Finance Officer – Libya (Benghazi)
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Vacancy No. S11484

Contract Type National

Application Deadline 23-Dec-2024

Job Posted on 09-Dec-2024

Country LIBYA

Duty Station Benghazi, Libya

Duty Station Status Non Family Duty Station

Duration 12 months

Grade National Staff

Organizational Context

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is the world’s largest humanitarian organization, with a network of 191-member National Societies (NSs). The overall aim of IFRC is “to inspire, encourage, facilitate, and promote at all times all forms of humanitarian activities by NSs with a view to preventing and alleviating human suffering and thereby contributing to the maintenance and promotion of human dignity and peace in the world.”

IFRC works to meet the needs and improve the lives of vulnerable people before, during and after disasters, health emergencies and other crises. IFRC is part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement (Movement), together with its member National Societies and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

The work of IFRC is guided by the following fundamental principles: humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity, and universality. IFRC is led by its Secretary General, and has its Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.

The Headquarters are organized into three main Divisions: (i) National Society Development and Operations Coordination; (ii) Global Relations, Humanitarian Diplomacy and Digitalization; and (iii) Management Policy, Strategy and Corporate Services.

IFRC has five regional offices in Africa, Asia Pacific, Middle East and North Africa, Europe, and the Americas. IFRC also has country cluster delegations and country delegations throughout the world. Together, the Geneva Headquarters and the field structure (regional, cluster and country) comprise the IFRC Secretariat.

IFRC has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment and other forms of harassment, abuse of authority, discrimination, and lack of integrity (including but not limited to financial misconduct).

IFRC also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. The IFRC has been supporting and working with the Libya Red Crescent for many years in several humanitarian and developmental areas. This position will be based in Libya.

Job Purpose

This post is responsible for ensuring the delivery of effective and timely accounting, financial, and treasury services (if required).

The incumbent will be based at the located in Benghazi.

Job Duties and Responsibilities

1. Policies and Procedures

• Have a deep Understand the financial and administrative federation policies and procedures.
• Advise project staff in the appropriate interpretation of the policies and procedures.
• Provide feedback to staff on documentation submitted with incorrect coding or inadequate supporting documentation.
• Provide feedback to his/her line manager or the Head of Finance and Administration on improvements in policies or procedures.

2. Financial Reporting

• Performs a periodic review of the transactions posted to the projects to ensure they are accurately entered into the accounting system.
• Monitor donor reports list and submit the complete report prior to the due date.
• Verifies that the transaction process occurs according to the IFRS (International
• Financial Reporting Standards), the IFRC policies and procedures, and they comply with the donor requirements.
• Provide information about the status of reports to the finance analyst.
• Prepares income or expenditure reallocations to ensure that the reports are ready to submit (when it is necessary)

3. Budgeting

• Provide technical assistance and advice to the project managers and/or program staff during budget preparation and/or revision.
• Provide analysis of actual expenditures vs. budgets with respective comments on the variances (if there are any) and recommendations to the project manager and program staff.

4. Validation of transactions

• Ensure that all the transactions related to his/her portfolio are validated following the expenditure authorization policy and other procedures.
• Ensure all accounting transactions are properly authorized and documented by original and valid supporting documentation.
• Provide feedback to the project managers when findings have been identified in terms of documentation that does not meet the requirements or transactions that are not within the approved budget.
• Follow up with the project manager or unit staff on the timely submission of the forecasts, journal of expenditures, expense claims, and other documents.

5. Treasury (if applicable)

• The post will be responsible for the monthly cash request analysis submission.
• Ensure there are sufficient funds.
• Preparation of bank account reconciliations
• Conduct petty cash counts (surprise or planned)
• Ensure that daily, weekly, and monthly petty cash counts are being done.
• Ensure that the payments are done on a timely basis.
• Coordinate the opening and closing of bank accounts.

6. Supplementary Services (if applicable)

• Validate the Partner National Societies (PNS) transactions related to providing supplementary services.
• Ensure the accuracy of the booking of these transactions.
• Prepare the draft invoice and ensure the content matches the supplementary services report.
• Do the necessary corrections if required after the finance analyst has provided his/her feedback.
• Liaise with the PNS in case of technical questions.
• Ensure all the bookings related to services provided have been reflected in the accounting.

