Financial Officer (Post Level 11) at University of the Free State

Duties and responsibilities

Project Management (Contracts and Budgets):

• Assist with the preparation of institutional cost recovery journals along with supporting documents for Director's Research Development approval.
• Reconciliation of project financial information in project entities.
• Prepare and submit periodic project management accounts for internal stakeholders.
• Assist with project management activities for consortium agreements.
• Assist the Director: Research Development with reporting and submissions by extracting data from RIMS and other Grant systems.
• Monitor projects expenditure and other project management activities.
• Review and extract information from the research information management system (RIMS).
• Review pre and post-award research grants and contracts along with the related budgets to ensure adherence to UFS policies, internal controls and procedures, Contract terms and conditions, VAT legislation, NIPMO regulations and financial costing and budgeting principles. Further, the incumbent should be able to prepare budgets when required to assist researchers.
• Work and assist RIMS team, RIMS contracts and grants module upgrades and development.

Financial Management and Reporting:

• Prepare payment journals along with supporting documents for the Director: Research Development approval and track expenditure payments for reporting purposes.
• Assist the Director: Research Development with financial submissions by extracting financial data from UFS financial tools (Inquiry and General Ledger).
• Assist with analyses of data, using excel pivot tables and should analyse and interpreting financial information
• Verify the accuracy and validity of data entered in financial systems, correcting any errors.
• Assist with the preparation of tables, graphs, fact sheets, summarizing research and financial results.
• Support the Director: Research Development with updating risk management systems, RIMS and other Grant systems, dashboards, etc.
• Assist with developing and implementing process control procedures.
• Attend meetings
• Work and assist RIMS team RIMS financial module upgrades and development
• Implement office systems and procedures as required by the DRD.  

General and Ad Hoc Engagements and Submissions: 

• The directorate is often tasked with ad hoc projects, which is not necessarily described in the role above, and the incumbent is required to assist the Senior Director and Director: Research Development with project related activities.

Inherent requirements

• Bachelor’s degree or an advanced diploma/BTech degree/postgraduate certificate on NQF Level 7  in  Financial Management/Accounting or a closely related field.
• Minimum of two (2) years’ relevant working experience relating to the duties and responsibilities within the South African Higher Education Research Environment.

Recommendations

• Honours degree/postgraduate diploma/professional bachelor’s degree on NQF Level 8.
• Project management experience.
• Previous practical working experience with the extraction of data from systems and analysing financial information on excel through use of pivot tables, formulars etc
• Knowledge of business drivers, business risks and financial trends in the higher education sector
• Demonstrates understanding of relevant financial systems (Inquiry), International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) and Costing and Budgeting principals and best practices
• Interpretation and understanding of applicable legislation including but not limited Value Added Tax (VAT), Intellectual Property Rights act, Companies Act etc
• Ability to read and interpret financial contractual obligations and risks embedded in Research related Grants, Contracts, and other Agreements
• Management reporting and ability to extract data from systems and conduct analysis of the same on Excel application through use of formulars, pivot tables, graphs etc.
• Ability to use Excel, Word and PowerPoint applications and generate reports etc.
• Monitoring of projects and reconciling accounts and reporting project expenditure. 
• Good interpersonal and communication skills and the ability to function with ease in the University’s richly diverse working environment. 
• Meticulous attention to detail and commitment to a high standard of work.
• Ability to work independently in a high-pressure environment
• Ability to plan, co-ordinate, manage and prioritise work effectively.
• Operational thoroughness.
• The ability to converse technically and legally.
• Member of or registration with a professional body.