Job context

With support from NORAD, Hivos is implementing a project called ‘Connect, Defend, Act!’. To respond to the issue of shrinking civic space and amplify civil society-led action, the “Connect, Defend, Act!” (CDA) project will support civil society actors in Colombia, Indonesia, Malawi and the occupied Palestinian territory in their efforts to defend and expand civic space through three strategic objectives:

• By promoting coalition building among diverse civil society actors, including human rights defenders, rightsholder-led civil society organizations and independent media actors, grounded in civil society-led evidence gathering and knowledge production, and facilitated by context-specific communities of action.
• By contributing to safe and inclusive digital civic spaces for sustained collaboration and action among civil society actors through localized holistic digital security capacity strengthening, knowledge production and active referral to digital protection providers.
• By increasing civil society actors’ flexibility to rapidly respond to changes in civic space through organizational capacity strengthening and the provision of strategic funding for sustainable action.

The project aims to strategically support relevant actors within civil society whose work actively contributes to civic space from the perspective of different sectors and interests, while particularly including groups who are marginalized within civil society, such as women, youth, LGBTIQ+ persons, Indigenous People and others.

Role purpose

The Finance and Administration Officer will support all aspects of financial and grants management for Connect, Defend, Act! (CDA) project. This will include project accounting, audit, budgetary controls and monitoring of financial performance/progress in compliance with Hivos and donor policies and procedures.

The position will also support procurement for approved activities across the program, contracts and project assets, and the disbursement of funds. The position will provide the program staff with financial advice, support the completion of assigned project and donor reporting, manage audit functions and assist with the administrative and coordination duties associated with the project.

Responsibilities

The key responsibilities of the role include:

Budget preparation, monitoring, and financial management (25%)

• Provide appropriate coordinated support to program staff, working across donor requirements in program planning, delivery and financial administration for the project.
• Assist and guide non – finance staff on finance functions and capacity building in member country.
• Ensure integrity and accuracy of financial data in the financial system, including but not limited to cash management, project payables and receivables.
• Facilitate verification of all program payments, postings and financial acquittals and support month end and end of financial year reconciliations.
• Prepare project financial budgets, including work plans, operational costs, and specific activities. Work closely with program team leaders and grant partners in the budget design and preparation.
• Monitor the overall program budget and forecasts, including against the following specific areas: program plan or annual workplan; outputs and outcomes; commitments and project executions; project acquittals

Financial planning, analysis and reporting (15%)

• Support the preparation of grant requests and associated requirements for the procurement process and consequently the facilitation of signing process with partners.
• Provide support to the project in the development of annual budgets and allocation of available resources through integrated programming, business planning and project management processes.
• Ensure all donor financial reports/acquittals are prepared in a timely manner and with accurate information.
• Support all aspects of financial management of the project, including forecasting, monitoring of project executions, pipeline and financial analysis.
• Support financial monitoring and reporting across all income and expenditure streams to meet with Hivos and donor audit requirements.
• Support the preparation of reports on operational performance against annual performance measures and targets.
• Regularly reviewing budgets and forecasts to manage funds efficiently, identifying potential issues and advising on solutions for risk management

Oversight and reporting of project grants activities (20%)

• Maintain grants register and regularly update based on project progress and discussions with project team, grantees, and other stakeholders. Develop action plans with project staff to deal with poor performing grantees and manage through the register.
• Assist with facilitating regular grant management meetings with program managers to track and monitor budgets, expenditure, required training and support, risks, ongoing capacity assessments and mitigation strategies.
• Provide feedback and support to Hivos to ensure granting processes that are flexible and support grantees and project implementation
• Work closely with the project team, other Hivos divisions, and donor as required, on facilitating, co-designing, and delivering capacity development training on financial and grant management for internal and external partners
• Provision of monitoring and oversight of contract deliverables and payments through the grants register.

