Job Opportunity at Americares, Finance Officer

TITLE: Finance Officer, Community Partnerships for Respectful Care

DEPARTMENT: International Partnerships & Programs

REPORTS TO: Finance and Operation Manager with dotted line to the HQ-based CPRC Finance Manager

ASSIGNMENT TYPE: Full-time

LOCATION: Mwanza, Tanzania

LENGTH: 24-months with possibility to extend based on performance and budget}

ABOUT AMERICARES: Americares is a health-focused relief and development organization that saves lives and improves health for people affected by poverty or disaster. Each year, Americares reaches more than 90 countries, including the United States, with life-changing health programs, medicine and medical supplies. Americares is the world’s leading nonprofit provider of donated medicine and medical supplies. For more information, visit americares.org.

About Community Partnerships for Respectful Care (CPRC):

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) under the New Partnerships Initiative (NPI) was awarded to the Americares Foundation Inc.

NPI is shifting the focus of USAID’s traditional partners to mentoring, capacity-building, and technical oversight, by using umbrella mechanisms and sub-awards strategically to enable new and underutilized local partners to lead development in their own communities and advance the Journey to Self-Reliance. USAID seeks to expand its network of partnerships with local organizations because they can mobilize quickly and take advantage of long-standing grassroots relationships to bring needed interventions directly to people at risk.

The Americares Community Partnerships for Respectful Care (CPRC) project is a five-year, $25 million effort under NPI to reduce mortality and morbidity among mothers and their children through improved community-based health care. Americares will work with Christian Connections for International Health (CCIH) and its local affiliates in the United Republic of Tanzania and the Republic of Liberia to leverage the expertise and reach of local and locally established organizations, by building their institutional capacity. This new partnership will work closely with Tanzanian and Liberian communities and faith-based networks to improve access to, and demand for, high-quality, community-based health care for mothers, newborns, and children; voluntary family planning; nutrition; and respectful maternity care.

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Finance Officer will perform finance, accounting, compliance, internal control and risk management functions in line with USG regulations and Americares procedures and policies. S/He is responsible for the overall financial management of the CPRC project and administration of sub-grant in Tanzania. The Finance Officer will monitor the use of financial resources, expenditures and preparation of the CPRC monthly and quarterly reports.

Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Financial Management: *Monitor expenditure against approved country budget* Prepare budget review and pipeline analysis Review budget allocation/reallocation requests from Tanzania team and submit to CPRC Project Finance Manager based at HQ Lead annual budget planning effort in collaboration with the Tanzania Country Director, the Tanzania CPRC Project Director, and in-country CPRC program team Lead in-country CPRC financial reports and financial reconciliation Ensure proper templates are used for budget/funding request from project team and partners Review, validate sub-grantees expenditure and budget request and submit to the Tanzania CPRC Project Director for approval Submit monthly budget request to Finance and Operations Manager for consolidation and submission to HQ Ensure allowability and eligibility of expenses in accordance with USAID rules and regulations, and Americares’ field finance policies and procedures Strengthen partners in financial management of grants
• Accounting: *Maintain CPRC general Ledger account, payroll, account payable and month-end close procedures Ensure proper use of listed and approved chart of account codes for the CPRC project Ensure month end closure of project accounting, including use and follow of month end checklist Ensure day exchange rate from Oanda is used to convert transaction from Tanzanian Shilling to US Dollars if transaction is in Tanzanian Shilling Prepare and provide supporting schedules and month end balance reconciliation and maintain records of checks, mobile money payment and wire transfer transactions using Americares approved accounting software Contribute to capacity development efforts for local partners related to compliance with USAID rules and regulations Contribute in the monthly submission of financial report to HQ
• Internal Control: *Follow financial processes and procedures of the Tanzania country office regarding procurement, administrative and HR activities Review invoices, documentation from vendors Seek Tanzania Project Director approval prior to processing payment Lead forecast efforts to ensure adequate cash flow for the CPRC project Monitor budget performance and alert Tanzania Project Director of any deviation and variances and support the development of corrective action plan Monitor findings of pre-award assessment of sub-grantee in accordance with sub-grant management plan Select and check bank transactions to the general ledger and cash receipts on a weekly basis *Advise colleagues on the handling of non-routine reporting transactions
• Audit and Compliance: *Check chart of account coding for accuracy and compliance with Americares Field Financial Procedures and Policies Lead review of financial and audit reports Ensure liquidation of activity and travel advances according to Americares field financial policies and update advance tracking tool accordingly Alert Country Director and HQ-based Finance Manager on any outstanding advances not liquidated according to Americares field finance procedures Prepare and process disbursement of funding for activities and to sub-grantee following Americares field finance procedures *Collaborate with HQ-based finance team and auditors for internal and external audits as required, with the guidance of Finance and Operations Manager

CORE AMERICARES RESPONSIBILITIES: 

• Foster Americares values of responsiveness, results orientation, collaboration, efficiency and integrity;
• Coach, support and develop staff to increase individual and team effectiveness; an
• Develop and manage implementation of plans to increase team operating performance, including SOPs and other efficiency initiatives.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• MBA or Master’s degree in the field of finance or accounting, CPA(T) and a minimum of 8 years’ working experience;
• At least 6 years’ experience managing finances and accounting of USAID-funded projects
• Experience in grant management and audit activities;
• Experience in the use of Quickbooks, NetSuite, Financial Edge or any accounting and financial software or ERP system;
• Experience training finance and non-finance team on finance management;
• Experience in Payroll processing;
• Experience of U.S Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) required, US GAAP for non-profit a huge plus;
• Experience in financial report, budget monitoring;
• Excellent interpersonal skills and strong communications skills; ability to develop partnerships across sectors and cultures;
• Strong organizational skills, capacity to think strategically and attention to detail;
• Excellent English-language writing skills and demonstrated experience meeting USAID and other donors reporting requirements;
• Proficiency in Office 365 including Word, Excel, Teams, PowerPoint and SharePoint;
• Willingness and ability to travel at least two weeks per month;
• Take USAID mandated courses within 30 days of employment;
• Unrestricted authorization to work in Tanzania.

The deadline for submitting the application is 27 November 2020

CLICK HERE TO APPLY