Job Purpose and Role
Under the overall lead of the Afghanaid Managing Director and reporting to the Director of Finance and Operations as well as the Consortium Manager, the ARC Finance Manager will be responsible for overseeing the financial performance of the ARC, provide leadership in developing the tools to successfully administer ARC consortium budget(s) and accounts and analyse financial performance to inform decision-making. As a member of the lead implementing agency, the Finance Manager will support the Afghanaid finance team and work with finance staff of ARC partners to oversee financial reporting, in accordance with each agencies financial and accounting practices, to produce and submit timely and accurate reports and budgets in line with Afghanaid and donor requirements.
Primary Responsibilities
Consortium Financial Management and Reporting
a) Coordinate all financial management, accounting and reporting aspects of the ARC’s programs in line with Afghanaid and donor requirements.
b) Prepare and consolidate budgets and budget amendments, financial plans, projections and cash requirements, cash flow and budget versus actuals reports, in accordance with donor and Afghanaid requirements throughout project life.
c) Monitor and assess budget versus actual expenditure and recommend appropriate action on any significant variances
d) Ensure financial management systems and processes are effective, robust and efficient in protecting ARC assets and interests and recommend refinements as needed.
e) Participate in procurement committees for joint items and large ARC capital assets
a) Support ARC members and Afghanaid PDRM team in developing/reviewing budgets for new proposals.
b) Regularly participate in any ARC meetings to improve compliance and to address any financial issues
c) Ensure ARC partner agencies fund flow related processes and procedures are consistently implemented through the use of compliance checks and agreements.
d) To perform the partner risk assessments and performance management on periodic basis.
Financial Control:
1) Provide financial accounting services for Afghanaid, maintaining complete oversight of the general and subsidiary accounting ledgers.
a) The Consortium Finance Manager assumes overall responsibility for the general ledger of the ARC including data integrity, completeness and accuracy of the financial information. The accountant takes charge of the accounting records of the consortium, including preparation financial reports for the combined entity and its individual partners as well as cost pool financial reports in consultation with budget holders and the Deputy Director of Finance and Administration.
b) Ensure that all financial records and accounts are compiled on time, accurately and in line with international accounting standards and donor regulations.
c) Assists in developing and implementing new accounting techniques and systems or in modifying existing methods and procedures.
d) Ensure all finance procedures are consistent with organizational and donors standards.
e) Oversee and manage daily activities of accounting and finance functions including timely recording of transactions, cash management, banking, assets, receivables, and payables.
2) Provide accounting technical support to finance/accounting staff across the Consortium.
a) Provide feedback and guidance on the preparation of accounting vouchers and supporting documents in a way that will pass audit scrutiny and meet donor requirements.
b) Be the first port of call for partner financial staff on accounting and finance related queries.
3) Prepare draft financial statements and review with the Deputy Director: Finance & Administration before sharing with the Director of Operations, Senior Management, Board of Trustees and/or auditors.
a) Review the trial balances for each branch to ensure that completeness and accuracy of financial results.
b) Ensure the monthly/ quarterly cutoff plans are communicated in advance with the team.
c) Reconcile the financial statements with the donor reports and obtain approval of the reconciliation statement.
d) Provide satisfactory explanations for changes, variances in individual accounts and fund balances.
e) Prepare monthly management accounts with signed checklist supporting by balance sheet items schedules.
f) Ensured that the accounts are complete, accurate and readily available to internal users/internal/external auditors.
4) Review and/or approve financial transactions in accordance with delegated approval authority.
a) Prepare and/or review paper-based journal vouchers for reasonableness, accuracy, correctness and completeness
b) Prepare/Review transactions captured in the financial management system to ensure that they are consistent with the laid down procedures.
c) Ensuring that financial transactions are complete and their effect on the financial statements is known and desired.
d) Ensure that established controls are sufficient in maintaining data integrity and
5) Prepare and/or review general and subsidiary ledger account reconciliations.
a) Review the reconciliation of bank accounts, vendor accounts and customer accounts
b) Prepare general ledger account reconciliations.
c) Reconcile the inter-branch account to ensure that all transactions have been identified and captured in the corresponding branch at the end of each month
d) Review cost pool reports to ensure that optimum cost recovery is achieved.
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Financial Reporting
a) Consolidate financial reports, fund requests and budgets in a timely manner
b) Develop financial analysis tools to assist in the management and monitoring of budget and funding.
c) Finalize year-end accounts and provide any ad-hoc year reports that may be required
d) Maintain accounting records
e) Follow up and monitor timely implementation of the recommendations to remedy significant budget versus actual variances.
Capacity Building
a) Facilitate trainings and workshops on grants management, general accounting, internal controls and administrative systems
b) Ensure internal audit recommendations are implemented
c) Track lessons learned and share with consortium members throughout projects implementation
d) Organize peer reviews amongst finance personnel and draw lessons learnt to improve financial oversight
e) Promote the rights, equality, role and empowerment of women, both within Afghanaid and externally and support all other staff in doing likewise
Undertake any other duties as assigned.
How to apply
Please email a covering letter of application and your CV to jobs@afghanaid.org.uk including the job title and your name in the subject line by 5 July 2021. Your covering letter should be no more than 2 standard A4 pages in length and explain how you meet the position requirements and why you feel you would be a suitable candidate for this role. Your CV should be no more than 4 pages and include 3 professional references including your current employer. The precision and style with which you present yourself in your covering letter and CV will be given significant weight in short listing candidates.