Senior Admin and Finance Officer 2 views

About Action Against Hunger

Action Against Hunger-USA is a global humanitarian organization that takes decisive action against the causes and effects of hunger. We save the lives of malnourished children, and we enable entire communities to be free from hunger. With more than 8,000 staff in over 50 countries, our programs reached 17 million people in 2019.

About the Country Program in Ethiopia

Action Against Hunger has been operational in Ethiopia since 1984 responding to both chronic and acute needs through a multi-sectoral strategy where nutrition, Food Security and Livelihoods, WASH, and Mental Health and Psychosocial Support activities are integrated to have a meaningful impact on people’s resilience. Action Against Hunger currently operates in 5 different regions (Oromia, Somali, Amhara, Benishangul Gumuz, and Gambella) with a portfolio of 20m USD/year of emergency, resilience building, research, and innovation programs. We have a country team of around 600 staff in 17 regional and satellite offices. Our main donors in Ethiopia in 2020/2021 are BHA, ECHO, Europaid, UNHCR, UNICEF, GFFO, BPRM, SIDA, EHF, WFP, CIAA, and others.

Summary of Position

Under the supervision of the Field Coordinator/SPM, SAFO is a focal person for timely Management of the base’s accounting function and verify respective documents; Set up monthly cash forecasts, and HR activities.

The SAFO role’s purpose, engagement and delivery is:

• Purpose (The substantive focus of the job encompassing scope, depth and difficulty of work both conceptual and applied)

Objective1: Cash & Treasury Management

• Manage daily cash and bank operations of the field office in full compliance with organizational financial regulations, donor requirements, and the Revised Petty Cash Management Policy.
• Process payments (cash — strictly within Petty Cash threshold and per PC policy — for cheque, and bank transfer) after verifying completeness, eligibility, and compliance of supporting documentation.
• Maintain strong internal controls including daily cash reconciliation, secure cash handling, adherence to cash holding limits, and compliance with Petty Cash Policy.
• Conduct monthly bank reconciliation and daily reconciliation of cash book against physical cash; investigate and resolve discrepancies promptly.
• Execute weekly and month-end cash counts jointly with the Field Coordinator (or delegate) and ensure proper safeguarding of funds.
• Monitor cash flow and bank balances and provide timely treasury information for forecasting and operational planning. Treasury Forecast (TF) MUST be submitted by the 23rd of each month.

Objective 2: Accounting, Compliance & Internal Control (Sylogist / Dynamics Business Central Environment)

• Prepare, review, and post financial transactions in Sylogist / Dynamics Business Central ensuring correct authorization, proper coding (GL, project, budget line, cost center, third party), and accurate narration of data being entered into the system.
• Administer advances in accordance with policy ensuring proper recording (system based cross-referencing settlements and advances), timely settlement, and no outstanding balances at month-end.
• Prepare withholding tax documentation and ensure compliance with statutory and tax requirements.
• Prepare and timely make payments of all statutory obligations of the base (Income taxes, pension and withholding taxes) within the required timeline and no delay, no penalty allowed. Any possible foreseeable exceptions MUST be communicated to the Finance Director
• Maintain high-quality, timely, and audit-ready accounting records by uploading all transactions above ETB 20,000 in the Sylogist system and supporting monthly financial closure.
• Submit all financial documents to the Capital Office for archiving within the established deadlines.
• Prepare and effect payments for the incentive workers ensuring all the compliance requirements are adhered
• Ensure all vouchers (Payment, Journal, and Cash Receipt) are fully prepared, verified, and approved prior to recording, posting, and archiving in the Sylogist system.
• Ensure real-time transaction processing in the Sylogist system and continuously maintain an accurate and up-to-date cash & expenditure position of the base within the ERP.

Objective 3: Budget Management, Donor Compliance & Financial Monitoring

• Up on validation of PLs and SPOs, ensure all requests are charged to approved budget lines and compliant with donor eligibility rules and grant agreements.
• Provide ad-hoc budget burn rate reports (BFUs) to the Field Coordinator and Base Management Team until the final BFU is issued by the Capital Office, and upon request from the technical team for sector-level burn rate monitoring.

Objective 4: Accountancy Closure (reporting) Audit & Documentation

• Support timely monthly accountancy closure by ensuring completeness, accuracy, and proper cut-off of all financial transactions.
• Prepare and submit periodic accountancy closure reports (closing packages) to the Capital Office within required deadlines (5th of each month).
• Ensure all accounting records, supporting documents, and financial files are complete, verified, and audit-ready always.
• Assist the Capital Finance team during internal and external audits by providing requested financial data, explanations, and supporting documentation in a timely and organized manner.
• Ensure full compliance with donor financial reporting, auditing and documentation requirements, organizational policies, and statutory regulations for projects being implemented within the base.
• Maintain proper documentation, filing, and traceability of all financial transactions to ensure transparency, accountability, and audit readiness.
• Ensure financial documents are submitted to Capital office within the required deadlines without exceptions and proactively communicate exceptions to the Archiving Unit

