Finance and Compliance Officer – Nigeria At IMPACT Initiatives

COUNTRY PROFILE

Nigeria is confronted by multiple security challenges. The Insurgency of The Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) and Jamā’at Ahl as-Sunnah lid-Da’wah wa’l-Jihād (JAS) – more popularly known as Boko Haram – has entered its twelfth year and has spawned a humanitarian crisis rendering sections of Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe state inaccessible, limiting affected population`s access to basic infrastructure and services, and displacing millions. In the Norhtwest, banditry has emerged as a key challenge, becoming more sanguinary with every year. The high levels of crime and increased use of violence and kidnappings have led parents and authorities to pull millions of students out of school. The spotlight remains on the Northeast yet needs – both humanitarian and developmental – are rising in the Northwest, long-running discontent and militancy prevails in the Niger Delta, discontent is increasing between herders and farming communities spreading from the central belt southwards, and separatist Biafra agitations in the Igbo Southeast simmer on.

Against this backdrop, IMPACT Initiatives has developed a wide range of research cycles to provide an evidence-base for the humanitarian community. Historically, IMPACT Initiatives has been present in both the Northeast and Northwest of Nigeria. Thematically, across 2021 – 2023 IMPACT Initiatives fielded Multi-Sectoral Needs Assessments (MSNAs), Hard to Reach (H2R) assessments, Area Based Assessments (ABA), Rapid Overviews of Areas of Return (ROAR), Thematic Assessments (TA), Rapid Assessments (RA), and WASH Infrastructure Mapping, while also playing a key role in Famine Monitoring, Nutrition and Food Security Surveillance, and the Joint Market Monitoring Initiative (JMMI).

POSITION PROFILE

The position is recruited for the Third Party Monitoring (TPM) Project covering FCDOs Humanitarian and Resilience Programme (HARP) Facility. For this programme, IMPACT has entered into a consortium with FACT Foundation. While in Nigeria, staff shall be hosted by FACT and for his or her mission.

Under the management of IMPACT’s Country Coordinator, the Finance and Compliance Officer will be responsible for ensuring sound financial management, transparency, and compliance with internal policies and donor requirements. This role involves financial reporting, internal audits, risk mitigation, and ensuring adherence to FCDO and organizational policies. The officer will support budget preparation, financial monitoring, and compliance oversight, ensuring that financial and operational risks are effectively managed.

RESPONSIBILITIES

The Finance and Compliance Officer’s responsibilities will include:

Financial Management and Reporting

• Work closely with FACT’s finance team to ensure proper financial documentation, budget monitoring, and compliance with FCDO requirements.
• Prepare and review program budgets, financial reports, and forecasts in accordance with donor and organizational guidelines.
• Support FACT in properly managing and documenting all in-country expenses, ensuring full transparency and accountability.
• Maintain accurate financial records and ensure timely submission of reports.
• Oversee financial planning, including budget phasing and expenditure tracking.
• Support the preparation and review of grant agreements and donor compliance requirements.
• Ensure efficient cash flow management and monitor expenditures against budgets.
• Review and approve FACT’s financial documents to ensure they align with organizational policies and donor agreements.

Financial Monitoring & Audits

• Conduct internal financial audits to assess compliance with policies and donor regulations.
• Support FACT during external audits and donor compliance reviews, ensuring financial accuracy.
• Support the coordination of external audits and due diligence reviews.
• Review financial transactions and documentation to ensure accuracy and transparency.
• Identify financial risks and propose mitigation measures.
• Conduct financial assessments and audits of FACT’s financial records, ensuring compliance with donor regulations.

Compliance and Transparency

• Ensure FACT’s adherence to FCDO financial compliance requirements and internal policies.
• Implement and oversee the organization’s internal control framework.
• Monitor and respond to compliance issues, including fraud prevention and risk management.
• Conduct financial training and capacity building for program and finance staff.
• Conduct due diligence and vetting of national partners and service providers, ensuring financial and operational compliance.
• Conduct training and capacity-building sessions for FACT’s finance and program teams on FCDO compliance and reporting standards.

Risk Management and Internal Control

• Oversee the implementation of financial and operational risk mitigation strategies.
• Support due diligence and vetting processes for third-party partners.
• Ensure proper documentation and filing of financial and compliance-related records.
• Manage internal investigations related to financial irregularities and fraud.
• Establish and monitor financial control systems to detect and prevent irregularities.
• Work closely with program teams to identify financial risks in project implementation and suggest mitigation strategies.

REQUIREMENTS

• Excellent academic qualifications, including a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Finance, Accounting, or related field.
• Minimum of 2 years’ experience in financial management, compliance, or auditing within an international NGO or similar organization.
• Strong knowledge of financial reporting, donor compliance (FCDO preferred), and accounting principles.
• Experience in preparing budgets, cash flow statements and financial plans.
• Experience in preparing narrative and financial reports.
• Experience with financial software (e.g., SAGE, SAGA) and proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite.
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and organizational skills.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to work independently and in a team.
• Ability to travel within Nigeria and internationally as needed.

CONDITIONS

• For this position, salary between 2’000 CHF and 2’160 CHF monthly (before income tax), etc as well as a monthly living allowance of 300 USD NB – IMPACT salaries are strictly determined by our salary grid depending on the grade of the position and the level of education of staff. A location-dependent security and/or isolation adjustment is then applied as a recognition that some staff are required to work in difficult places where living and working conditions are much more difficult than elsewhere.
• Accommodation and food provided in the guesthouse.
• Enrolment in Swiss private pension fund (Swisslife – approx. 9.975% of staff gross salary), health insurance, life insurance and repatriation assistance
• Flight tickets every 6 months & visa fees covered (in-country travel costs and professional expenses are fully covered)
• Contribution to the luggage transportation: between 20 and 100 kgs, depending on the length of the contract (+ luggage and personal property insurance)
• Annual leave of 36 days per year. Public holidays of the country of assignment. Family/compassionate leave when applicable.
• Predeparture induction – 3 days at IMPACT Initiatives’s HQ in Geneva + one week pre-departure training in ACTED HQ in Paris, including a 4-days in situ security training;
• Enrolment in IMPACT Initiatives Research Foundational Learning Programme within the first 3 months from the start of contract.
• IMPACT prioritizes the psychological safety of its staff and the health insurance provided covers, among others, up to 1000 € per year of psychosocial counselling fees.