Finance Officer (Burundi – Tanzania) At Jesuit Refugee Service

Location : Bujumbura – Burundi with travel to Tanzania

Supervision : The Finance Officer is under the supervision of the Country Director

Persons under his responsibility : Finance Coordinator and others to be specified

Start date : September 2025

Extension number : 01

1. Context :

The Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) is a Catholic non-governmental organization that provides specialized support services to refugees/returnees, forcibly displaced persons, and asylum seekers. Its mission, as specified in its Charter, is to accompany, serve, and defend the rights of refugees and other forcibly displaced persons. This mission is based on a faith in God’s presence in human history, even in its most tragic moments.

In Burundi, JRS operates in five (5) Congolese refugee camps (Kinama, Musasa, Kavumu, Bwagiriza and Nyankanda) located in the provinces of Ruyigi and Muyinga, and in urban areas (Bujumbura and Rumonge) as well as in the provinces of Makamba, Cibitoke, Cankuzo, Rutana and Kirundo. Its areas of intervention include: education, economic empowerment, psychosocial, protection, reintegration and reconciliation.

JRS also works in Tanzania’s refugee camps located in the Kigoma region, with three successive departments: Education, Psychosocial Support, and Reconciliation. It operates with several administrative, implementation, and support staff at all levels, including camp incentive workers, office attendants, drivers, deputy coordinators and coordinators at various bases, the Project Director, and the program, finance, and logistics teams.

It is in this context that JRS-Burundi-Tanzania would like to recruit a Finance Officer with good experience in the indicated field.

2. General objective

The Burundi-Tanzania Finance Officer is part of the management team and working closely with the Country Director, he/she will coordinate and supervise the financial aspects of the national office, Base/site/project offices, and the National Finance Coordinator under the direction and supervision of the Country Director. He/she will be responsible for finance in the national office. He/she will work with the national office team and in close contact with the Program Manager, Project Managers and Accountants at the Project level.

1. Specific Objectives

· Ensures strategic financial planning (annual budget, project budget and monitoring)

· Budget management: Ensure performance monitoring on the mission

· Ensure Grant Management: Ensure ongoing compliance with regulatory, contractual, legal and financial compliance requirements associated with donors;

· Reporting: Prepare financial reports for internal management purposes and for external donors (UNHCR, UNICEF, Alboan, Entreculturas, Jesuit Missions, etc.) within the given timeframe

· Capacity Building: Provide ongoing training and technical support to BN and project finance staff to enhance skills

· Coordination: Work closely with the National Program Officer, project managers in preparing budgets for project proposals, as well as in writing reports to donors;

· Supervision: of the finance department in Burundi and Tanzania and ensures the quality and updating of software (Nav, Payroll, etc.)

· Validates expenses above 50,000,000 BIF and equivalent in USD / Euro

The responsibilities listed in this recruitment notice are not exhaustive and may be readjusted according to operational needs but will remain in line with the overall purpose of the role.

4. Strategic Planning

· Lead the country’s financial planning and budgeting process;

· Prepare bi-monthly the gap analysis between the budget and subsidies (income) and present the programs and operations to be covered as a priority;

· Oversee and evaluate the country’s financial performance, which involves reviewing national office and project financial reports;

· Participate in strategic planning with particular responsibility for providing financial analysis and sound advice;

· Advise the Country Director on financial matters

5. Budget management

· Prepare the country’s annual budget, optimizing the allocation of resources for particular expenditures, based on grant restrictions and program needs;

· Carry out monthly budget monitoring by comparing forecasts and achievements for each funding from each donor and discuss appropriate technical recommendations with the national coordination team;

· Monitor transfers of funds to be received from ongoing financing and their allocation to dedicated programs;

· Prepare, in conjunction with program staff, budgets for proposals to be submitted to donors;

· Prepare reports and financial statements to be submitted to the National Director;
Grant management

· Ensure ongoing compliance with regulatory, contractual, legal and financial compliance requirements associated with lessors;

· Ensure follow-up of recommendations arising from visits and verification of accounts by donors or their representatives;

· Monitor and track subcontracts, including review of proposals and financial reports;

· Coordinate the physical and electronic archiving of administrative and financial documents for each grant (contracts, interim and final reports).

6. Reporting

· Prepare financial reports for internal management purposes and for external donors (UNHCR, UNICEF, Alboan, Entreculturas, Jesuit Missions, etc.);

· Submit monthly JRS budget monitoring reports to the National Director for approval before forwarding them to the Regional Office;

· Coordinate the scheduling and monitoring of financial audits for various projects. Define the audit plan and participate in the missions of external auditors and facilitate their collection of information within the organization.

