Field Finance and Grant Officer

Save the Children began working in Niger in July 2005 in response to the nutrition emergency. Save the Children established feeding programmes for malnourished children in Maradi province (Tessaoua and Aiguie districts) and Zinder province (Kantché (ex-Matameye) and Magaria districts) using the community therapeutic care (CTC) model. This programme has continued since then, with an average of 30,000 to 40,000 new admissions per year, and it has progressively shifted from a large-scale emergency response towards an integrated service of the primary health care system. In 2007, Save the Children began to support the primary health care system in two districts of Maradi in order to complement our nutrition work and address some of the root causes of malnutrition. This project, funded by a private UK foundation, is a broad programme addressing access to and quality of primary health services, targeting children under 5 and women of childbearing age. It focused on facilities rehabilitation, essential drugs and equipment supply, support to EPI, capacity building and training of medical staff and support to district and regional level planning and coordination bodies. After four years of cooperation with the governmental structures of Zinder and Maradi regions, and considering the high prevalence of malnutrition in Niger and the deteriorating food situation, Save the Children is expanding these successful interventions to mitigate the impact on children's survival and development in Maradi and Zinder, and has opened a new base to expand operations to an under-served area of Niger with very high needs, the region of Diffa. The Field Finance and Grant Officer will offer support on finance and grants management in the field offices.

Location: Niger (the) - Tessaoua ( Maradi)

Job Purpose

Reporting to the Field Manager with the technical supervision of the Country Finance and Grant Manager, the Field Finance and Grant Officer will offer support on finance and grants management in the field offices. S/he will ensure compliance of donor requirements, the organization's policies and procedures, implementation of internal and external audit requirements and offer training to both finance and non finance staff in the area offices. S/he will work closely with the Field Managers and fields finance officers to ensure compliance of all these requirements.

Key accountabilities

Financial systems and procedures

* Assist the Area programme managers and field finance officers in ensuring smooth implementation and updating of robust and adequate financial systems and procedures in the field offices.
* Carry out sensibility and control checking before sending sub-office transactions to the country office and recommend improvements.

Grant management systems and donor compliance in Area offices

* Ensure full compliance with Save the Children UK minimum operating standards for grant management and working with implementing partners, including recommending remedial action and implementing action plans where standards are not currently met
* Implement and manage Save the Children harmonized processes for grant management, proposal development ( as appropriate), sub-grant management and equitable cost recovery
* Ensure the grant management systems ( FBS and NEMO) are regularly updated
* Ensure systems that are in place to monitor grants on a monthly basis are working effectively and liaise closely with the field finance officers and budget-holders to support the analysis of quarterly variance
* Ensure programme compliance with internal control procedures

Training

* Ensure budget-holders are provided with the information and training they require in order to understand donor guidelines, compliance issues and the Save the Children UK grant management procedures, and that this forms part of the induction processes of new staff
* Build grant management capacity of field staff through regular trainings on reporting, donor compliance and other grants management issues.
* Support in the roll out of new initiatives on grants and financial management systems in the field offices.

Audit function

* Support in the implementation of internal and external audit recommendations in the field.

Other responsibilities

* Carry out the responsibilities of the role in a way which reflects Save the Children's commitment to safeguard children in accordance with the Child Protection Policy.
* Any other duties as may be assigned by the Director of Finance.

Working Contacts:

External: Partners

Internal: Area Management team, Senior Management Team (SMT)

Person specification:

Essential:

* Professional qualifications in Accounting and/or a degree in Accounting
* At least four year's International Non Governmental Organizations experience especially in complex budget setting, monitoring and financial accounting
* Proven audit and training experience
* Proven skills on managing changes, achieving results, ensuring quality, team building and capacity building.
* Strong computer skills, especially on Accounting packages such as SUN
* Ability and willingness to work under pressure as part of a professional team.
* Excellent interpersonal skills, including cultural sensitivity, assertiveness and negotiating skills.
* Willingness to travel to field offices regularly

Desirable:

* Experience of working in a busy INGO environment preferably outside of own country
* Basic knowledge of IT

Reference Code: RW_8AGBFQ-97