted crises across 31 countries. Our 6,000 employees provide life-saving and long-term assistance to millions of people every year. NRC specializes in six areas: food security, education, shelter, legal assistance, camp management, and water, sanitation and hygiene. NRC is a determined advocate for displaced people. We promote and defend their rights and dignity in local communities, with national governments and in the international arena.

NRC's expert deployment capacity, NORCAP, boasts around 1,000 experts from all over the world who can be deployed within 72 hours. NORCAP experts help improve international and local ability to prevent, prepare for, respond to and recover from crises.

NRC also runs the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre in Geneva, a global leader in reporting on and advocating for people displaced within their own country.

NRC in Somalia

NRC has been active in Somalia since 2004 with four area offices in Kismayu, Mogadishu, Garowe and Hargeisa, providing protection and humanitarian assistance to refugees, internally displaced persons and returnees in Somaliland, Puntland, South Central and Jubbaland regions. NRC offers a comprehensive response for returnees and IDPs of high need, addressing their food security, livelihood, shelter, education, ICLA, and water, hygiene and sanitation needs and also responding to emergencies through NRC's five core competences; Shelter, Education, Food Security and Livelihoods, WASH and Information, Counselling and Legal Assistance (ICLA).

NRC Somalia is part of NRC's East Africa and Yemen regional operation which comprises of large-scale multi-country humanitarian and early recovery interventions spread across nine countries (Kenya, Somalia, Ethiopia, Djibouti, Yemen, Eritrea, South Sudan, Uganda and Tanzania). NRC's overall strategy in the region is to enhance protection and promote the rights of displaced people in humanitarian need by improving living conditions and seeking durable solutions. The regional office is based in Nairobi and works with country programmes to ensure standardization of programmatic and operational approaches, promote multi country programming and ensuring quality and coordination.

Role Specific Information

The purpose of a Finance Coordinator is to ensure timely and quality reporting of Somalia financial and grant management information. The Finance Coordinator will be responsible in ensuring strong financial and grant management monitoring systems within Somalia Programme, as well as ensuring budgets and financial reports are compliant to donor and NRC financial regulations.

Generic responsibilities:

• Implement NRC's systems and procedures
• Ensure adherence to NRC policies, handbooks, guidelines and donor requirements
• Prepare and submit reports and analysis
• Ensure proper filing of all support documents
• Support project staff in financial matters

Specific responsibilities:

Financial Reporting

• Contribute in the design, development and implementation of the Financial management policies, procedures and practices in NRC
• Coordinate the financial aspects of the multi-state, multi-year, multi-partner programs in line with donor requirements.
• Ensure all financial and accounting aspects of project operations, strong internal control system, accurate and on time submission financial report for donor.
• Consolidate financial reports, fund requests and budget amendments in a timely fashion throughout the life of the projects.
• Ensure the grant tracking report is updated and implemented to ensure timely reporting while liaising with the area finance teams.

Grants Management

• Ensure strong grants monitoring and reporting systems are in place which ensures timely reporting and utilization of the funds
• Work closely with Somalia budget holders on proposal/budget preparation and giving technical support for the area finance coordinators to make sure the submission of the donor budgets. Ensure the grant tracking report is updated and implemented to ensure timely reporting
• Consolidate budgets and financial reports for review by the Finance Manager
• Undertake proposal and grant application reviews to assess compliance with NRC and donor guidelines
• Participate in the closure of projects and coordinate with area finance teams to close the projects one time.
• Review all grants on a monthly basis in terms of budget versus actual, identify areas of over or under expenditure, instigate remedial actions and liaise over required correction.
• Developing and updating the master budgets at country level and working closely with the area finance teams for any technical support needed.
• Share lessons learnt and good practices of financial and grants reporting.
• Undertake periodic visits to the field in order to support consortium members and put forward recommendations for improvements where appropriate

Developing High Quality Budgets

• Developing the top down of the budgets and sharing with the area program team and finance coordinators.
• Ensuring that country office costs are covered and captured in the active budgets.
• Making sure that the budgets are reviewed and cross checked with the compliance of the donors before submitting to the controller.
• Supporting the country finance manager of budgeting and reporting for issues related to budget and reports
• Assist and work closely with Somalia budget holders on budget management-detailed Budget monitoring, high burn rates and Budget revisions and budget revisions.
• Any other duty as assigned by the line manager

Academic qualifications and experience

• University degree in Accounting and Finance
• Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Associate of the Chartered Institute of Certified Accountants (ACCA) or equivalent
• At least 5 years of financial and grants management experience in an INGO. Experience of managing EC, ECHO, DFID, SIDA, UN and Government institutional projects will have an added advantage
• Good communication and coordination skills

Knowledge, Skills & Personal Attributes

• Solid experience of work with windows based computer software, and modern accounting-systems
• Good ability to plan for different sets of scenarios in relation to budgets and plans
• Excellent project management, accounting and expenditure verification attention to detail
• Understanding of issues in complex emergencies and crisis contexts
• Strong communication, interpersonal, analytical and negotiation skills
• Ability to work with stress and under high time and other pressure
• Excellent ability to work independently with very limited supervision
• Ability and willingness to work and live under difficult circumstances
• Good fluency in the English language, both written and verbal
• Excellent working knowledge of Excel and standard accounting packages
• Knowledge of Somali language
• Willingness to travel to all areas of the country where the programme is implemented, on a regular basis
• Flexible and creative

Behavioral Competencies

• Managing resources to optimize results
• Managing performance and development
• Analyzing
• Handling insecure environments
• Empowering and building trust

Additional Information:

Candidates are encouraged to apply early, as applications may be screened prior to the vacancy deadline

Email and paper applications will not be considered.

Qualified female candidates are particularly encouraged to apply.

Contract period: 1 year (with possibility of extension)

Salary/benefits: According to NRC's salary scale and terms and conditions

Duty station:Mogadishu

Travel: Some travel to other NRC locations in Somalia

NRC may be required to verify the identity of its partners and to check that its partners have not been involved in illegal activities. NRC reserves the right to use electronic screening tools for this purpose.

NB: All employees of the Norwegian Refugee Council should be able to adhere to our Code of Conduct and the four organizational values: Dedicated, innovative, inclusive and accountable.