Finance Officer – Partner Support at DanChurchAid (DCA)

ROLE PURPOSE:

• The overall objective of the position is to monitor and oversee local implementing partner projects, handling budgets, quality assurance of budgets and financial reports in an efficient and appropriate way according to donor requirements and DCA internal procedures. The postholder will ensure that DCA’s partners – a blend of local & national CBOs, NGOs, social enterprises and private sector actors - are provided with sufficient financial information to support their decisions, leading to improvement of quality project implementation.

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY:
Financial Management Systems:

• Manage the disbursement of funds to partners in line with payment schedules and any other requirements.
• Review and validate spending plans from partners against reported expenditures, following-up as needed.
• Ensure that financial monitoring and spot check visits to partner offices is conducted according to DCA requirements and standards.
• Ensure monitoring visit plans are drafted and submitted ahead of partner visits and share monitoring visit reports and actions in a timely manner to partners and relevant DCA staff.
• Participate in case management meetings with the programme, finance, ProLog and other staff to respond to regular issues as they arise within partner management and ensure properly coordinated and managed responses to partner issues as they arise.
• Ensure that a sound, accurate and organized e-filing / archiving system is in place, both hard and soft (electronic) copies for all partner financial reports and their supporting documents.

Financial Reporting:

• Ensure proactive communication with partners about the submission of their financial reports according to terms of their cooperation agreements.
• Ensure tracking of partner submission of financial reports, communicating delays to the Head of Finance & Support Services (HoFSS)
• Verify partners’ financial reports, transactions and supporting documentation, making sure that expenses are reasonable, allowable, and allocable to the approved budget and comply with DCA / donor’s regulations.

Fraud Risk Mitigation and Response:

• Ensure partner financial risk assessments are maintained and updated.
• In case of suspicions of fraud, ensure the case is addressed as per DCA’s policy.

Training and Capacity Building:

• Ensure relevant financial assessment is conducted for all new partners - using a due diligence passporting approach if/as relevant - as well as update the financial assessment for all existing partners, on annual basis. Report to the HoFSS on the findings and provide recommendations for improvement.
• Identify financial management capacity gaps and training needs assessments for both finance and non-finance partner staff and provide hands on support and training for proper and effective use of resources.
• Conduct support to partner offices to reconcile accounting records and provide relevant technical support as required.
• Support in developing risk management action plan and suggest corrective actions to address/mitigate risks identified during the partner assessment process.
• Design, update and deliver financial management training for partners’ staff to build the organizational capacity of partners.
• Conduct finance and general compliance monitoring visits to partners and prepare monitoring report and action plan to share with partners and the HoFSS in a timely manner for each visit.

Quality Assurance

• Quality assurance or prepare project budgets in relation to new proposals, for donors and partners, in collaboration with relevant DCA programme staff and implementing partners and ensure that requirements are met.
• Maintain an overview of the finance need for all partner projects and provide information to HoFSS/Head of Programme (HoP) in case of changes.
• Ensure appropriate communication with relevant DCA programme staff and implementing partners for finance inputs to new proposals.
• Prepare budget overviews for all approved projects.
• Prepare budget and fund transfers to plan in Maconomy for all approved projects.
• Transfers to partners and follow-up with HQ Group Finance team.
• Perform financial tasks in the accounting system Maconomy.

Audit & administration

• Participate in Partner audits and ensure all grants are audited as per the donors’ rules and regulations.
• Conduct pre-audit review meetings and support partners to ensure DCA-funded projects are audit ‘ready’.
• Ensure that any actions or recommendations included in management letters resulting from any audits are followed up by partners and reconciled.
• Upload signed copies of partners’ audit reports on intranet.
• Upload other relevant finance documents on intranet.
• Ensure compliance with donor regulations, DCA rules and local government regulations.
• Prepare asset handover notes at the end of the project period.

Other

• Attend finance meetings as well as operations taskforce or finance/programme meetings, and general staff meetings.
• Improve and maintain good and close communication between implementing partners, programme team and DCA finance team.
• Any other task given by Head of Finance & Support Services or Head of Programme.
• Provide assistance with requests from DCA headquarters as directed by the International Finance Unit

The duties and responsibilities as set out above are not exhaustive and the role holder may be required to carry out additional duties within reasonableness of their level of skills and experience.
Experience and qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Finance or Accounting (or related degree).
• Certified Accountant Qualification coupled with eight years’ relevant experience will be considered in lieu of Bachelor’s degree.
• Minimum five years of practical experience in financial management.
• At least three years of experience working in a role providing financial support to partners.
• Highly collaborative and able to establish positive working relationships with partners to maximize cooperation and productivity.
• Must be able to maintain highest level of confidentiality regarding work-related information and data.
• Excellent communication skills.
• Proven experience in managing budgets of varying sizes.
• Advanced proficiency in Excel.
• Experience working with Automated accounting and Finance Software.
• Proven ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines.
• Excellent financial and analytical skills.
• Ability to work in multi-cultural environment and a good team player.