Job title: Partner Finance Officer-URRI

Reporting to: Consortium Finance Manager

Location: Arua

Overall purpose of the role:

The Partner Finance Officer, will form part of the Project Management Unit (PMU) of the DRC lead consortium under the Uganda Refugee Response Initiative (URRI), and will provide leadership in execution of financial services for the consortium, ensuring effective and transparent utilization of financial resources and integrity of financial services.

S/he will be responsible for coordinating and administering the organization’s plans for the control, monitoring and reporting of financial operations, as directed by the Finance Manager.

The role provides support and/or technical guidance to Finance and project Team.

The position will work in close cooperation with the Regional Finance Team, partners and Country Office Finance team for Uganda.

KEY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Financial Management

• Ensure thorough and effective budgetary control in the consortium and provide regular feedback to partners and partner support and visits.

• Liaise with relevant Managers on key financial issues for URRI consortium project in the country, including co-funding, financial reporting, key variances and any remedial action.

• Maintain budget oversight and reviewing of partner financials against the project’s milestones achieved.

• Supporting budget holders in reviewing partners’ budgets, variance analysis, budget revisions and budget realignments/re-allocations

• Conduct monitoring and follow-up visits to partners liaising between partnership programme staff and partners’ focal points

• Record and archive visit reports to partners, minutes of meetings, and relevant stakeholders

• Responsible of reviewing partners financial reports and the submitted supporting documents for transactions and following up on the documentation when not adequately provided and uploading the partner expenses to the DRC ERP dynamics system.

• Responsible for archiving and documentation of finance data including uploading it on DRC’s management information system

• Participate in kick-off workshops and capacity-building events as requested by the partner teams, liaising with human resource, logistics, and programmes departments

• Maintain electronic & hard copy filling system of partnership finance-related documents

• Assist in resolving any administrative matters arising and inquiries from partners in relation to finance.

• Maintain and update contact lists for partners and trainees

• Prepare training materials and facilitate the training sessions for related partners capacity enhancement

• Support improvements in inclusive practices.

• Perform monthly partner account reconciliation.

• Reviewing Dynamics journals for partner transactions

Accounting/Finance/Internal Control functions

• Perform Month-End Closure (MEC) processes in DRC Dynamics in accordance with the DRC MEC guidelines in the areas of expense accounting, bank, vendor, receivables, and relevant ledger accounts reconciliations.

• Assist in reviewing and processing of payments to service providers by ensuring payment requests are properly supported with:

• Adequate supporting documentation with evidence of receipt of the goods and services by suppliers/beneficiaries

• Adherence to approved budgets.

• Proper Coding (Project Number, Budget line)

• Adherence to National law requirements, Compliance with DRC Internal Finance/Procurement procedures, and donor regulations

• Ensure archiving and uploading of payment documents into DRC Dynamics and relevant SharePoint folders.

• Review of DRC Dynamics journals for completeness of supporting documents before approval.

• Preparation of various donor financial reports and in addition support in reviewing donor financial reports

• Reviewing new budget development, variance analysis, budget revisions and realignments/re-allocations

• Participate in financial reports reviews with the business controller and ensure that the audit files are updated and the necessary supporting documents have been attached.

• Assisted in creation of new budgets in Dynamics

• Monitoring of some country sub projects budgets

• Carry out rebooking and ensuring proper filling of all rebooked transactions.

• Perform BVAs on before preparation of any financial report and advice management of areas of red flag on over/underspent.

Compliance and Reporting Responsibilities

• Provide technical guidance and support to field finance staff.

• Support Finance manager to promote understanding and application of DRC policies, procedures and principles.

• Raise with Finance manager non-compliance issues relating to Finance Administration.

• Support in DRC Uganda statutory audits, donor project audits and expenditure verification exercises by:

• Availing the required information and documents

• Organizing auditor’s meetings with the implementing partners when necessary.

• Responding to questions raised through audit focal points.

• In consultations with the Finance Manager and Head of Support Service, make regular technical support field visits to partners and DRC field office on compliance.

• Any other duties as agreed with the Finance Manager and Head of Support Service

Experience and technical competencies:

• 3 years INGO or other international agencies experience in finance and operations management in international humanitarian set up, including demonstrated ability to set up financial management systems in a large Programme and direct experience of delivery of humanitarian Programme in an emergency response.
• Experience in financial reporting and knowledge of major donor rules including BPRM, UNHCR, UNICEF, WFP, EUTF, ECHO, EU, DFID, DANIDA.
• Proficient in standard computer applications and various accounting and financial management software.