Christian Aid (CA) is a UK-based international NGO, partnering with others to end poverty in Africa. At the heart of this vision is the transformation of the lives of people who live in poverty, empowering them to have a brighter future. Christian Aid works in more than 30 countries and has been operating in Nigeria since 2003. The Nigeria Country programme focuses on Community Health and HIV, Accountable Governance including humanitarian response and Gender.

POSITION : Programme Finance Officer 

Length of Contract: 1 Year 7 Months

Role Definition
Role purpose:

• To be responsible for working with partner organizations to assist them in financial management.
• Oversee partners’ financial reporting, budgeting, auditing and compliance that relate to partner organizations, in line with Christian Aid’s procedures and policies.
• To build the financial management capacity of local partner organization through training and support.
• To improve the capacity of Christian Aid programme staff to understand both Christian Aid's and institutional donors' financial policies and procedures.

Role Context

• This role works within the Nigeria Country Programme and is Managed by the Finance Manager.
• It is responsible for managing all aspects of the programme finance function, which will include financial records, financial reports, budgets, donor funds, internal and external audits and providing financial support to Christian Aid partner staff.
• This role will also manage partner financial capacity and the compliance function.

Key Outcomes:

• In collaboration with other colleagues, budgets are prepared and monitored for partners and relevant institutional donor funded programmes.
• Financial capacity building delivered to partners to include procurement, reporting, compliance and how to deliver training.
• Partners comply with Christian Aid's and institutional donors' policies and procedures.
• Partners meeting financial reporting requirements placed on them by Christian Aid.
• Partners meeting financial reporting requirements placed on them by institutional donors.
• Good relationships with partners are maintained through positive communication.

Role Requirements
Relationships:

External:

• The role holder will have contact with partners, external auditors and other relevant stakeholders

Internal:

• The role is lined managed by the Finance Manager. This role will have contact with other members of the local finance team, local programme staff,local auditors, the internal audit team, compliance team and the international finance team as well as with the local partners

Decision making:

• This role is expected to work in close collaboration with the Finance Manager and/or country manager to deliver financial information to Christian Aid and/or donors. Able to make decisions around the necessary capacity building for partners and Christian Aid staff in relation to programmatic finance skills.

Analytical skills:

• Ability to apply logical thinking and common sense to gathering and analysing information, designing and testing solutions to problems, but also carrying out some routine work.

Developing self and others:

• Continuously look for opportunities for self-development. Give and receive honest and open feedback in a timely manner. Will advise others in some technical financial matters.

Person Specification
Applied skills/knowledge and expertise:

Essential:

• The role holder will be qualified to at least Degree level (or equivalent) and a qualified member of a recognised accounting organisation
• Knowledge of financial standards required by donors, local financial standards and legal framework
• Experience of working with financial accounting procedures of writing and reviewing financial reports, creating and monitoring budgets and working with compliance regulations.
• Considerable experience in delivering financial training using different methodologies.
• Experience with using excel and word processing packages and other account reporting tools.

Desirable:

• Knowledge of institutional donor requirements.
• Knowledge of local partners/NGOs and development.
• Experience of dealing with institutional donor (e.g. DFID) fund accounting.
• Experience of using computerised financial reporting tools such as SUN & QA Executive
• Fully qualified IFAC accountant and training related to qualification

IT competency required:

• Intermediate

Competency profile
LEVEL 2: You are expected to be able to:

• Build partnerships: Take on different work when necessary to achieve a team or organisational goal. Actively consult with others to ensure you understand their needs or goals. Listen to and take on board fresh perspectives and views even if you initially disagree with them. Maintain on-going relationships with individuals and contacts through networks, based on mutual rapport and respect.
• Communicate effectively: Make complex things simple for the benefit of others. Actively listen and question to check your understanding and draw out others when they are not expressing themselves clearly or seem to be holding back. Be sensitive to what others may be feeling, based on what they say, how they say it and their non-verbal behavior, adapting your style and approach to fit. Address difficult issues when they arise, being honest and open.
• Steward resources: Implement ways to reduce the inefficient use of resources or pass the ideas on to someone who can make them happen. Estimate the resources needed to achieve your own work plans or objectives and to deliver them in the most efficient and cost effective way. Set and communicate realistic timelines for achieving tasks, working out how best to adapt as priorities change or unforeseen circumstances arise.
• Deliver results: Prioritise, plan and monitor own work to meet own and team deliverables to agreed performance or quality standards. Acknowledge others’ priorities whilst being prepared to say “no” if there are genuine reasons why their needs cannot be met. Use logical processes and relevant tools and techniques to report on information or analyse options. Make timely and considered recommendations or decisions based on analysis of available data, information and evidence.
• Realise potential: Evaluate your own work and actively address gaps in knowledge and skills, without prompting. Recognise how you react to feedback and manage reactions positively, acting on specific feedback from others. Share your knowledge where it will help others to be more effective.
• Provide instruction, constructive feedback and guidance to others to help them learn.
• Strive for improvement: Constructively challenge existing practice. Seek better ways of doing things, taking into account the possible implications. Make positive suggestions on a way forward when faced with challenges even if these fall outside own scope of work. Look inside and outside Christian Aid for new ideas and evaluate them for own work.

Further Details

• Further details of specific tasks and duties will be agreed with the line manager as part of the performance agreement. Any reasonable duty may be assigned that is consistent with the nature of the job and its level of responsibility.
• This role profile is not prescriptive; it merely outlines the key behaviours the role-holder requires to be successful in the role; the key behaviours and responsibilities are subject to change. Any changes will be made in consultation with the role-holder.
• You will be expected to abide bythe Code of Conduct, policies and procedures within Christian Aid which may be updated from time to time.
• You must be in sympathy with the aims, beliefs and values of Christian Aid as it seeks to workon relief, development and advocacy for poverty eradication.

Remuneration
N6,119,266.