Finance Officer

Etana is a Syrian NGO with its admin office in Beirut. Since its foundation in Damascus in 2001, Etana has been promoting human rights, democracy and social justice by building the capacity of civil society and community leaders, and by disseminating information about topics ranging from women and minority rights to local governance and peacebuilding. Etana’s vision is of a Syria where all citizens, regardless of family, religious or ethnic background, are free to participate in the social and political affairs of their community and country. It is Etana’s belief that an active citizenry is the foundation of a vibrant democracy and the best guarantee of freedom and equality for all.
Role purpose:
Working within the Beirut-based admin team of Etana, the Finance Officer will report to the Operations Manager and work closely with the Program Coordinator. She/he will be responsible for maintaining financial, accounting, administrative and personnel services.
Duties and responsibilities:

Oversee the financial operations of Etana and ensure timely and accurate financial reports and practices including cash management, payroll, financial disbursements, ledgers etc.
Responsible for entering financial information and maintaining all financial records for projects and for the organization.
Preparing and maintaining donor agreements and staff contracts.
Manage financial control, prepare and analyze budgets, develop financial reports, and make recommendations to the organization on budget expenditures.
Implementing and developing Etana’s financial policies and procedures
Monitor the expenditures to ensure that program funds are utilized appropriately by the close of the fiscal year.
Obtain approvals from the Director and from the donors on all procurements and purchases for the projects and for the organization.
Administer employee files and records in order to ensure accurate payment of benefits and allowances.
Provide orientation and training to Etana staff on cost-effective management.
Ensure that all financial reporting is completed on time and submitted to donors.
Oversee the financial audits of all Etana projects.
Provide financial inputs for proposal development, project management, Human Resource Management policies, logistics, travel and other areas of administration.

Knowledge, skills and abilities:
The finance officer must be knowledgeable of current events in Syria and committed to Etana’s vision and goals. She/he must be flexible and prepared to adapt to changing circumstances as a result of the crisis in Syria. She/he must have the ability to effectively communicate in both Arabic and English, written and spoken. She/he must have good planning, organizational, management, coaching and facilitation skills.
The finance officer must be able to demonstrate excellence in finance, accounting, budgeting and reporting.
Education and experience:

Accounting qualification such as Bachelor’s degree in Accounting/Finance, CIS, CIMA, ACCA, or equivalent
A Master’s degree in a specialized area of finance will be an added advantage
3 to 5 years financial accounting experience, preferably in an NGO environment
Proficient high level user of accounting software
Knowledge of the payroll system
Exposure to donor accounting is an advantage