Officer, Finance and Accounting

Organizational Context

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is the world’s largest humanitarian organization, with a network of 191-member National Societies. The overall aim of the IFRC is “to inspire, encourage, facilitate, and promote at all times all forms of humanitarian activities by National Societies with a view to preventing and alleviating human suffering and thereby contributing to the maintenance and promotion of human dignity and peace in the world.” The IFRC works to meet the needs and improve the lives of vulnerable people before, during and after disasters, health emergencies and other crises.

The IFRC is part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement (Movement), together with its member National Societies and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The work of the IFRC is guided by the following fundamental principles: humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity, and universality.

The IFRC is led by its Secretary General, and has its Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. The Headquarters are organized into three main Divisions: (i) National Society Development and Operations Coordination; (ii) Global Relations, Humanitarian Diplomacy and Digitalization; and (iii) Management Policy, Strategy and Corporate Services.

The IFRC has five regional offices in Africa, Asia Pacific, Middle East and North Africa, Europe, and the Americas. The IFRC also has country cluster delegation and country delegations throughout the world. Together, the Geneva Headquarters and the field structure (regional, cluster and country) comprise the IFRC Secretariat.

Americas Regional Office (ARO) of the IFRC provides supports to 35 National Societies of the Americas in the following areas of focus: Disaster Risk Reduction, Shelter, Livelihoods, Health, Water and Sanitation, Culture of non-violence and peace, Social inclusion and Migration.

The Regional Finance and Administration Unit is responsible for the provision of quality financial services, quality control assurance, finance capacity building, and technical advice.  It is in the America Regional Office based in Panama.

Job Purpose

The accounting and Finance Officer has a multitasking profile, capable of performing functions in the treasury area, accounts payable, accounting and support for the Regional Office programs. This allows having comprehensive professionals who can provide quality support to all technical areas, according to the operational needs that arise, that is, their functions will not be limited only to basic tasks of accounting records, support for programs, accounts payable or treasury, but will have the necessary skills to address all of the aforementioned areas. The Accounting and Finance Officer will provide general backup for the rest of the positions in the Unit.

The Finance and Accounting Officer must have an analytical profile to carry out his work less mechanically, rather based on the reasoning of the transactions executed by the role.

Job Duties and Responsibilities

Accounting:

• Processes all accounting transactions on a daily basis.
• Validate that all financial transactions/entries are properly supported with valid justifications and that the codes used do not generate deficits in the projects.
• Provide support to issue accounts statements for the staff to get confirmation of balances.
• Supports the Finance Coordinator with the end of month closure routines according to the accounting checklist within the established deadlines.
• Clear all discrepancies and errors on Exception Report prior to closing. Ensure clean month end balance sheet for Americas Regional Office.

Filing:

• File the supporting documentation of all the transactions in the respective digital files.
• Prepare the binders with the related labels and information.
• Be responsible to coordinate the disposal of binders when the expiration date has arrived.
• Retrieve documentation on demand.
• Be responsible to file the binders that are sent from all the different offices in our archives.

Support Audits:

• Provide support to the auditors to find and organize supporting documentation required by them.
• Support to the Finance Coordinator for following up with Country Offices for the collection of documentation for audit processes.

Treasury and payments:

• Support in the tasks of the Officer, Treasury.

Accounts Payable:

• Support in the tasks of the Officer, Accounts Payable.

Financial Reporting and Analysis:

• Have a deep understanding of the financial Federation procedures that will allow validating the transactions accordingly (e.g. authorization procedure, contracts procedure, etc.)
• Advise project staff in the appropriate interpretation of the financial procedures so the transactions to be performed are in compliance with them.
• Provide feedback to project managers on documentation submitted with incorrect coding or inadequate supporting documentation.
• Implement best practices according to procedures that safeguard and optimize the use of financial resources through an appropriate internal control environment.
• Support to the Finance Coordinator with the reviewing of the finance reports from the National Societies to ensure that the donor reports are completed on a timely manner and accuracy.
• Perform a periodic review of the transactions posted to the projects to ensure the accuracy of the transactions entered into the accounting system.
• Verify that the transactions have been processed according to the IFRS (International Financial Reporting Standards) and the IFRC (International Federation of Red Cross) polices and procedures. It is also important to ensure that the donor requirements have been met.
• Prepare income or expenditure reallocations with the respective approval of the project manager to ensure that the reports can be sent to the donor with accuracy.
• Support to the Finance Coordinator with the submitting of project forecasts, ensuring the resources are available opportunely.

