Finance Officer Job Opportunity at Americares Tanzania

TITLE: Finance Officer

DEPARTMENT: Americares Tanzania

REPORTS TO: Finance and Operations Manager

ASSIGNMENT TYPE: Full-time

LOCATION: Mwanza, Tanzania

LENGTH: Project funded until June 30th, 2023

ABOUT AMERICARES:
Americares is a health-focused relief and development organization that saves lives and improves health for people affected by poverty or disaster. Each year, Americares reaches 85 countries on average, including the United States, with life-changing health programs, medicine, medical supplies, and emergency aid. Americares is one of the world’s leading non-profit providers of donated medicine and medical supplies. For more information, visit americares.org.

About the Community Partnerships for Respectful Care (CPRC) project:
The Americares Community Partnerships for Respectful Care (CPRC) is a 5-year project (2020-2025) funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) with the aim to contribute to reducing mortality and morbidity among mothers and their children through improved community-based health care. The USAID CPRC project (USAID UZAZI STAHA in Swahili) provides strategic technical assistance at the national, regional and council levels to improve the quality and uptake of reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health (RMNCAH), family planning (FP), and nutrition services, as well as strengthen respectful maternity care in Tanzania. Americares Tanzania works with Christian Social Services Commission (CSSC) in the implementation of the USAID CPRC project in the Mwanza Region.

COVID-19 Vaccination Support: Through the U.S. Government’s Initiative for Global Vaccine Access (Global VAX), USAID and other U.S. government agencies (e.g. CDC) are supporting Tanzania in reaching 70 percent of the eligible population with the COVID-19 vaccination. Through the CPRC project, USAID is supporting interventions to accelerate the uptake of COVID-19 vaccination in Mwanza and Shinyanga regions through social behavior change (SBC) and community outreach. The CPRC project will leverage its RMNCAH activities and relationships with key stakeholders to strengthen vaccination demand, community mobilization, service delivery and COVID-19 data management efforts in line with Tanzania’s Phase II acceleration plan and in close partnership with CDC vaccination service delivery support partners in the two regions. CPRC will use a ‘community scorecard’ approach for identifying barriers around COVID-19 vaccine uptake and creating locally driven solutions for combating vaccine hesitancy and misinformation and strengthening linkages between facility and community health services. Americares/CPRC will engage civil society organizations (CSOs) for grassroots-level mobilization and reach in the roll-out of interventions.

POSITION SUMMARY:
The Finance Officer will perform finance, accounting, compliance, internal control and risk management functions in line with US government regulations and Americares procedures and policies. S/he is responsible for the overall financial management of the CPRC Global Vax project. The Finance Officer will monitor the use of financial resources, expenditures and preparation of the CPRC Global Vax project monthly and quarterly reports.

Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Financial Management:

• Monitor expenditure against approved project budget
• Prepare budget review and pipeline analysis
• Review budget allocation/reallocation requests from CPRC Global Vax project Tanzania team and submit to Finance and Operations Manager.
• Lead budget planning effort in collaboration with the Finance and Operations Manager, the CPRC Global Vax Program Manager, and in-country CPRC Global Vax project team
• Lead in-country CPRC Global Vax financial reports and financial reconciliation
• Ensure proper templates are used for budget/fund requests from project team and sub grantees
• Review, validate sub-grantees expenditures and budget requests and submit to the CPRC Global Vax Program Manager for approval
• Submit monthly budget request to Finance and Operations Manager for consolidation and submission to HQ
• Ensure allowability and eligibility of expenses in accordance with USAID rules and regulations, and Americares’ field finance policies and procedures

Accounting:

• Maintain CPRC Global Vax project general ledger account, payroll, account payable and month-end close procedures
• Ensure proper use of listed and approved chart of account codes for the CPRC Global Vax project
• Ensure month end closure of project accounting, including use and follow of month end checklist
• repare and provide supporting schedules and month end balance reconciliation and maintain records of checks, mobile money payment and wire transfer transactions using Americares approved accounting software
• Contribute to capacity development efforts for local partners related to compliance with USAID rules and regulations
• Contribute in the monthly submission of financial report to HQ

Internal Control:

• Follow financial processes and procedures of the Tanzania country office regarding procurement, administrative and HR activities
• Review invoices, documentation from vendors
• Seek Tanzania CPRC Global Vax Program Manager’s approval prior to processing payment
• Lead forecast efforts to ensure adequate cash flow for the CPRC Global Vax project
• Monitor budget performance and alert CPRC Global Vax Program Manager of any deviation and variances and support the development of corrective action plan
• Monitor findings of pre-award assessment of sub-grantees in accordance with sub-grant management plan
• Select and check bank transactions to the general ledger and cash receipts on a weekly basis
• Advise colleagues on the handling of non-routine reporting transactions

Audit and Compliance:

• Check chart of account coding for accuracy and compliance with Americares field financial procedures and policies
• Lead review of financial and audit reports
• Ensure liquidation of activity and travel advances according to Americares field financial procedures and policies and update advances tracking tool accordingly
• Alert CPRC Global Vax Program Manager on any outstanding advances not liquidated according to Americares field finance procedures and policies
• Prepare and process disbursement of funding for activities and to sub-grantee following Americares field finance procedures.
• Collaborate with HQ-based finance team and auditors for internal and external audits as required, with the guidance of the Finance and Operations Manager

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• At least 5 years’ experience managing finances and accounting of USAID-funded projects
• Experience in grant management and audit activities
• Experience in the use of QuickBooks, NetSuite, Financial Edge or any accounting and financial software or ERP system
• Experience training finance and non-finance team on finance management
• Experience in payroll processing
• Experience of U.S Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) required, US GAAP for non-profit a huge plus
• Experience in financial reporting and budget monitoring
• Excellent interpersonal skills and strong communications skills; ability to develop partnerships across sectors and cultures
• Strong organizational skills, capacity to think strategically and attention to detail
• Excellent English-language writing skills and demonstrated experience meeting USAID and other donors reporting requirements
• Proficiency in Office 365 including Word, Excel, Teams, PowerPoint and SharePoint
• Willingness and ability to travel at least two weeks per month
• Take USAID mandated courses within 30 days of employment
• Unrestricted authorization to work in Tanzania.

CORE AMERICARES RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Foster Americares values of collaborative, accountable, responsive and effective.
• Support staff to increase individual and team effectiveness; and
• Support implementation of plans to increase team operating performance.

HOW TO APPLY:
In order to be considered for this position, the applicant should submit the following items in an expression of interest to Americares:

• Curriculum vitae or resume that clearly spell out qualifications, experience, and 3 references
•  Cover letter highlighting interest in the position and relevant skills
• Academic credentials

Deadline for submission: 10th July 2022
Submissions should be sent to: Americares recruitment portal link provided.

Applications will be reviewed as they are received.

As a global health organization, we are committed to ensuring a safe environment for our staff, partners, and visitors. All Americares staff and visitors who are on-site at any of our locations or will be traveling for work are required to be fully vaccinated (which includes a booster, when eligible) against COVID-19 unless an exemption required by law is applicable.

Americares is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender expression, pregnancy or pregnancy-related condition, age, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, genetic information, marital status, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

CLICK HERE TO APPLY