Finance and Partner Support Officer

Finance & Partner Support Officer

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 is looking for an experienced Finance and Partner Support Officer- Support the management of MAP’s financial programme in Lebanon and its partner organisations in accordance with organisational priorities.

Ideally candidates will have a formal accountancy qualification from a recognised accountancy body (ACCA, ICMA, ACA) and be fluent in written and spoken English and Arabic. It is also important that the candidate can relate to the Palestinian cause and has the ability to move within the refugee camps in Lebanon to visit and support partner organisations. 

Duties and key responsibilities

Due Diligence and Partner financial monitoring

• Develop good working relationships and maintain regular contact with the finance staff of partner organisations.
• Ensure appropriate and timely financial reporting from partner organisations.
• Be responsible for the review and correction of partners’ financial reports (including receipts/ invoices) and submission to the FAM.
• Ensure that MAP’s procurement policies and procedures are followed.
• Make regular visits to 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 staff.
• Maintain archiving systems for partner’s financial documents according to MAP’s procedures and donor requirements.

Donor 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.

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

• Update cashbooks regularly and ensure that cash and bank balances always correspond with the cashbook balance.
• Post transactions to the accounting system to meet the month-end timetable and prepare regular balance sheet reconciliations.
• Prepare the monthly bank reconciliations for the FAM.
• Constantly review banking balances to ensure the timely request of cash requests from the London office.
• Review and cheque 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.

Audit

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

General Responsibilities

• Support the mission, ethos and values of MAP.
• Maintain absence records for Lebanon staff.
• 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 and practices, including MAP’s Safeguarding Policy and Code of Conduct.
• 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 any related field.
• Three 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.
• Excellent Excel, and MS office skills.

• Strong communications, interpersonal, organisation, 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   

• 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.
• Ability to move within the refugee camps in Lebanon to visit and support partner organisations.