Support, assist and advise the National Societies:

• Support to the National Societies in submitting the finance reports according to the IFRC Politics and procedures.
• Advice to the NS regarding any issues with the supporting documents submitted in the financial reports of the Working advances or WWPP.

Job Duties and Responsibilities (continued)

Budgeting:

• Provide technical support and advice to the project managers, programme staff or National Society Staff during the preparation and/or revision of budgets and / or thresholds.
• Provide quality technical advice to the project managers in the preparation of their budgets.
• Provide analysis of actual expenditures vs. budgets with its respective analysis of the variances (if there is any) and recommendations.
• Monitor the level of implementation of the budgets and provide feedback to the management team.
• Analyse, investigate, address and report significant variances against the budget.

Validation of transactions:

• Ensure that all the transactions related to his/her portfolio are validated following the expenditure authorization procedure and others.
• Ensure that transfers to National Societies are performed only if they are in compliance with the validation process, policies and procedures. It is important to monitor the specifications in the project agreement to ensure the funds are transferred in line with it.
• Ensure all accounting transactions are properly authorized and supported by original and valid supporting documentation.
• Provide feedback to the project managers when findings have been identified in terms of documentation that does not meet the requirements or transactions that are not within the approved budget.
• Follow up with the project manager or unit staff that the forecasts, journal of expenditures, Daily Subsistence Allowance claim forms and other documents are presented within the established deadlines.
• Provide quality and analytical information of the status of the working advances of National Societies to support the follow up of outstanding working advances and reconciliations by the project manager.
• Provide monthly account statements to staff to reconcile the balances and obtain the reimbursement or the settlement of the liability.
• Prepare the income or expenditure reallocations and ensure they are processed on time.

Financial Policies and Procedures:

• Have a deep understanding of the financial federation procedures that will allow validating the transactions accordingly (e.g. authorization procedure, contracts procedure, etc.)
• Advise project staff in the appropriate interpretation of the financial procedures so the transactions to be performed are in compliance with them.
• Provide feedback to project managers on documentation submitted with incorrect coding or inadequate supporting documentation.
• Provide feedback to his/her line manager or the Regional Financial Controller of improvements in policies, processes or procedures.
• Provide advice about how to manage or treat financial risks.
• Implement best practices according to procedures that safeguard and optimize the use of financial resources through an appropriate internal control environment.

Supporting tasks:

• Supports finance staff activities in order to ensure continuity of services.

Education

Required:

• University Degree in Accounting or Finance-Related areas

 

Experience

Required:

• 3+ years of professional experience in a finance or accounting department. 
• Experience managing data

 

Preferred:

• Experience working with partners
• Experience of working with the Red Cross / Red Crescent

Knowledge, Skills and Languages

Required:

• Self-supported in computing systems (e.g. accounting software package and MS Office)
• Ability to work in a team, excellent communication, and management skills
• Excellent organizational skills and stress management skills
• Strong command of Excel and ease with digital platforms

 

Languages:

Required:

• Fluently spoken and written Spanish. 

 

Preferred:

• Fluently spoken and written English. 

Competencies, Values and Comments

Values and Competencies:

• Values: Respect for Diversity, Integrity, Professionalism, Accountability
• Core Competencies: Communication, Collaboration and Teamwork, Judgement and Decision Making, National Society and Customer Relations, Creativity and Innovation, Building Trust

 

Comments:

Applicants will need to send their applications together with a letter of motivation no later than the closing date. In order for us to assure a proper comparative evaluation of your application for this vacancy and to enable us to consider your profile against other similar current and future vacancies, we ask that you submit your application taking into account the following:

• Please note that the selected candidate will be hired through a national contract of Panama; therefore only nationals of the country or those holding a valid work permit or legal status will be considered for the post;
• The incumbent is responsible to abide by Federation policies, procedures, plans and applicable national laws;
• The closing date is midnight Geneva time.
• Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted
• The position will be based in Panama