Project accounting, compliance and risk management (25%)

• Liaise with program manager, development partners and donors to maintain reporting schedules, financial acquittals and arrange for timely disbursements in accordance with signed funding agreements.
• Facilitate all preparations for project audit and support the external review or evaluation on financial and grant matters. Liaise with auditors to provide required documentation in a timely manner.
• Maintain a robust and systematic electronic filing system covering all financial, procurement, and grant documents.
• Ensure expenditures and reporting are compliant with applicable Hivos policies and donor requirements and with grant contractual agreements.
• Ensure all aspects of a project’s financial information including accounting transactions, are accurately captured in the Hivos financial system, with any discrepancies corrected in a timely manner
• Contribute to the project’s risk management processes, including in the work-planning process, as it pertains to financial and compliance risk, identifying potential risks, such as, irregular expenditures not approved in work plan.
• Work closely with other regional finance and/or grant officers to provide training and capacity building to project staff on finance policies and processes. Develop training materials if required and ensure these are consistent with other training materials developed through shared services or central finance.
• Monitor project cash receipts, income, and expenditure to ensure that the project has sufficient funds for the implementation of activities.
• Ensure all procurement and grant processes undertaken by the project are in line with Hivos and donor policies and procedures
• Maintain the accuracy of the project finance information within All Solutions and other systems.
• Support the implementation of appropriate systems and internal controls within the project. Collaborate with internal stakeholders where instances of internal control weaknesses are found in order to strengthen these.
• Support internal and external audit exercises and ensure maximum level of compliance.
• Ensure compliance with relevant tax regulations, including filing of tax returns, withholding taxes, and VAT compliance, as applicable to project activities.

Administrative support (15%)

• Liaise directly with other stakeholders on project administration issues, country specific financial policies and financial reporting matters.
• Coordination and guidance regarding planning and organisation of technical meetings, technical assistance, conferences and workshops.
• Coordinate operational support and orientation for all new staff members including short term personnel and consultants.
• Ensure office operations are well managed and all facility issues at the country office are resolved in liaison with the Regional Operations team.
• Ensure systematic filing of all financial and procurement documents.
• Ensure that all financial acquittals are provided on a timely basis and support documentation is sufficient and adequate
• Ensure that all project finance documentation is well prepared and stored in readily available mediums in line with audit standards.
• Provide training to project stakeholders and grantees where required in line with Hivos financial management policies and requirements

Person specifications

Qualifications

• Minimum of a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration or related professional qualification. Master’s Degree in Accounting, Business Administration, Commerce or Public Finance preferred
• Professional membership of CPA, ACCA, CIMA or equivalent

Knowledge / experience

• At least 5 years of experience in project accounting and financial reporting for large aid-funded projects.
• Demonstrated understanding of project budgeting, financial reporting, donor reporting, audit requirements and financial management of grants
• Strong analytical skills and attention to detail, with the ability to interpret complex financial data accurately.
• Demonstrated experience in delivering training for project teams on financial monitoring and reporting, fostering a high level of understanding and compliance among team members.
• Familiarity with donor guidelines, grant management, and financial reporting requirements
• Proficiency in financial management software and Microsoft Office applications
• Excellent organizational and time-management skills, with the ability to manage multiple tasks and meet deadlines effectively
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to work collaboratively in a diverse team environment
• Demonstrated experience in providing efficient administrative support
• Fluency in English, both written and verbal

Key skills / attributes

• Proficient financial management and analysis skills
• Demonstrated ability to provide high-quality service with precision and keen attention to detail
• Self-initiative and ability to work with minimal daily supervision
• Demonstrated effectiveness in managing personal time and work priorities/schedules
• Handling confidential information professionally
• Strong team player
• Excellent interpersonal skills and cultural sensitivity

What we offer

Hivos offers a challenging position in an international environment.

The Regional office is based in Harare, Zimbabwe. This position will be based in Lilongwe, Malawi.  Hivos welcomes International & Regional applicants but can only offer a position to only those with a valid work permit for Malawi. Hivos can only offer employment on local terms and conditions.

Want to apply?

Please apply before May 10, 2024. If you meet the above-mentioned qualifications by filling in a digital application form and adding a cover letter explaining your motivation and your CV.

APPLY HERE