Christian Aid (CA)  - 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 : Finance Associate

Role Purpose

• To support the finance officer or finance manager by inputting financial data in an efficient, accurate and timely manner. Likely to operate in one office with supervision. To prepare financial documentation including cheques, petty cash reimbursement, petty cash advances and all staff floats.
• To ensure efficient and accurate cash and bank books are maintained and monthly accounts and returns are produced in a timely manner. To ensure efficient, accurate and timely collation of finance information requested by senior colleagues. To extract reports from the financial and administration systems to review the status of the budget and the adherence to financial policies and procedures.
• This role may or may not include providing administrative support to the office.

Role Context

• Christian Aid Nigeria country programme is currently implementing a huge Malaria project funded by the Global Funds.
• The project entails huge payments to individuals who have been trained by the project and also to vendors who provide specific services for the project.
• This project is implemented directly by Christian Aid staff and does not have a provision for now to work through local partners.
• As such there is a lot of accounting and day-to-day handling of cash and expenditure for the project.
• The Finances of this project is under the direct supervision of a Finance Coordinator, line managed by the overall leadership of the Finance Manager.
• The Finance Coordinator supports Finance officers to ensure the finances of the project are well handled and work closely with the programme officers for the project.
• Christian Aid is seeking to employ the services of Finance associates to support directly the Finance officer for this project, working from the states the project is based.

Key Outcomes

• Cash, bank books and other financial documentation is maintained in an accurate and timely fashion.
• Monthly accounts and financial returns produced and submitted in an accurate and timely fashion.
• Local budgets are reviewed, updated and administered accurately.
• Christian Aid and donor financial policies and procedures are complied with.
• Senior finance staff are assisted in meeting office financial requirements.
• Good relationships with third parties, suppliers and partners are maintained through positive communication

Role Requirements
Relationships:
(Key relationships, frequency of contact, purpose of contact (liaison/influencing/negotiating etc.)

External:

• Suppliers, consultants, service providers, tax office.

Internal:

• All staff.

Decision making:

• Make decisions to assist in the smooth running of financial processing. Providing advice on financial policies and procedures to local Christian Aid staff. Support the maintenance of all financial records.

Analytical skills

• Ability to apply logical thinking and common sense to routine work in a specific area. Occasionally providing analysis or advice on financial matters.

Developing self and others:

• Will work under the instruction of others with responsibility oction of others with responsibility only for how the work is completed.

Person Specification

• Applied skills/knowledge and expertise

Essential:

• Specialised knowledge of finance.
• Academic qualification in Accountancy, Business Administration and Banking and Finance.
• Verbal and written fluency in English.
• Proven ability to address a small range of straightforward financial issues.
• Basic operational competency in MS Word and Excel.

Desirable:

• At the early stages of an ICAN/AACA accountancy qualification.
• Knowledge of working in the NGO sector.
• IT competency required
• Intermediate

Competency profile
LEVEL 1: You are expected to be able to:

Build Partnerships:

• Work in a collaborative way that develops positive relationships and proactively provide help to others
• Proactively participate in team work and contribute ideas, including those that may be beyond your own or your team’s role.
• Keep others informed about what is going on in your own work area.
• Treat everyone with courteousness, dignity and respect, recognising that people are different and have different views.
• Act and behave consistently with what you say..

Communicate effectively:

• Communicate clearly and concisely, verbally and in writing.
• Pass on messages or information promptly and accurately, ensuring clarity and understanding.
• Proactively question to clarify when needed.
• Explain things simply and in a different way if someone appears not to have understood.
• Be sensitive to and take responsibility for how your actions and words impact on others and adapt if necessary.

Steward Resources:

• Be responsible for using resources economically, whether these are Christian Aid resources or wider environmental resources.
• Recognise that time is a resource and take responsibility and proactive measures for managing your time effectively.

Deliver Results:

• Agree your work plan and priorities, keep track of your own progress and keep others informed.
• Check the quality of your own work and deliver to expectations.
• Seek clarification and support from your manager when needed, ensuring appropriate sign-off.
• Respond promptly to the requests of others, handling competing priorities and seeking guidance on these where appropriate.
• Consider the consequences of your actions, and take responsibility for the impact on your work, your colleagues and team objectives.
• Be accountable for your actions.

Realise potential:

• Acknowledge gaps in your own knowledge and skills and seek out information and advice in order to learn.
• Regularly ask for and act on feedback on own performance.
• Assist others by showing how to complete tasks and sharing knowledge.

Strive for improvement:

• Demonstrate openness and willingness to embrace change, be flexible and adapt to new methods of working.
• Respond quickly and positively to new initiatives.
• Find ways to make improvements in your work and ways of working.
• Show initiative when faced with problems and proactively seek solutions.
• Willingly share knowledge and information that may help others.

Interview Date
17th October 2016.

Note

• 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 by the 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 work on relief, development and advocacy for poverty eradication.