Country Finance Officer – Finance and Budgeting
Organization of Southern Cooperation – An International Intergovernmental Organization (Ethiopia)
Total years of experience :7 years, 4 Months
• Support corporate finance and resource management strategies and major ongoing programmatic initiatives, participating where appropriate using finance and resource management expertise.
• Contribute towards the development of country specific plans and processes, aligned with Regional and wider OSC strategy, policies and processes.
• Analyze and report on key data for financial status and outcomes of projects in accordance with corporate governance requirements, ensuring accuracy, deadlines, and accounting processes are complied with.
• Monitor and analyze budgets for new and ongoing projects according to established corporate procedures and requirements.
• Perform bank reconciliations, disbursements, clearance of receivables, overall cash management and monthly financial closures on a regular basis in accordance with corporate requirements.
• Where necessary, deliver core administrative services, working with contractors and following standard processes to provide cost-effective, quality and timely services to OSC staff.
• Collate and analyze data for the preparation of accurate and timely reporting, in order to provide management with financial, accounting and budgetary information to enable them to make informed decisions.
• Track and analyze data to identify opportunities for improvements to policies, systems and procedures in order to minimize financial risks, improve the efficiency and effectiveness of operations, and ensure services are aligned with business objectives.
• Deliver financial controls and insight into OSC performance, undertaking periodic risk and internal control assessments to identify areas which may present potential audit, compliance or financial risks.
• Guide and supervise more junior staff, acting as a point of referral and supporting them with more complex analysis and queries.
• Additionally, I am responsible for integrating the SAP Finance module and formulating finance policies and rules in collaboration with the Financial Regulations.
• I led the Finance and Admin functions for missions in Tunisia and Libya. Coordination with the team of 3 finance personnel, my responsibilities included end-to-end finance and admin functions, formulating country budgets, and proactively managing funding gaps. I successfully handled a diverse portfolio of projects from UNICEF, UNHCR, OCHA, SV, UNFPA, EUTF, and WFP. Ensuring compliance with donor requirements, policies, and procedures, I provided updates on economic and financial status and collaborated with various departments to monitor program expenditure. Additionally, I advised the Country mission on changes in statutory requirements, organized administrative files, and coordinated with program teams for project progress. My strong experience includes leading audit exercises, donor communication, and providing assessments on risks and learnings from audit findings.
• In this multifaceted role, I assist relevant managers in the timely development and implementation of work plans, ensuring financial records' currency and accuracy. I supervise a finance assistant in maintaining an organized
voucher filing system and daily updating of the Cash Transaction Journal and Bank Transaction Journal in Cost Point. My responsibilities encompass reviewing processes and payments, guaranteeing compliance with donor regulations and IMC's financial policies. Acting as the focal point in the finance department for payments processed in Tunis, I oversee their distribution after submissions by the logistics department. Additionally, I address daily finance inquiries from all staff, prepare monthly cash and bank reconciliation reports, balance account receivables and payables, manage monthly pool allocations for expenses across seven IMC locations, and liaise with logistics and program departments for accurate pipeline reports. Furthermore, I oversee Tunis office expenses and a staff of three, including the finance officer, by providing training and daily work supervision. Lastly, I track cash and bank balances to ensure a sufficient level of funds and prepare monthly cash requests based on the organization's forecasted weekly needs.
• My responsibilities include creating and updating daily transaction spreadsheets, overseeing accounts receivable and payable, processing reimbursements, assisting in budget construction, maintaining records of invoices and tax payments, managing company liabilities and insurance, participating in the payroll process, corresponding with clients, and overseeing program scheduling, communication, and registration. Additionally, I handle logistics support, including hotel bookings, meetings, and flights.