Finance Officer

Summary of Position

The Finance Officer will support the Finance Coordinator on the accounting and compliance tasks in the Search Lebanon office. This includes ensuring good accounting practices and completing all financial responsibilities such as processing payments, reviewing partner/sub-awardee invoices, returns and reports, tax compliance.

S/he will work under the direct supervision of the Finance Coordinator and in close coordination with the Program team, Human resources, and procurement department. S/he will also support financial reporting and compliance of partners and sub-awardees. The position will be based in Beirut and will frequent travel to the field.

Main Responsibilities 

• Support the Finance Coordinator and Finance Manager in the accounting and compliance processes for Search Lebanon Office. 
• S/He will provide the full range of finance support required to facilitate the efficient delivery of Search's overall objectives.  
• Financial Accounting: Processing invoices and payments on the accounting system, verifying that the invoices raised are in line with the contractual agreements and ensuring relevant tax deductions and remittance to Lebanon Revenue authorities are complete

Financial Accounting: 

• Daily bookkeeping of transactions in the Lebanon office and ensuring accurate, complete and reliable financial records are kept
• Perform month end activities – Bank and cash reconciliations, assist in the preparation on Balance sheet.
• Ensure adherence to local statutory and tax requirements.
• Support in providing documentation and explanations to external auditors as required
• Support the Finance Coordinator and Finance Manager in ensuring adherence to finance policies set globally and locally. 
• Maintain financial documents for completeness, accuracy and compliance with Search accounting rules.
• Support the Finance Coordinator and Finance Manager in ensuring the effective and efficient use of all Search resources in the Lebanon office in order to keep costs low and ensure the security of staff.
• Support in annual audit processes
• Weekly closure of books as required by Search policies.

Cash Management: 

• Assist in the monitoring funds and cash flow to keep an optimum cash and bank balance and mitigate any deficit that may affect project activities
• Processing of payments from the bank account.
• Support the Finance Coordinator and Finance Manager in ensuring safe security of cash in the field office and perform weekly and monthly cash counts and be ready for spot checks.

Subgrants:

• Support in the Partner/subawardee management. Working with project Managers, Finance staff of partners to ensure financial compliance for partner’s reports and expenditures. This includes reviewing financial reports, advances, reconciliations, partner’s visits, capacity building and assessments. 

Budgeting and Reporting:

• Support on the finalization of financial reports and budget monitoring

Qualifications 

Education:

• Minimum of Bachelor’s Degree in accounting or business management. 
• Professional certification in finance, accounting and/or auditing

Experience

• Minimum of 2 years’ experience in financial position in an NGO setting.
• Proven experience of using financial software;
• Knowledge of budgets, charts of accounts, double entry accounting

Other Qualifications

• Collaborative working style that enables coaching and training in financial principles and best-practices
• Knowledge of financial software such as  Intacct, Salesforce, SharePoint etc.;
• Excellent analytical skills;
• A demonstrated commitment to high professional ethical standards and a diverse workplace; 
• Ability to prioritize, plan and organize workflow to tight timeframes, handle multiple tasks, and be flexible with changing priorities.