Finance Analyst (Bilingual) at International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC)

Internal Control and Risk Management

• Screening through monthly original supporting documents and field returns from country office and feedback if there were any discrepancies or anomalies.
• Carry out field missions to country office at least once or twice a year as pre-audit measure to ensure finance functions and controls are in place.
• Review internal controls through the review of monthly financial documents, provide feedback to the country finance and head of office on control weaknesses identify top risks facing a country office and support the office to address the same.

Financial Reporting

• Preparing the cash request analysis, reviewing the project management status report and highlighting issues to follow up.
• Reviewing the cash requests from cluster and country offices including preparing the cash request analysis and ensuring adequacy of documents attached before onward transmission to Geneva
• Being the go-between person between Geneva and field offices in Africa on all finance related matters - all issues from the field touching on finance must be dealt with by the finance analyst before onward processing to Geneva.

Audit and Compliance

• Ensure opening and maintaining the codes in APPLE by regular updating of project information and linking of codes.Being the contact person for all audits e.g. KPMG audits, SIDA audits, ECHO audits, coordinating the audits, submission of documents and answering any audit queries raised.
• Conducting budget-holder training on financial management, financial reporting, compliance, controls, KPI monitoring.
• Review compliance to IFRC policies e.g. finance, contract, procurement, consultancy policies. Highlight areas of non-compliance and advise country and cluster offices on the same including advising on action plans to address issues raised.

Financial Management

• Validating the accuracy of information on budget and PEAR ceiling before loading into the system.
• Validating various agreements, contracts, MoU and staff request as per the contract matrix and authorisation procedure.
• Support cluster and country finance teams to ensure proper financial management systems are in place.

Monitoring

• Monitor monthly closing of each country office by reviewing the balance sheets, checking the exception reports and validating the financial information
• Monitoring the KPIs reflected on monthly financial report and following up with country finance staff to ensure adequate action is taken to minimise the risk or exposure. If needed message will be escalated to project manager and head of office.
• Monitoring and follow up of audit recommendations for the cluster and country offices under management.
• Conducting monitoring visits to Cluster and Country offices

Procurement

• Highlight any procurement control gaps or anomalies noted
• Assist regional logistics unit (RLU) in flagging procurements above CHF 50,000 in the region

Staff Management

• Monitor finance staff in cluster and countries to ensure tasks and functions are completed within acceptable levels of quality and compliance and escalate any issues identified to the Head of finance.
• Provide technical advice in the recruitment and training finance staff to ensure tasks and functions are completed in a timely and efficient manner.
• Provide technical appraisal on country finance staff performance.
• Training new and old staff on financial & administrative procedures and policies.
• Provide continuous guidance, advice and support to finance and administration staff in cluster and country offices.
• Act for the Regional Head of finance and administration in his absence.