Objective 5: Interpersonal Coordination, Collaboration & Communication

• Maintain strong and effective coordination with internal stakeholders including the Field Coordinator, Senior Program Manager (SPM), Base Team, Capital Finance and HR, and technical teams to ensure smooth implementation of finance, HR, and administrative functions.
• Ensure clear, timely, and professional communication of financial, administrative, and compliance matters, and provide guidance to staff on procedures, documentation standards, and policy requirements.
• Foster collaboration and teamwork across departments to support effective planning, budgeting, resource utilization, and overall operational efficiency.
• Build and maintain productive working relationships with external stakeholders including banks, tax authorities, pension offices, service providers, partners, and coordination offices to ensure smooth operational, financial, and administrative support.

Delivery: (The focus on the execution of the work and the role on the team for supporting business/operational functions in terms of timeliness and quality)

• Validation of procurement requests confirming the budget availability and the requests are within the validated budget
• Validation of procurement documents make certain the process is compliant and the completeness of supporting documents

Objective 6 : Core HR Management: (With support from the capital HR focals)

• Manage staff records, contracts, end-of-contract dates, and employee progression tracking.
• Manage dissemination of official letters to staff, ensure signed documents are collected, properly filed, and submitted to Capital HR.
• Ensure employee timesheets are accurately completed with proper signatures and submitted to Capital HR in a timely manner.
• Lead and coordinate staff induction and contribute to training on ACF procedures and HR policies.
• Handle disciplinary processes, staff grievances, and conflict resolution with capital HR validation.
• Liaise with insurance providers and manage employee welfare matters.

Staff Benefits & Payroll

• Support benefits reporting requirements.
• Prepare/Transmit the filled database monthly to the senior HR Administrator at the capital level
• Manage employee benefits (insurance, R&R, relocation, welfare).
• Administer and monitor employee leave (annual leave, sick leave, maternity/paternity leave, compassionate leave, unpaid leave, etc.) in accordance with the organization’s policy, ensuring accurate record-keeping, proper approvals, compliance with regulations, and coordination with payroll and management.
• Oversee payroll administration and ensure payroll databases are accurate and up to date.
• Organize staff information sessions on benefits and incentive programs.

Oversee Incentive workers Payment and Management

• Prepare Incentive workers payroll
• Oversee recruitment and verification of new Incentive Workers.
• Conduct end to end IW management

Recruitment and Selection

• Coordinate and ensure timely posting of internal/external vacancies for Grade 6 and below positions on official notice boards throughout the base area.
• Receive and review applications and longlist candidates based on defined criteria.
• Schedule and coordinate written exam assessments in coordination with the hiring manager.
• Coordinate interview schedules and assessment.
• Conduct reference checks of finalists.
• Ensure all recruitment records and related documentation are submitted to the Capital HR focal persons in a timely manner.

Supervisory Responsibilities

• Interns/Assistants

Gender Equality Commitments

• Foster an environment that supports values of women and men, and equal access to information.
• Provide a work environment where women and men must be evaluated and promoted based on their skills and performance.
• Respect beneficiaries’ women, men, children (boys and girls) regardless of gender, sex orientation, disability, religion. race, color, ancestry, national origin, age, or marital status.
• Value and respect in all cultures.

Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (SEA)

• Beware of minimum operating standards of SEA
• Protect and prevent others from SEA.
• Report SEA.
• Strictly adhere and respect Action Against Hunger child protection and SEA policies.

Safeguarding Commitments

• Action Against Hunger has a zero tolerance to child safeguarding violation and SEA. Our selection process includes rigorous reference and background checks. Successful applicants will be expected to sign up and carry out their duties in accordance with our Child Safeguarding and PSEA policies.

Fiscal Responsibility

• N/A

Physical Demands

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to sit for long periods and to concentrate on work, including typing, and turn out heavy volumes of work accurately, within short time frames under stressful situations in the context of a moderately noisy office with many interruptions. Must be able to proofread own work accurately so that only minor corrections are needed on an infrequent basis.
• The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Working Conditions, Travel and Environment

• The duties of the job require regular job attendance of at least five days per week. Must be available to work outside normal office hours or at the weekends as required.
• Must be able to travel as required for standard domestic and international business purposes. While performing the duties of this job in the field, the employee may be exposed to precarious settings under high security risks and/or very basic living conditions and outside weather conditions, as well as to infectious diseases.

Required Qualifications and Professional Experience

• Bachelor’s in Business Management or Finance; Professional certification in Accounting or Finance would add advantage.
• Minimum of 3 years professional work experience in a finance or accounting role for NGO (accounting, cash and budget management, knowledge of donor’s and ACF guidelines, internal audit process).

Required Skills & Competencies

• Advanced skills in computers; Must have Knowledge and experience of Dynamics 365 Business Central (Sylogist ERP); Proficient in Microsoft Suits, Proactive; Professionalism, Good interpersonal skills and very good knowledge of English; Skills in coaching, training and developing staff.