7. Capacity building

· Provide ongoing training and technical support to BN and project financial staff, to improve skills in the areas of accounting and treasury management, reporting and internal control;

· Ensure the orientation and placement of new administrators or accountants;

· Visit projects/bases/sites to:
– Ensure appropriate internal financial controls
– Ensure compliance with appropriate accounting methodology
– Ensure compliance with internal and external reporting deadlines

8. Coordination

· Work closely with the National Program Officer in preparing budgets for project proposals, as well as in drafting reports to donors;

· Work closely with the Logistics Manager to ensure a strong internal control system;

· Supervise the financial administrator in accounting and treasury management activities;

· Carry out any other tasks assigned by the National Director.

9. Supervision
The Finance Manager reports to the Country Director and provides him with the reports below.

– Prepare all financial reports – Inter CO, donors, data collection

– Ensure that donor audits and statutory audits are carried out

– Prepare donor budget proposals and Tanzania’s revisions

– Coordinate and implement the annual budget of Tanzania

– Prepare the monthly balance sheet

– Ensure that the JRS annual budget is uploaded into NAVISION Burundi

– Prepare and manage the salary scale

– Ensure that salaries are entered into NAVISION after verification

– Prepare budget forecasts

– Regularly visit field teams in both countries and provide support and feedback to SMTs on financial matters

10. Other tasks

– Maintain close working relationships with national level teams, regional teams and the International office to ensure consistency of strategy and implementation with JRS’s overall objectives

– Represent JRS in all relevant Consortium coordination forums as required.

– Lead negotiations regarding new financing contracts

– Maintain good relations with JRS partners and other stakeholders (UNHCR, Donors, Church Organizations).

11. Experience – Technical Skills and Qualifications:

– Master’s degree in Finance, Business Administration, or equivalent;

– Work experience of more than five (5) years for the same position in an international humanitarian organization;

– Experience working with refugees or forcibly displaced persons. Knowledge of the reality of life in refugee and displaced persons camps;

– Professional attitude and behavior: dynamism, ability to coordinate and work in a team, autonomy in the exercise of one’s duties, leadership, honesty, organizational skills;

– Proficiency in Microsoft Excel and another internationally recognized accounting system;

– Solid experience in accounting, account regularization and data analysis;

– Solid knowledge of procedures relating to accounting, financial control and financial information systems;

– Experience acquired in writing budget proposals for donors: UNHCR, EU, UNICEF, US AID, Jesuit Missions, individual donors, etc.;

– Knowledge of national laws that impact financial analysis;

– Good ability to write financial reports;

– Knowledge of Microsoft Navision is an asset;

– Solid experience with establishing financial strategies and planning to address budgetary issues;

– Experience with basic financial management, including the development and monitoring of budgets and financial reports;

– Master the computer tool, especially the software: advanced Excel, Word, Outlook, Microsoft 365

Qualities

· Adhere to JRS values ​​and respect organizational policies.

· Ability to take initiative and bring innovative ideas.

· Sense of discretion and responsibility.

· Ability to adapt to working conditions and tasks that may change with the reality on the ground.

· Ability to work in a pressured environment.

Visits

The position involves frequent visits to the field and to Tanzania.

Other Skills :

In this position, five basic JRS skills are sought:

• Striving for Excellence : You focus on achieving results while ensuring an efficient process.
• Collaborate : You involve relevant parties and encourage feedback.
• Take the lead : You take ownership and initiative while aiming for innovation.
• Communicate : You listen and speak effectively and honestly.
• Demonstrate integrity : You act in accordance with our vision and values
• Previous experience in inter-country project coordination.

How to apply

Composition of the file and application

• A cover letter (one page);
• A CV (maximum 3 pages), including 03 Human Resources Managers from the last three employers as reference persons, clearly indicating their following details: (first and last name, organization, telephone number and professional email);
• A copy of the passport
• A copy of the diploma in the best performing in Finance;
• Certificates or attestations of services rendered.

Applications must be sent only to the following address: bdi-tz.hr@jrs.net no later than 07/31/2025 at 5 p.m. The subject of the email message and the file submitted must include the following information: the name of the candidate and the position you are applying for. Example: J Claude Michel/ Finances Manager-BDI-TZ

N.B :

1. The submitted file must be a single PDF document, a single file and not a file with many copies of documents, an attachment to the email message and not multiple attachments.
2. Female applicants are strongly encouraged.