Senior Finance Officer - Grants at World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF)

Job Summary

Senior Finance Officer – Grants, responsible for overseeing and monitoring the budgets and expenses of assigned units and countries in CIFOR-ICRAF. Assign new projects to the finance Officer and maintain/update the list of project assignments.

Summary of responsibilities

Monitor Budget and Actual Expenses of restricted grants

• Maintain a complete record of all pertinent documents of each project and coordinate with other Finance Staff and various project leaders to ensure that the financial implementation adheres with all the other aspects of the project agreement.
• Coordinate with donors, collaborators, project leaders and scientists to clarify financial issues, answer queries and give update on the financial and budget status of the project.
• Review financial status of the project prepared by the finance officer
• Review and verify expenditures of restricted projects to ensure adherence to budgetary and donor requirements.
• Liaise with the Program Management Unit (PMU) regarding the development of Letter of Agreement (LoA) with partner Institutions, project start-ups and set ups in MyTree and OCS, budget update and management in OCS and project tracking & closures.

Annual Budget and rolling budget updates

• Collaborate with PMU regarding staff time allocation updated in OCS planner.
• Collaborate with PMU on budgets for partnerships, travel, supplies, consultants, publications, and other costs based on the availability of funds of on-going restricted projects.
• Review the overall annual budgets once posted in OCS by PMU of grants in assigned teams.

Donor Reporting

• Prepare reports on the specific projects’ finances to donors and other users in compliance with Center standards and as specifically pre-determined by the donor as mentioned on the signed Grant Agreements and Donor’s General Conditions.
• Review the donor financial reports prepared by the Senior Accountant.
• Ensure that reports to donors are submitted on time.
• Submit draft and final financial reports in grants management system.
• Provide restricted grant financial management support to countries staff as well Units and Themes assigned.
• Review all donors reports from the Country Offices, Units and Themes assigned prior to forwarding for approval

Grant Proposal Budgets and revised Budgets for On-going Projects

• Key resource for project proposal/budget preparation regarding compliance issues for prospective sources of funding
• Review revised budget for ongoing projects prepared by the finance officer.
• Ensure that the grants recover full overheads as per relevant cost structure
• Provide guidance and ensure the budget figures are correct and the budget lines follow the donor requirements

Grant Agreements

• Review the financial part and other relevant information of the new Grant Agreements and Grant agreement amendments.

Internal Reporting

• Update the monthly summary of restricted projects with multi-year budgets and cumulative expenses.

Special Audit of Restricted Projects

• Assist with Coordination and attend entry and exit meetings on audit of projects for grants managed.
• Key resource on queries from the external auditors on restricted grants.
• Assist in reviewing the draft audit report and provide draft management responses for approval by finance manager - grants
• Review partner audit report in relation to project requirements.

Daily and Monthly Operations

• Verify and approve the journal vouchers prepared by the finance officer
• Monitor donor receivables and payables.  Assist in ensuring that receivables are collected.  Review donor payables remind project leaders if there is slow spending.  Provide an explanation on the monthly summary of donor receivables and payables >USD 50K, prepared by Treasury team.
• Identify incoming funds from restricted donors and provide the code to the Head of Treasury and Fixed Assets.

 Restricted Grants Partners Financial Management Monitoring

• Implement partner financial monitoring tools and mechanisms. Advice on where improvements can be done.
• Supervise financial compliance for all restricted grants partners of assigned grants and ensure partners spend within their budgets and are following the laid down donor and/or CIFOR-ICRAF financial procedures and regulations.
• Ensure and follow up on financial reporting for partners on assigned restricted grants
• Analyze restricted grants partner expenses and provide feedback of analysis to the project leaders and managers on expenditure trends and areas with significant over- or under spending
• Communicate with partners assigned on areas of weaknesses and steps to take to mitigate the risks and internal control issues

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree-Finance/Accounting/Economics or related field.
• CPA (K) and member of ICPAK
• At least 5 years in Grants Management
• Proficiency in database applications and MS office suite
• Excellent interpersonal skills, demonstrated ability to work effectively in a multicultural team
• Very good analytical and problem-solving skills
• Experience in financial planning and budgets
• Experience in donor-reporting
• Good understanding of management reporting
• Experience working in a multi-country, multi-institutional organization
• Keen and detail-oriented
• Strong oral and written communications skills
• Good understanding of budgeting and financial management procedures
• Ability to organize and manage multiple priorities, work under pressure, and meet deadline