Finance Officer-Grants, Grants/Contracts and Projects at SADC: The Southern African Development Community

Primary Purpose of the Job

• To ensure efficient, effective, and transparent financial administration, accounting, and reporting of Programme/project funds managed by the Secretariat, in full compliance with applicable ICP requirements, SADC financial regulations, and sound financial management principles.

Duties and Responsibilities

Budgeting

• Financial planning, budgeting, forecasting and variance analysis Consolidate the Projects annual budget and submit to the Financial Controller
• Budget & Expenditure Control
• Ensure that commitments are only made against budgeted appropriations.
• Review and approve project commitments (purchase orders).
• Review procurement procedures followed for award of contracts and ensure compliance with donor contractual requirements. Report exceptions to the Supervisor.
• Check payment requests against supporting documents and ensure they comply with the relevant conditions and rules of the donor/s agreement to be eligible for disbursements.
• Perform regular monitoring of project actual expenditure against budget and report potential overruns to management.
• Undertake regular expenditure verifications/monitoring on Grants
• Investigate variances and discuss with project owners of potential overspent above approved budget and seek justifications.
• Compliance and eligibility – verify whether expenditure was incurred in accordance with the underlying procurement rules by examining the procurement documents and purchase processes. Where instances of noncompliance are identified, the nature of such expenditure and related financial impact in terms of ineligible expenditure is to be reported.
• Provide help desk support on financial management to Member States/ Grant Beneficiaries on a demand basis.
• Ensure the project's financial closure by completing all project-related financial transactions, finalizing and closing the project financial accounts, and disposing of project assets.

Accounting

• Ensure chart of accounts are appropriately set up for accounting and reporting of project expenditures and maintain control around updates.
• Review and analyse financial reports, income and expenditures incurred by projects, perform relevant analysis and reconciliations to ensure completeness
• and accuracy.
• Prepare a timetable of ICP reporting requirements and ensure compliance by the accounting team
• Liaise with ICP finance officers and address their queries on the financial reports
• Liaise with external auditors and provide relevant information for audit
• Keep up to date with International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS) and provide adequate training to accounting team
• Review all outstanding commitments made and ensure these are settled, accounted and reported before close of projects with donors
• Monitor the integrity and maintain adequate security and back up around accounting data.

Cash Management & Control

• Review for project expenditures, ensure payment requests and supporting documents comply with the relevant conditions and rules of the ICP/s agreement to be eligible for disbursements.
• Review and verify disbursements for compliance and accuracy before processing payments
• Review agreements and contractual rules and procedures established by donors for sound cash management and ensure these are implemented and
• followed during the financial management of projects.
• Review all bank reconciliations and cash flow reconciliation prepared by Treasury Finance Officers for projects and ensure they are complete and
• accurate
• Ensure adequate controls are implemented and followed for proper management of project funds.
• Prepare monthly cash flow reconciliations and forecasts and liaise with ICPs (donors) and banks in advance to solicit additional funding requirements
• Provide periodic reports to the Financial Controller on cash flow positions and forecasts for review.

Internal Controls

• Review and understand contractual requirements of ICPs regarding internal controls around project financial management and ensure these are effectively implemented.
• Implement auditor recommendations for better financial controls
• Audit coordination and risk management
• Coordinate with the Assistant Finance Officer –Asset to ensure proper management and record keeping of fixed assets for the Secretariat and projects, ensure compliance with donor rules and conditions.
• Review and confirm all recoverable or payable balances at the close of projects, liaise with donor finance officers and SADC disbursement officers and treasury accordingly for settlement
• Submit reports to donors as stipulated in contractual conditions and attend to adhoc information request.
• Effectively manage and deliver financial oversight across multiple projects simultaneously.

People Management within the unit

• Ensure team compliance with all relevant Secretariat values, policies and standards, and statutory requirements
• Work towards building a positive and compelling workplace and team culture
• Maintain a climate that attracts, retains and motivates top quality personnel
• Plan the unit’s activity and maintain direct oversight on its operations and the staff in terms of work scheduling, estimating resource and staffing needs, allocating and delegating tasks, and recruiting, training, developing,
• supporting, supervising, mentoring, motivating and appraising staff
• Undertake any other duties as delegated by the Director or the Deputy ES

Qualifications and Experience
Education

• At least a Degree in Accounting / Finance related field from a recognised institution.
• A Master’s Degree in Accounting / Finance related field from a recognised institution will be an added advantage.
• Professional Certification and Membership
• Professional accountancy certification and membership such as BICA, ACCA,
• CIMA, ICAEW, ICAS, ACPA or equivalent.

Specialised knowledge

• Knowledge of IPSAS is required
• Knowledge of IAS and IFRS will be an added advantage
• Proficient in the use of computers and computer software relevant to the position e.g. Sunsystems, Vision, Pastel, SAP, Oracle etc.

Experience

• Minimum of 7 years work experience in a similar position.
• Experience working on any development project with a regional or international organisation will be an added advantage.

Skills Requirements

• Communication and presentation skills
• Interpersonal ‘and teambuilding skills
• Mentoring and coaching skills
• Organisational skills (planning, budgeting, time management, work prioritisation)
• Research, analytical and problem-solving skills
• Supervisory skills
• Apply interpersonal styles/methods to develop and motivate staff
• Capable of maintaining quality whilst working under pressure and adhering to deadlines
• Capacity to motivate and influence people positively and creates a climate where people want to do their best
• Conceptual and practical thinking
• Customer focused
• Decisive
• Demonstrate ability to work independently and largely unsupervised
• Maintain confidentiality and respectful of sensitive situations
• Methodical and organised, with a high level of attention to details
• Organisational awareness with an understanding of how to engage the organisation to get things done