Finance Officer

Overall Responsibility

To Manage the Beirut Office and sub offices finance functions

Main Duties and Responsibilities

1. Maintain systems and controls to ensure the efficiency, integrity and transparency of the office operations, in accordance with guidelines provided by Islamic Relief HQ and internationally accepted accounting standards.
2. Ensure that accounting records and supporting documentation for all financial transactions are maintained in systematic order, and in safe and secure conditions in the field office and sub-offices.
3. Provide Islamic Relief HQ with complete, accurate and timely financial reports in the required formats, including institutional donor reports (where required), for all projects implemented in the field office.
4. Maintain accurate and effective financial controls on all transactions incurred by the field office and sub-offices as part of project implementation and other related costs.
5. Maintain effective control over cash-in-hand and bank transactions, and ensure that cash-in-hand and bank transactions reconcile with accounting records. Ensure that the field office and sub-office funds are properly managed.
6. Provide financial reports to the desk and finance department at Islamic Relief HQ.
7. Assist and support the Finance Manager to ensure that field expenditure meets Islamic Relief and institutional donor requirements and remains within the remit of the approved plans and budgets.
8. Assist and support the Finance Manager the preparation of budgets for project proposal and the preparation of annual field-office budgets.
9. Ensure the effective and efficient working of budgetary, accounting, reporting and internal control systems for the field and sub-offices.
10. Regularly liaise with external auditors, government departments and banks.
11. Manage and undertake local internal audits of the field and sub-offices, including implemented projects.
12. Work as part of a team and liaise with the Programme Manager, Country Director, field and sub-offices teams and HQ’s Finance Department and Projects Division.
13. Provide guidance to and develop the finance staff of the field office and sub-offices.
14. Build local capacity with regards to financial management duties.

Person Specification                                                                                                                              

Experience / Education/Skills- Essential              

• A bachelor degree from an accredited University with major course in Accounting.
• Minimum 3 years of relative experience, preferred with international NGOs.
• Strong communication, interpersonal & technical skills.
• Proven ability to work independently and as a team member.
• Ability to take initiatives if required.
• Ability to multi-task effectively as well as display professionalism and confidence.
• Good IT skills.
• To be ready to work overtime and readiness to travel.

Ability To

• Work independently with minimal supervision.
• Read, comprehend and interpret written materials of moderate to complex difficulty.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of assignment.
• Perform detailed contractual and financial work with a high degree of accuracy.
• Local governmental laws and regulations concerning financial procedures.
• Records management systems (both automated and paper files) to ensure accurate maintenance of files and ease of retrieval.
• General accounting principles and practices.
• Word-processing, spreadsheet and database software programs related to job functions.
• Communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work.

Language                                                                       

• Fluency in English & Arabic (written and spoken).

IT skills                                                                            

• V. Good computer skills.
•  Proficiency in MS office and the ability to use software necessary for project management and reporting.

General Skills                                                 

• V. Good technical reporting skills.
• Strong planning, communications and coordination skills.
• Ability to work under pressure and within a team.
• Diplomacy, tact & negotiation skills.
• Report writing skills.

Disposition                                                                    

• Flexible & Patient
• Ability to work on your own initiative as well as a part of a team
• Sympathetic with aims & objectives of Islamic Relief
• Empathy with & understanding of the basic teachings and values of Islam.

Islamic Relief considers the welfare and protection of children, young people and people at risk to be paramount to the organization. With a zero tolerance approach Islamic Relief have is committed to safeguarding people within our programs and projects from Exploitation and Abuse which also describe standards in behavior expected from the organization, its staff and representatives towards each other and those we serve. Any candidate offered a job with Islamic relief will be expected to sign Islamic Relief Safeguarding Policies and code of conduct alongside to their contract of employment

This job description may change based on the situation in the field. All staff are expected to show high level of flexibility in order to respond to the ever-evolving situation. Furthermore, he/she can be required to perform other related duties as identified by his/her supervisors.