Finance Officer job at Catholic Relief Services ( CRS )

These projects aim to assist smallholder farmers, with an average landholding of 2 hectares (minimum 0.5 hectares, maximum 20 hectares) to diversify production within their agroforestry systems, including through payments for carbon sequestration through integration of trees into their plots. The projects also aim to incentivize smallholder farmers to be able to invest in activities which restore health to their soil and increase productivity over time, as well as meet their own food security and economic needs.

Roles and Key Responsibilities:

• Accounting and Financial Reporting: Set and monitor sound accounting and financial reporting procedures for projects, grants, subrecipients, and partners in line with established standards. Ensure proper setup and maintenance of all data required for processing financial transactions in the Project Insight financial accounting system.
• Transaction Review and Validation: Review and validate supporting documentation before processing financial transactions to ensure accuracy, completeness, and proper authorization.
• Recording and Analysis: Record financial transactions following approved authorizations. Review and analyze accounts to detect irregularities, advise on corrective actions, and prepare necessary adjustments or correcting entries.
• Subrecipient Financial Management: Assess, evaluate, and monitor subrecipient financial management processes in accordance with CRS policy, and strengthen partners’ capacity in financial accounting and transaction management.
• Disbursement and Receipts Monitoring: Monitor disbursement and receipt schedules, alert relevant projects and grants staff on due payments or liquidations and maintain appropriate communication and follow-up to ensure timely financial resource management and compliance with deadlines.
• Financial Reporting and Budget Support: Prepare periodic and ad hoc financial reports, perform variance analysis, and assist project/grants staff with informed decision-making. Support budget maintenance to ensure proper management of financial resources.
• Policy Guidance and Capacity Building: Provide guidance to project/grants staff, subrecipients, and partners on financial accounting policies and procedural compliance. Deliver training and other capacity-building activities as required.
• Treasury Operations: Perform assigned treasury duties related to projects and grants (e.g., cash payments, receipts, and cash forecasting) while ensuring proper segregation of duties.

Basic Qualifications and Experience

• A bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, economics, or business administration is strongly preferred. Courses in accounting, or a qualification in accounting (CPA/ACCA or equivalent).
• A minimum of five years’ accounting experience.
• Additional education may be substituted for experience.

Preferred Qualifications and Experience

• Knowledge of the relevant public donor regulations is preferred.
• Proficient in MS Office packages (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Visio) and web conferencing applications.
• Knowledge of the Project Insight financial accounting package or similar financial reporting software preferred.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Strong analytical skills with the ability to identify and report inconsistencies.
• Conscientious, accurate, and thorough, with exceptional attention to detail.
• Demonstrates ethical conduct in line with recognized professional and organizational codes of ethics.
• Proactive, resourceful, solutions-focused, and results-orientated.
• Ability to work collaboratively within a team and across stakeholders.

Required Languages: Excellent command of written and spoken English required; knowledge of local languages from districts where RESAf is implemented an advantage.

Travel: Must be willing and able to travel up to 30% within the region of operation.

Agency-wide Competencies (for all CRS Staff)

Agency competencies clarify expected behaviours and attitudes for all staff. When demonstrated, they create an engaging workplace, help staff achieve their best, and help CRS achieve agency goals. These are rooted in the mission, values, and guiding principles of CRS and used by each staff member to fulfill his or her responsibilities and achieve the desired results.

• Personal Accountability—consistently takes responsibility for one’s own actions.
• Acts with Integrity—consistently models values aligned with CRS Guiding Principles and mission. Is considered honest.
• Builds and Maintains Trust—shows consistency between words and actions.
• Collaborates with Others—works effectively in intercultural and diverse teams.
• Open to Learn—seeks out experiences that may change perspective or provide an opportunity to learn new things.

Agency Leadership Competencies:

• Lead Change—continually looks for ways to improve the agency through a culture of agility, openness, and innovation.
• Develops and Recognizes Others—builds the capacity of staff to reach their full potential and enhance team and agency performance.
• Strategic Mindset—understands role in translating, communicating, and implementing agency strategy and team principles.

Key Working Relationships:

• Supervisory Responsibilities: None.
• Internal: Country Representative, Finance, Program & Admin Staff, Vendors.
• External: Banks, Statutory Bodies, SR Partners and Auditors

• Set and monitor sound accounting and financial reporting procedures for projects, grants, subrecipients, and partners in line with established standards.
• Review and validate supporting documentation before processing financial transactions to ensure accuracy, completeness, and proper authorization.
• Record financial transactions following approved authorizations. Review and analyze accounts to detect irregularities, advise on corrective actions, and prepare necessary adjustments or correcting entries.
• Assess, evaluate, and monitor subrecipient financial management processes in accordance with CRS policy, and strengthen partners’ capacity in financial accounting and transaction management.
• Monitor disbursement and receipt schedules, alert relevant projects and grants staff on due payments or liquidations and maintain appropriate communication and follow-up to ensure timely financial resource management and compliance with deadlines.
• Prepare periodic and ad hoc financial reports, perform variance analysis, and assist project/grants staff with informed decision-making. Support budget maintenance to ensure proper management of financial resources.
• Provide guidance to project/grants staff, subrecipients, and partners on financial accounting policies and procedural compliance. Deliver training and other capacity-building activities as required.
• Perform assigned treasury duties related to projects and grants (e.g., cash payments, receipts, and cash forecasting) while ensuring proper segregation of duties.

• Strong analytical skills with the ability to identify and report inconsistencies.
• Conscientious, accurate, and thorough, with exceptional attention to detail.
• Demonstrates ethical conduct in line with recognized professional and organizational codes of ethics.
• Proactive, resourceful, solutions-focused, and results-orientated.
• Ability to work collaboratively within a team and across stakeholders.

• A bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, economics, or business administration is strongly preferred. Courses in accounting, or a qualification in accounting (CPA/ACCA or equivalent).
• A minimum of five years’ accounting experience.
• Knowledge of the relevant public donor regulations is preferred.
• Proficient in MS Office packages (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Visio) and web conferencing applications.
• Knowledge of the Project Insight financial accounting package or similar financial reporting software preferred.