Senior Finance & Grants Officer - Aswan

CONTRACT LENGTH: 12 months

CHILD SAFEGUARDING:

Level 3: the post holder will have contact with children and/or young people either frequently (e.g. once a week or more) or intensively (e.g. four days in one month or more or overnight) because they work country programs; or are visiting country programs; or because they are responsible for implementing the police checking/vetting process staff.

ROLE PURPOSE:

Senior Finance & Grants Officer is responsible for the day-to-day operations and overall performance of the Greater Cairo Field Office. The incumbent leads the finance and compliance functions in Aswan Field Office ensuring the soundness and the correctness of the financial transactions and ensuring that all transactions and procedures are Donor and institutional compliant, as well as leading the finance staff in Aswan Field Office.

In the event of a major humanitarian emergency, the role holder will be expected to work outside the normal role profile and be able to vary working hours accordingly.

SCOPE OF ROLE:

Reports to: Aswan Field Manager

Staff directly reporting to this post: 2 - 3 Finance & Grants Officers & Finance Assistant

Budget Responsibilities: N/A

Travel: Upon Request

KEY FIELDS OF ACCOUNTABILITY:

Management of finance team

• Supervise and mentor the finance team in the Aswan Field Office, ensuring financial operations comply with organizational standards and support field management needs.

• Support the finance team to prioritise and manage workloads

• Support and prepare for all capacity buildings, inductions and awareness session for finance/non-finance staff.

• Foster a team culture of collaboration and business partnership with the program team with a focus on resolving problems and delivering a quality service.

• Conduct quarterly and annual staff appraisals and goal-setting processes, providing constructive feedback and ensuring that goals are set to meet project objectives.

Management of timely, compliant finance processes

• Ensure strict adherence to Save the Children’s and donor compliance requirements in coordination with the Awards unit.

• Ensure that internal control systems are in place and schemes of delegation are implemented and complied with as well as relevant finance policies and procedures

• Ensure budget holders receive monthly budget variance analysis in a timely fashion and answer queries and scheduling tasks and deadlines.

• Ensure of payment & GL vouchers, ensuring completeness of supporting documentation

• Supports in the preparation of audit requirements & supporting documentation and coordinate between program staff & auditors.

• Escalate critical issues to the Country Office finance team, in close coordination with budget holders and the Field Manager.

Sub-Grant Management

• Conduct financial due diligence for partner organizations, and capacity-building based on identified needs.

• Conduct initial review for potential sub-grantees' proposals and budgets, working closely with budget holders and the Field Manager and escalating to the Country Office Senior Finance & Grants Officer for final review and submission.

• Monitor and review financial reports from sub-grantees, ensuring they align with planned budgets and compliance standards and coordinating with Project Managers to ensure they align with planned and completed activities.

• Conduct regular field visits to sub-grantees to verify financial reports and supporting documents and raise audit reports to the Field Manager and the CO Senior Finance & Grants Officer.

• Develop reports highlighting key financial findings and work with partners to address them.

• Ensure partners’ payments are completed on time in coordination with budget holders, CO Senior Finance & Grants Officer and partner focal points.

• Ensure partner assessment logbooks are updated as necessary and build partner capacities on donor regulations.

• Ensure partner expenses are registered on the financial system, and maintain partner balances on the system.

• Ensure partner advances are registered on the financial system, that the budget holder and Field Manager are aware of them and raise advance requests to CO Senior Finance & Grants Officer for submission

• Lead the finance team during sub-award launch and closeout processes, working closely with the budget holders.

• Develop and update partner-related budgets, monitor settlements, and report any issues to the CO Senior Finance & Grants Officer, the budget holder and the Field Manager.

• Ensure that the finance team upload scheduled reports to the Awards Management System in a timely fashion.

• Ensure that the finance team continuously update partner and project financial records in the finance system.

• Prepare monthly reports to CO Senior Finance & Grants Officer on the status of partner reports, documents and audit findings for partners and ensure that budget holders and the Field Manager are aware of any issues and engaged in resolving them.

