Senior Finance Officer At BBC Media Action

JOB TITLE: Senior Finance Officer

REPORTS TO: Head of Finance & Operations

BASE: Tunisia and then Libya

START DATE: January 2025

DURATION: 1 year with possible extension

BBC Media Action

BBC Media Action is the BBC’s international development charity. We use media and communications to help reduce poverty, address development goals, and support people to understand their rights. We do this through partnering with media, civil society, and others to produce creative programmes and other outputs which inform and engage audiences on key development issues. We also strengthen the media sector through building professional capacity and infrastructure of local media organisations in the countries in which we work.

Our North Africa operations are based in Tunis. From here we deliver a portfolio of media projects, and work to ensure they are delivered on time, to the highest possible standard, and in accordance with BBC editorial values and BBC Media Action best practice.

Overall Purpose of Job

The Senior Finance Officer will play a key role in the financial management of the MIRSAL Project and, as the project transitions into the independent entity of El Kul, the position will increasingly focus on supporting this new organization. This role is based in the local office and is part of the core team of MIRSAL.

The Senior Finance Officer will be responsible for overseeing the financial strategy, planning, and operations, ensuring sound financial practices, transparency, and compliance with local laws and regulations. Additionally, the officer will manage the legal and financial requirements tied to the registration of El Kul as an independent entity in Libya, leading on matters related to banking, payments, and other financial services.

Main duties and accountabilities:

1. Oversee and manage the day-to-day financial operations of the MIRSAL project.
2. Lead El Kul’s planning, management of resourcing and budgeting activities. This will involve keeping our financial information up to date and working closely with the project and finance teams.
3. Develop and monitor budgets, financial reports, forecasts, and cash flow management to ensure project sustainability.
4. Maintain accurate and up-to-date financial records, including income, expenditures, payroll, and taxes.
5. Ensure compliance with local financial policies, BBC Media Action procedures, and internal controls.
6. Lead the financial transition of the MIRSAL Project into an independent entity.
7. Establish financial systems and processes to support the sustainable operation of El Kul.
8. Support the leadership team in the legal and financial aspects of setting up El Kul’s operations, including entity registration, regulatory compliance, and governance.
9. Manage the process of registering El Kul in Libya, ensuring full compliance with local laws and regulations.
10. Serve as the main point of contact for legal and regulatory matters related to the financial setup of the independent entity.
11. Work closely with external consultants, legal teams, and government bodies to navigate the registration process.
12. Establish and manage banking relationships, ensuring efficient and secure payment processes for project operations.
13. Oversee payments for local and international transactions, ensuring timely and compliant financial transfers.
14. Optimize banking and payment systems for both project and independent entity operations.
15. Work with leadership to develop long-term financial strategies for both the MIRSAL Project and El Kul.
16. Identify funding opportunities and support in fundraising initiatives.
17. Provide financial analysis and advice to inform decision-making processes for both the project and the emerging entity.
18. Other duties as assigned by line manager.

Required skills, knowledge and experience:

1. A bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration, or related field. Master’s degree or professional accounting certification is preferred.
2. A minimum of 5 years of experience in financial management, ideally in the nonprofit sector and international development.
3. Strong knowledge of financial regulations, compliance, and legal frameworks in Libya or similar contexts.
4. Experience with project-based financial management, including budgeting, forecasting, and reporting.
5. Proven track record of managing financial operations, including banking, payments, and compliance.
6. Excellent problem-solving, strategic thinking, and leadership skills.
7. Strong communication skills in English and Arabic, both written and spoken.
8. Excellent interpersonal and communication skills with positive and professional attitude.
9. Sound knowledge on computer (MS Word, Excel, and Power Point).
10. Ability to deal maturely and tactfully with confidential material.
11. Personal resilience and clear thinking to manage challenging and sensitive situations.
12. Experience working in multicultural environments and the ability to navigate complex local regulations and business environments.
13. Willingness to work from Tunisia and then Libya.

Desirable skills, knowledge and experience:

1. Experience of working with international teams in an NGO.
2. Familiar with the North Africa context, especially Libya
3. Familiar with the USAID requirements
4. Ability to multi-task and manage time effectively.
5. Strong attention to detail and accuracy in financial reporting.

Key Competencies

1. Managing relationships and teamwork: able to build and maintain effective working relationships with a range of people. Works co-operatively with others to be part of a team, as opposed to working separately, competitively or micromanaging. Values individual’s’ differences and demonstrates a commitment to knowledge sharing and informal learning, for the benefit of the team.
2. Strategic thinking: Able to identify a vision and create plans for implementation of that vision to meet the end goal. Evaluates situations, decisions, and issues in the short, medium and long-term.
3. Analytical Thinking: Able to simplify complex problems, processes or projects into component parts, explore and evaluate them systematically. Able to identify causal relationships, and construct frameworks for problem solving and/or development.
4. Change Management: Able to understand and anticipate the need for change and to build frameworks for planning and managing the continuous process of change.
5. Resilience: Can maintain personal effectiveness by managing own emotions in the face of pressure, setbacks or when dealing with provocative situations. Can demonstrate an approach to work that is characterized by commitment, motivation and energy.
6. Deep and respectful listening: Ability to create a safe environment for feedback, constructive criticism and ideas to ensure inclusion of different voices into the program aims.

BBC Media Action has zero tolerance of all forms of abuse and exploitation of vulnerable people. All staff are required to undergo safeguarding training and maintain behaviour that is consistent with BBC Media Action’s code of conduct.

BBC Media Action is committed to maintaining diversity within its employees and ensuring that all recruitment practices and procedures do not discriminate, either directly or indirectly, on the basis of race, ethnicity, religion, colour, national origin, age, sex, citizenship, gender, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or family situation. Female candidates are highly encouraged to apply for this position.

The successful candidate will need to undergo enhanced DBS and/or related background checks. References of work experience are required and will be verified.