Job Duties and Responsibilities (continued)

7. Shared Office and Service Costs (if applicable)

• Provide technical support to the project managers during the preparation of the shared office and service costs budgets.
• Gather the required information to fill in the calculation spreadsheet.
• Explain to each project manager the related function and the results of the analysis.
• Book the transactions monthly.
• Coordinate revisions of the budgets or rates when it is required.
• Provide the interpretation of the management report to the Head of the Country Delegation

8. Accounting verification

• Book all the transactions in the accounting system after the appropriate review.

9. Balance Sheet items review and reconciliations

• Ensure the same amount that was counted matches the amount reflected in the accounting system.
• Provide reconciled account statements of the outstanding balances of staff and/or National Societies
• Ensure that other balance sheet items are reconciled (e.g., prepayments, guarantee deposits, supplier balances, etc.)
• Coordinate that corrections are done on a timely basis.

10. Month-end closed routines

• This post will support if required, the month-end close routines (e.g., currency revaluation, allocation, booking of provisions, etc.) within the deadlines.

11. Financial Analysis

• Prepare ad-hoc financial analysis per the projects’ demand under his/her portfolio.
• Interpret financial key performance indicators to the project managers and provide quality advice to improve the performance or minimize/mitigate risks

12. Relationships with other stakeholders:

• Liaise with project managers and unit staff to provide effective services with the aim of contributing to the achievement of the plans and results.
• Liaise with the administration, accounting staff, or finance officers of other offices (when it is necessary)
• Liaise with the assigned finance analysts to get advice, orientation, and support on technical matters and provide feedback on the findings observed in the monthly field returns, accounting, and financial matters.
• Liaise with the Head of Finance and Administration to highlight urgent matters and provide feedback on how to improve systems, processes, and internal controls.
• Support auditors in terms of clarification or providing supporting documentation.
• Conduct briefing and debriefings to unit staff under his/her portfolio.

13. Others

• Provide support in case of long-term vacancies, absence, or illness to ensure continuity of the finance and/or administration function.
• Be prepared to deliver training to IFRC staff or National Society Staff (if it is required)

Duties applicable to all staff

• Work actively towards the achievement of the Federation Secretariat’s goals.
• Abide by and work in accordance with the Red Cross and Red Crescent principles.
• Perform any other work-related duties and responsibilities that may be assigned by the line manager.

Education

• University degree in finance/ accounting (Required)

Experience

•  3+ years of experience in technical areas of expertise (finance/accounting) (Required)
• 2+ years of field experience in a humanitarian organization (Preferred)
• Experience in personnel management (Preferred)
• Experience in project financial management support (Required)
• Red Cross / Red Crescent movement, other international organizations, large NGOs, and governmental development agencies (Preferred)

Knowledge, Skills and Languages

Knowledge and Skills

• Good stress management skills (Required)
• Self-supported in computing systems (e.g., accounting software and MS Office) (Required)
• Excellent communication skills (Required)
• Good analytical skills and a solution-focused person (Required)
• Skills in training and developing staff (Required)
• Time Management skills (Required)

Languages

• Fluent in spoken and written Arabic and English (Required)

Competencies, Values and Comments

• Core competencies: Communication; Collaboration and teamwork; Judgement and decision making; National society and customer relations; Creativity and innovation; Building trust
• Values: Respect for diversity; Integrity; Professionalism; Accountability

IFRC has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment and other forms of harassment, abuse of authority, discrimination, and lack of integrity (including but not limited to financial misconduct). IFRC also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles.

If you appointed to or undertake a role within IFRC, whether as staff, staff on loan or secondees, you will be subject to the organization’s Code of Conduct, which is available here and on our website.

Note: All offers of employment will be subject to satisfactory references and appropriate screening checks, which include prior professional conduct checks and review of criminal records. IFRC will request a conduct check from all prior employers for a period of 5 years, including but not limited to employers who like IFRC participate in the Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. For more details on the Scheme, please see THE MISCONDUCT DISCLOSURE SCHEME — SCHR.

IFRC ensures equal employment opportunities!