Budget Management & Donor Reporting

• Ensure budgets are set up on the system and that monthly updates for new awards or revisions are uploaded.

• Support and advise budget holders and the Field Manager on the preparation of the Country Office Master Budget, budget phasing exercise and forecasting.

• Monitor Field Office award budget spending patterns for consistency with the forecast.

• Monitor and review interim and final financial reports in compliance with Save the Children International and donor requirements in coordination with Budget Holders and submit them to the Senior Budgeting & Reporting Officer and the Project Manager for review.

Collaboration and teamwork

• Serve as an active member of the Aswan Field Management Team, supporting the Field Manager to build a coherent, collaborative culture and ensuring that the finance team aligns its priorities to those of the Field Office.

• Work collaboratively with Project Managers, Supply Chain and their teams to facilitate finance-related activities, enhancing team efficiency and project outcomes.

• Serve as the primary source of information to the Field Manager budget holders on donor requirements.

• Provide coverage for departmental colleagues in their absence across SCI Egypt offices

• Undertake additional responsibilities or tasks as assigned by the line manager.

• Engage in continuous learning to ensure awareness of relevant local laws.

• Embed counter-fraud and ethical controls in all operational planning, implementation, and monitoring processes.

• Ensure compliance with donor, legal, and SCI internal controls in program delivery

• Collaborate with Finance and Counter-Fraud to mitigate operational risks.

• Conduct risk assessments for high-value programs and activities.
  

BEHAVIOURS (Values in Practice )

Accountability:

• holds self-accountable for making decisions, managing resources efficiently, achieving and role modelling Save the Children values

• holds the team and partners accountable to deliver on their responsibilities - giving them the freedom to deliver in the best way they see fit, providing the necessary development to improve performance and applying appropriate consequences when results are not achieved.

Ambition:

• sets ambitious and challenging goals for themselves and their team, takes responsibility for their own personal development and encourages their team to do the same

• widely shares their personal vision for Save the Children, engages and motivates others

• future orientated, thinks strategically and on a global scale.

Collaboration:

• builds and maintains effective relationships, with their team, colleagues, Members and external partners and supporters

• values diversity, sees it as a source of competitive strength

• approachable, good listener, easy to talk to.

Creativity:

• develops and encourages new and innovative solutions

• willing to take disciplined risks.

Integrity:

• honest, encourages openness and transparency; demonstrates highest levels of integrity
  

QUALIFICATIONS

• University degree in Finance, Economics, Accounting or equivalent.
  

EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS

• Minimum of 6 years relevant work experience in civil society including both local & International NGOs.

• Previous experience with various donor's financial policies and guidelines including USAID, Europe Aid, Sida, CIDA, UNICEF, UNHCR, ECHO, and other institutional donors.

• Sound knowledge of both Management Accounting & Financial Accounting basic procedures.

• Experience in Financial Modelling & ability to build various scenarios to inform management decisions

• Excellent analytical skills – the ability to analyse complex financial data and design and produce Fluent in written and spoken Arabic and English language;

• Excellent knowledge of computer programs (Excel, Spreadsheets, accounting programs, etc).

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills and ability to work collaboratively as part of a team.

• Excellent organizational skills, attention to detail and the ability to manage time and prioritize under pressure.

• High level of initiative and ability to work with little supervision.

• Experience managing and mentoring a team or a good understanding of how to do so

• A collaborative, problem solving approach

• Ability to work under pressure and deliver results Proactive in identifying difficulties and working cooperatively to solve them.

Additional job responsibilities

The duties and responsibilities as set out above are not exhaustive and the role holder may be required to carry out additional duties within reasonableness of their level of skills and experience.

Equal Opportunities

The role holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with the SCI Equal Opportunities and Diversity policies and procedures.

Child Safeguarding:

We need to keep children safe so our selection process, which includes rigorous background checks, reflects our commitment to the protection of children from abuse.

Safeguarding our Staff:

The post holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with the SCI anti-harassment policy

Health and Safety

The role holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with SCI Health and Safety policies and procedures.