Finance & Administration Officer

About the Role

Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP) works for the health and dignity of Palestinians living under occupation and as refugees. MAP is the leading UK charity delivering health and medical care to those worst affected by conflict, occupation and displacement, in the occupied Palestinian territory and Palestinian refugee camps of Lebanon.

MAP are hiring for an experienced Finance & Administration Officer to support the management of MAP’s financial programme in Lebanon in alignment with our organisational priorities. The role involves ensuring thorough due diligence and financial monitoring of our partners, as well as fostering and maintaining strong relationships with partner finance staff. This includes ensuring timely and accurate financial reporting, reviewing and correcting financial reports, and ensuring compliance with MAP’s procurement policies and procedures. Regular visits to partners’ offices will be necessary to address queries and verify financial controls and procedures.

Job Location: Lebanon, Beirut office (in person) with regular visits to the Palestinian refugee camps

Job Purpose: Support the management of MAP’s financial programme in Lebanon in accordance with organisational priorities

About the You

The successful candidate will assist in setting up necessary accounting systems and procedures for partners, identify financial training needs, and maintain proper archiving systems for financial documents as per MAP’s and donor requirements. They will ensure compliance with all donor requirements in grant transactions, assist in preparing donor reports and audits, and contribute to required reporting to ministries and the National Social Security Fund.

The role also involves participating in procurement processes, providing administrative support, and maintaining financial controls. This includes posting transactions, preparing balance sheet and bank reconciliations, managing cash requests, reviewing payment requests, and ensuring proper filing of financial documents. The candidate will support programme staff on financial issues, prepare expenditure forecasts, coordinate with auditors, maintain asset and inventory registers, and ensure timely payments.

Qualified applicants should have a relevant degree in accounting or finance from an accredited university. The applicant should demonstrate teamwork, strong work ethics, and ability to work under pressure effectively especially during emergencies including some evenings and weekends.  

If you are committed to making a significant impact and possess the necessary skills and experience, we encourage you to apply for this vital role at MAP.

Disclaimer

NB: MAP reserves the right to close this advert before the confirmed closing date when we are in receipt of sufficient applications.        

We would therefore advise interested applicants to apply as early as possible. Due to the high volume of applications, we receive, we are unable to respond to every application. If you have not heard from us within two weeks of the deadline, then you have not been successful in shortlisting

About Medical Aid for Palestinians

Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP) works in partnership with Palestinian communities to uphold their rights to health and dignity. We do this by developing effective, sustainable and locally-led healthcare services, providing medical aid during emergencies, and campaigning to break down the barriers to Palestinian health and healthcare today and for the future. 

MAP has a zero tolerance policy with regard to Sexual Exploitation and Abuse by MAP‘s personnel against the people they serve. Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA) is the responsibility of everyone, and all selected candidates will be required to comply with MAP's PSEA Policy at all times. Selected candidates will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks against their past behaviour related to sexual exploitation and abuse, and may be required to provide additional information further on in the selection process.

Duties and key responsibilities

Due Diligence and Partner financial monitoring

• Contribute to performing and updating due diligence for partners and suppliers
• Develop good working relationships and maintain regular contact with the finance staff of partner organisations.
• Ensure appropriate and timely financial reporting from partner organisations.
• In coordination with the programme staff, review and correct of partners’ financial reports (including receipts/ invoices) and submission to the FAM.
• Ensure that MAP’s procurement policies and procedures are followed.
• Visit partners’ offices to follow up on queries and ensure financial controls and procedures are in place.
• Assist the FAM in setting up accounting systems and procedures that are required by MAP for partners.
• Identify and assist in financial training and capacity building needs of partner and MAP staff.
• Maintain archiving systems for partner’s financial documents according to MAP’s procedures and donor requirements.

Reporting

• Ensure that all donor requirements are complied with in all grant transactions and processes; keep the FAM informed on all major compliance issues/challenges while taking the necessary corrective steps.
• Assist in the preparation of interim and final donor reports.
• Assist in all aspects of donor audits.
• Contribute to preparing reports to ministries, NSSF, and government institutions.

Procurement

• Participate in the Bids Opening Committee for supplies, stationary, computers, etc. procured for MAP or for implementing the projects activities and opining bids for partners.
• Provide administrative support on all areas of the procurement process.

Financial controls

• Post transactions to the accounting system to meet the month-end timetable and prepare regular balance sheet and bank reconciliations.
• Constantly review banking balances to ensure the timely request of cash requests from the London office.
• Review and check payment requests and their related supporting documents and make sure that they have the correct approvals.
• Prepare cash payment vouchers to settle payment requests. Maintain the petty cash tins under the IMPREST system.
• Ensure proper filing of all financial vouchers and reports.
• Ensure compliance with MAP’s financial and procurement policies and procedures, and MAP’s donor requirements, at all times.
• Actively support and advise MAP’s programme staff on all financial issues.
• Assist the FAM in preparing programme and overhead expenditure forecasts
• Assist the FAM in liaising with audit staff (internal and external) ensuring that any recommendations and changes are fully implemented.
• Maintain asset and inventory registers for MAP offices in Lebanon
• Carry out regular cash and inventory counts.
• Ensure timely payments related to offices, programmes, and others are made.

Audit

• Assist the FAM in liaising with MAP’s auditors (internal and external) ensuring that any recommendations and changes are fully implemented.

Safety and Security

• Contribute to conducting safety and security audits/checks and following-up on related action points.

General Responsibilities

• Support the mission, ethos and values of MAP.
• Carry out other associated duties as may arise in line with the broad remit of the position.
• Support and promote diversity and equality of opportunity in the workplace.
• Work collaboratively with others in all aspects of our work.
• Abide by organisational policies, codes of conduct and practices.
• Treat with confidentiality any personal, private or sensitive information about individual organisations and or clients or staff and MAP data.

Person Specification

Experience

• A degree in finance, accounting, or related field.
• Two years proven experience as a Finance Officer, or similar role, covering all aspects of financial accounting and internal controls
• Financial year-end and liaising with auditors
• Experience in auditing preferably with an (I)NGO
• Knowledge of general accounting principles and setting up accounting and ancillary support systems.

Skills and abilities

• Proficient user of finance software; use of a multi-currency accounting package an advantage (MAP uses Xledger)
• Possession of valid Lebanese driver's license
• Excellent Excel, and MS office skills

• Strong communications, interpersonal, organization, and listening skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in both English and Arabic;
• Ability to prioritise work and meet deadlines.
• Demonstrated ability in building and maintaining collaborative relationships
• Self-motivated and pro-active in seeking out answers to problems
• Evidence of strong work ethic in previous employments

Knowledge

• General accounting and procurement principles and standards.

Education/training   

• Qualified applicants should have a bachelor’s degree in accounting or finance from an accredited university.
• Ideally candidates will have a formal accountancy qualification from a recognised accountancy body (ACCA, ICMA, ACA)
• Candidates with considerable and proven experience in a Finance Officer role will be considered

Personal attributes and other requirements

• Able to work flexibly in emergencies and to meet specific deadlines including some evenings and weekends
• Able to conduct regular field visits to the Palstinian refugee camps where MAP works.