Senior Finance and Grants Officer at CARE

Senior Finance and Grants Officer

CARE

November, 2023

ORGANIZATIONAL BACKGROUND:

CARE is a leading humanitarian organization dedicated to fighting poverty and social injustice and places a particular emphasis on women and girls, their dignity and empowerment to lead their communities out of poverty. CARE began working in Tanzania since April 1994, in response to the crisis in Rwanda and the subsequent influx of refugees into the Kagera Region of North-western Tanzania. Over the subsequent years, CARE Tanzania developed innovative education, health, microfinance, and environmental programs across most regions of the country. In Tanzania CARE works with the Government both in mainland and Zanzibar and other stakeholders to transform communities and ensure financial inclusion and independence, health and nutrition, climate-smart development resilience, especially for women and girls.

CARE Tanzania seeks to recruit a self-motivated, results driven, dynamic, suitably qualified, competent and dedicated Tanzanian to fill Senior Finance and Grants Officer position.

POSITION TITLE: Senior Finance and Grants Officer

REPORTS TO: Award and Sub-Award Manager

LOCATION: Dar-es-salaam

Job summary

The role of Senior Finance & Grants Officer is to ensure adequate management of projects funds at program level, oversees adherence with various rules, regulations, policies and guidelines issued for proper management of Donor funds and execution of accounting transactions in CARE International. The critical role of the position is to ensure the financial transactions for implementation of program and projects are executed in compliances with CARE Financial regulations, Donor rules and regulations, budgetary rules, adherence to accounting standards and good practice in management of financial transactions and timely preparation and submission of accurate and orderly financial reports. The position will also be responsible for managing the implementing partners including capacity building.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES AND TASKS

Job Responsibility #1: Financial Management and Compliance

• Ensure compliance with specific Donors requirements as stipulated in agreements and contracts of the respective grants and CARE international policies, this includes:
• Ensuring that program staff and Partners fully understand and follow best practice in managing of the grants.
• Ensuring that Donor specific requirements for assigned project are fully understood and the implications for how grants and sub grants are managed are known by program and partners staff.
• Ensure projects documentation and financial transaction including partners are in compliance with Donor, CARE policies, statutory requirements.
• Maintain program files, such as Donor Contract, Program Budget and Program activity plan in orderly manner.
• Monitoring compliance with best practice including carrying out visits to field areas, partners’ offices and partners for monitoring, capacity building, verifications and support management of financial transactions in implementation of program activities.
• Keeping up to date with changes and new developments in relevant CARE International policies and procedures on Grants and Contract Management, Donors policies and proactively ensure program staff and partners are familiarised with changes and new developments in grants and financial management.
• Participate in annual and periodic physical stock counting.
• Provide timely input to the management to support timely provision of data and project setups in People Soft.
• Prepare and submit budget Proposals to Grants and Contract Coordinator for “review and approval,”
• Prepare Donor Approved Budget (DAB) and submit to GCC for review and submission to SSC.
• Prepare Budget and Project ID setup for sub awards of the assigned projects.
• Award Closeout
• Prepare Projects Closeout Checklist, review Project accounts balances, and address any financial issues in a timely manner with the program/project team leader.
• Follow-up on grant close up checklist to ensure compliance and smooth closing of program.
• Follow up on all pending financial issues related to the project with staff, partners and other stakeholders to ensure timely and proper clearance of outstanding issues.
• Prepare disposal proposal as guided by program/project team lead and submit to Country office for further action.
• Prepare and submit Final financial report to GCC on timely manner as specified on grants agreements.
• Maintain of Grants and Contract Information Management by eenforces the filing system and data base as per CARE Tanzania procedures manual, ensure documents are maintained at program level.
• Provide required support and details during internal and external auditors and respond to audit queries and follow up implementation of audit recommendations.

Job Responsibility# 2: Sub -Grants Management

From time to time participate in selection and monitoring and close out processes of sub agreements. This includes: –

• Liaising with Program Coordinators/project Managers to build understanding of projects and partner’s implementation plans, budget and financial needs.
• Provide guidance to partners on compliance issues, CARE and donors’ rules and policies and also on Statutory compliances on financial matters.
• From time to time participates in the partners’ assessments processes,
• Maintain a sub grants tracker for funds disbursed and liquidations received. An aging analysis of the remaining funds should be prepared monthly.
• Prepare monitoring plan and share with program coordinator and compile issues identified during verification process and monitoring visits and report back to the supervisors.
• Prepare modifications on Sub Agreement including budget details and submit to GCC for review and further actions.

