[Finance Specialist - Taiz] - Job Description 

As our programme is growing, we are recruiting a Finance Specialist who will be responsible to handle WCUK accountancy, partners financial reports, support field staff. S/he will work with work closely with finance team members and will ensure the proper implementation of WCUK financial policies, practices, and procedures.

If you share our values and believe that children’s lives should not be torn apart by war, we want to hear from you.

Department: Finance     
Contract Type: Fixed Term
Place of Work: Taiz, Yemen    
Working Hours: Full Time
Reports to: Finance Manager     
Salary Range:  As per War Child Salary Scale

About us

War Child, the charity for children affected by war. We are a specialist charity for children in conflict, delivering high-impact programmes that are rebuilding lives across Afghanistan, Iraq, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Central African Republic and Yemen. We understand children’s needs, respect their rights, and put them at the centre of the solution - from reintegrating children formerly associated with armed groups and armed forces (CAAFAG) in the Central African Republic to reuniting children with their families in Afghanistan. We look forward to a world in which the lives of children are no longer torn apart by war. This is a vision that can only be realised through the collective actions of children themselves, communities and their leaders, organisations like War Child, governments and key decision makers.

Our values

Bold

• We use our passion and creativity to deliver high quality evidence-based work designed to maximise our beneficial impact for children in conflict.

Accountable to children

• Children can rely on us to respond to their voices and to treat them with respect and dignity.

Transparent

• We expect to be held to account by our supporters and beneficiaries and we respond with openness and honesty

Committed to each other

• We support each other and our partners to achieve ambitious goals and to be the best we can be.  We are honest and open with each other, sharing our successes and confronting our challenges.

Your role

The Finance Specialist will be a member of the Finance department, placed in Taiz with multiple visits to other governorates including the country office in Sanaa. The Finance Specialist needs to ensure that staff and partners comply with War Child and donor policies while building capacity of project staff and partner organizations to implement sub grant policies effectively. The position is expected to support the program to ensure partners are provided with high levels of quality support, while they are also supported to comply with War Child contract and audit requirements. The position is also expected to perform the monthly accountancy closures.

Your responsibilities

Mission 1: Local partner financial management

• Contribute to the partnership assessments along with other committee members of potential local partners to assess their related capacity in term of financial accountability.
• Supports the Partners’ Finance Team in ensuring accounting systems, policies, and procedures are properly understood and followed/implemented.
• Assisting partners in preparing budgets and submitting budget amendments when necessary.
• Assist in drafting partnership agreement terms relating to advances, reporting and any special conditions relating to finance.
• Participate in Partnership Project Opening, Review and Closure Meetings, including in relation to financial verification and asset confirmation and in addition to review successes, challenges, and lessons learned with the partner, and capture effective finance practices for future partnerships.
• Perform monthly financial checks including but not limited to verifying all partner payments, ensuring that all supporting documents are attached as per the agreed policy mentioned in the partnership agreement, and ensuring no double payment is made.
• Support identifying issues and working proactively and collaboratively with partners to resolve them.
• Assist partners in any finance related processes and procedures as requested by partners and determined by partner assessment.
• Participate in the review of the performance of the partner and of the partnership, including successes, challenges and lessons learned.
• Review partner financial reports and expenses allocation against the approved budget to ensure compliance with the partnership agreement, donor regulations and agreed policies, and provide feedback to the partner in consultation with Finance Manager as appropriate.
• Provide financial and accounting training and mentoring support to partners’ staff in financial management systems, in consultation with the Finance Manager.
• Support in accordance with partner capacity building plans and as determined by the partner assessments and learnings. 
• Support in preparing monthly budget monitoring and accurate donor reports in accordance with the specified format within the agreement timeframe 
• Assist the Finance Manager in the efficient conduct of project/donor audit and internal audit exercises where needed.
• Contribute to conducting partners’ appraisal and review of finance reports from partners to ensure compliance with relevant War Child and donor’s standards and guidelines.
• Ensure partner expenses after review are uploaded monthly and correctly in UNIT4 (ERP System).
• Perform any other duties as assigned by the line manager.

Mission 2: Consolidate monthly accounts for quality and accuracy

• Ensure that parameter information in UNIT4 and other information required to process the monthly closure is exhaustive
• Review & import all excel books (bank, Cash, partner, balance accounts, other countries) 
• Check the periodic payments due as of contracts (car, rentals, insurance…) and ensure corresponding charges are properly distributed monthly 
• Ensure that all transactions are recorded and that closing balance reconciles with the balance in bank accounts
• Follow up on all invoices not yet received (Accruals) – book corresponding entries
• Prepare and upload in UNIT 4 the book of reallocations and corrections (OD)
• Prepare the month end package; liaise with HQ for mailing required documents and answer timely to monthly feedback
• Review the month end package for accuracy before being sent 

Mission 3: Support Field Staff with Financial and Accounting Support

• Maintain local petty cash for basic expenses
• Support field staff with BVA and financial analysis -hands-on support plus building their capacity.
• Support field staff in their day-to-day accounting and finances, plus local payments.

Person specification – Essential Criteria:

Education and Experience:

• University degree in Accounting & Finance 
• At least 5 years’ experience in accounting and financial management with an INGO/NGO.

Required Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities: 

• Working knowledge of MS Office software (Outlook, Word, PowerPoint) and advanced Excel;
• Accuracy and attention to detail: ability to handle large volumes of data and coding consistently.
• Excellent time management skills and able to take the initiative, prioritize tasks and meet deadlines.
• Ability to work independently and effectively within and across teams and build good working relationships.
• Proficiency in English and Arabic languages [reading, writing and speaking].
• Ability to communicate clearly with internal stakeholders and external suppliers.
• Personal commitment and drive for results, and adaptability in the workplace. 
• Treat information with the confidentiality it deserves.

Special requirements

Willingness to travel to different locations other than duty station whenever required to support Finance team there and willingness to regularly travel to local partners offices and sub-offices to support them
These duties provide a framework for the role and should not be regarded as a definitive list. Other reasonable duties may be required consistent with the grade of the post.

Your team

Finance Manager

• You
• Finance Asisstant    

Important Information

• WCUK has Zero tolerance of breach of safeguarding & Code of Conduct.
• War Child UK is an equal opportunity employer.
• War Child UK does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process.
• As this role is a national position, all candidates are required to be Yemeni nationals.
• Female with the above qualifications is encouraged to apply.
• Only candidates who are short-listed will be contacted.

Our benefits

• Flexible working arrangements
• 30 annual leave per year
• Transportation and Appearance Allowance
• Investment in training and development
• Health Insurance
• Life Insurance
• Social Security Contribution
• 1-1 wellbeing consultations with trained counsellors  
• Enhanced Leave Policy
• Eid Bonus

Child safeguarding and Adults at Risk

Our work with children and at-risk adults to keep them safe is the most important thing we do. We are committed to the safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults in all areas of our work. We have zero tolerance for any behaviours and practices that puts children and/or vulnerable adults at risk of abuse and/or harm. Successful applicants will be expected to be compliant and sign up to our Child Safeguarding policy, our Code of Conduct and PSEA: Adults at Risk Policy. You can find the Child Safeguarding and Adults at Risk policy here: https://www.warchild.org.uk/whats-happening/news/our-child-safeguarding-policies-and-procedures 

Pre-employment checks

• Employment with War Child will be subject to the following checks prior to your start date:
• Receipt of three satisfactory references.
• New and clear police check.
• Commitment to Child Safeguarding and Code of Conduct policies.