Job Responsibility # 3: Financial Reports and Analytical Reviews Management Reports (Internal Reporting)

• At the beginning of each month review projects budgets and prepare highlights on grants & sub grants financial requirements for sharing with the program team,
• At the end of each month, prepare monthly Project Budget Variance analysis for the review of respective budget holders on monthly basis, and submit the reviewed report with recommended actions on noted variations or errors to the GCC and accounting manager, and follow-up to ensure timely implementation of the approved recommendations or adjustments.
• Prepare periodic financial analysis to monitor budget performance for management review and ensure timely implementation of recommendations provided to address budget variances, errors, exceptions, and ensure reports are shared with the program team to improve financial performance of the program.
• Review monthly grants and contracts Payable/Receivable balances of the assigned projects and liaise with GCC to ensure correctness of balances and prepare Cash forecasts for respective projects and submit to Grants and Contract Coordinator.

Job Responsibility #4: Treasury Management

• Prepare projects’ cash projections and cash forecast on quarterly basis and submit to Accounts Coordinator to ensure availability of cash for program/projects implementation.
• On monthly basis submit cash request form to program lead for review and submit the cash requests to Country office on timely manner,
• Coordinate banking operations within the program office to ensure smooth execution of payments and other transactions,
• Coordinate with the Grants and Contracts Manager to ensure timely preparation and submission of billing to donors by providing timely inputs and ensure received grants transfers and other miscellaneous receipts, are timely and correctly recorded under respective fund codes and PID,
• Facilitate, prepare and ensure payments to vendors are accurately done and within a reasonable time, and regular reviews bank accounts to ensure validity and completeness of transactions,
• Maintain or supervise petty cash (if necessary) and ensure timely recording of liquidation, perform spot checks on petty cash to ensure proper use of petty cash;
• Facilitate on line payments to participants of organized events at the program level or cash payment in small amounts during office workshops and other events.
• Maintain and ensure accurate recording of cheque register and submission of checklists to the banks for confirmation of payments in timely.
• Review bank statements and analyze bank charges transaction to ensure correctness before recording bank charges and submitting the statement to Accounts Coordinator/Shared
• Service Centre for further analysis and reconciliations and support SSS with required clarifications on pending and unreconciled bank transactions to enable timely completion of bank reconciliations and month closure.

Job Responsibility # 5: Accounts Payable and Receivable

• Coordinate and supervise process of recording account payable and receivable transactions to vendors’accounts in People soft and ensure payments are timely executed for the transactions executed at the program office through pay cycle system
• Review supporting documents and entries in the PS system to ensure validity, correctness and appropriate use of account codes and other required fields prior approval of the recorded transactions by budget holders,
• Review non Purchase Order payments for compliance to ensure validity of transactions and completeness of supporting documents,
• Before month closure, review and reconcile the Accounts Payable and Accounts Receivable of the respective projects and report on identified error or required adjustments to ensure transactions are always recorded in compliance with donor agreement and in accordance with accounting standards and CARE International policies. Follow up with the Accounts
• Coordinator on any exceptions identified during the analysis
• Complete required forms on statutory deductions in particular withholding taxes and submit to Accounts Coordinator for further actions, and ensure withholding taxes are correctly and transparently recorded under AP journals to ensure easy tracking and timely submission of payments to appropriate authorities,
• Follow up with responsible officers to ensure timely clearance or collection of outstanding payables and receivables and inform the management on any long overdue receivables or payables that does not receive response.
• Critical review of financial documents on the accuracy of chart field, compliance with national, CARE and donor policy and arithmetical accuracy of the voucher and its supporting documents before affecting payment;
• Facilitate fund disbursement to staff, vendors, consultants, sub-grantees and expenses recording
• Review un-posted vouchers and inform concerned approvers for their immediate action.
• Perform any other duties as assigned by the supervisor.

EDUCATION EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting/finance/commerce from a recognized University
• Master’s degree in accounting/finance/commerce (added advantage)
• Full Registered with The National Board of Accountants and Auditors(NBAA)as Certified
• Public Accountant (CPA) will be added advantage EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS
• A minimum of 3 years working experience in Finance/Accounting is required.
• Experience of working with International NGO in similar position
• Good communication in English and Kiswahili
• Proficient in Computer with knowledge in Microsoft Office Suite, Internet usage.
• Experience in working with accounting software.

MODE OF APPLICATIONS:

Onlya letter of application and updated CV including names of at Ieast3 reputable referees from previous jobs (preferable line Managers)with reliable contacts should be sent by email to Human Resources Department TZAHumanResourcesDepartment@care.org by CoB, 17th November 2023 at 1700hrs. Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted.

CARE is an equal opportunity employer promoting gender, equity and diversity. Female and people with disability candidates are strongly encouraged to apply. Our selection process reflects our commitment to the protection of children and vulnerable adults from abuse.