Officer, Finance and Administration

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 (NSs). The overall aim of IFRC is “to inspire, encourage, facilitate, and promote at all times all forms of humanitarian activities by NSs 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.”  IFRC works to meet the needs and improve the lives of vulnerable people before, during and after disasters, health emergencies and other crises. 

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 IFRC is guided by the following fundamental principles: humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity, and universality. 

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.

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

IFRC has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment and other forms of harassment, abuse of authority, discrimination, and lack of integrity (including but not limited to financial misconduct). IFRC also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. 

The position holder will be contracted by the Syrian Arab Red Crescent and seconded to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent. He will be located at the IFRC country office in Baghdad, Iraq and will report to the Manager, Programmes and Operations. The position will have a technical line to the Regional Head of Finance and Administration. 

The Finance and Administration Officer is responsible for providing administrative support, as well as accounting services, for ensuring internal sound control, financial reporting, training, and providing advice and support to relevant stakeholders within a comprehensive financial management structure, which is related to all operations of the Iraq operations. In close cooperation with the IRCS Finance team. The Finance and Admin Officer, under the supervision of the line manager and the Regional Finance and Administration Unit, will oversee the IFRC budgeting & financial planning, technical support in financial management and monitoring of income and expenditure for all the IFRC programme under the Iraq Unified Plan. The Finance & Admin officer will be responsible for providing administrative, coordination and financial management support. In addition to the accounting services, the post holder will provide general support and advice on all programme related financial issues from the budgeting to the final evaluation of the office and provide efficient financial management.

Job duties and Responsbilities:

Financial Management and Compliance

• Have a deep understanding of the financial and administrative Federation procedures that will allow validating the transactions accordingly.
• Advise project staff in the appropriate interpretation of the procedures, so the transactions are following them.
• Provide feedback to staff on documentation submitted with incorrect coding or inadequate supporting documentation.
• Provide feedback to his/her line manager or the Head of Finance and Administration of improvements in policies, processes or procedures.
• Ensure that Federation Internal control is in place and continually review to identify possible areas of weakness in financial controls within the system, implement changes to address them.
• Monitor budgets and expenditures and contribute to budget planning and revision.
• Ensure the financial transactions are authorized, recorded, filed with adequate supporting documentation, and maintained.
• Assisting National Society with working advance settlement in monthly/quarterly basis.
• Ensure supporting documents for NS settlement are completed based on agreement and technical guidelines.
• Assist programme staff with travel expenses and working expenses reimbursement/settlement.
• Assist programme and operations for requisition submission as needed.
• Support line management to prepare budget monitoring and analysis for all pledges under operations, including accrual report.
• Support line management collecting data to create Budget versus Actual Analysis under IRCS operations budget.
• Performs a periodic review of the transactions posted to the projects to ensure the accuracy of the transactions entered into the accounting system
• Ensure that all donor reporting requirements (financial) are met within the deadlines, and the accuracy, integrity, and timeliness of the reports are maintained.
• Provide information about the status of reports to the finance analyst.
• Prepares income or expenditure reallocations to ensure that the reports can be completed (when it is necessary)
• Verifies that the transactions process occurs according to the IFRS (International Financial Reporting Standards) and the IFRC policies, procedures, and they follow the donor requirements.
• Provide technical support and advice to the project managers and program staff during the preparation and revision of budgets.
• Provide analysis of actual expenditures vs. budgets with its respective comments of the variances (if there is any) and recommendations.
• Book the expenditure reallocations when it is necessary.

• Ensure timely submission of approval requests.
• Ensure that all the transactions related to his/her portfolio are validated following the expenditure authorization policy and others.
• Coordinate with the Logistics Unit on the purchases/procurement and ensure supporting documents are following Federation procedures.
• Ensure all accounting transactions are appropriately authorized and documented 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, expense claims and other documents are presented within the established deadlines.
• The post will be responsible for the monthly cash request analysis submission.
• Ensure there are sufficient funds.
• Preparation of bank account reconciliations
• Conduct petty cash counts (surprise or planned)
• Ensure that daily, weekly, and monthly petty cash counts are being done.
• Ensure that the payments are done on a timely basis.
• Coordinate the opening and closing of bank accounts (If necessary)
• Support the preparation of accurate forecasts to avoid financial losses.
• Ensure the same amount that was counted match with the amount reflected in the accounting system.
• Provide reconciled account statements of the outstanding balances of staff and NS.
• Ensure that other balance sheet items are reconciled (e.g., prepayments, guarantee deposits, supplier balances, etc.)
• Coordinate that corrections are done on a timely basis.
• Explain to each project manager the methodology and results.
• Provide interpretation of the management report to the line manager / Head of the Country Delegation
• Book all the transactions in the accounting system.
• Ensure the same amount that was counted match with the amount reflected in the accounting system.
• Provide reconciled account statements of the outstanding balances of staff and NS.
• Ensure that other balance sheet items are reconciled (e.g., prepayments, guarantee deposits, supplier balances, etc.)
• Coordinate that corrections are done on a timely basis.
• This post will be responsible for supporting the run of all the routines related for the closing of the month (e.g., currency revaluation, allocation, booking of provisions, etc.) within the deadlines (if necessary)
• Prepare ad-hoc financial analysis as per the demand of the projects under his/her portfolio.
• Interpret financial indicators to project managers and provide quality advice to improve the performance or minimize/mitigate risks.
• Monitor the status of soft pledges.
• Highlight any potential risks (e.g., fraud, deficits, integrity of transactions, etc.)
• Record and report separately on Emergency Appeal operation financial commitments (external MoUs, purchase orders, program commitments, etc.) and be fully aware of possible commitments and planned ventures.
• Timely indicate underspending and the requirements for possible time frame extensions.

Administrative and Operational Support

• Prepare and submit timely and reliable financial updates, reports and statements.
• Provide adequate administrative technical support to programme and operations.
• Coordinate visa issuance and other arrangement for delegates, visitors and national staff with NS International Relations Department / Legal Department.
• Responsible for all travel arrangements of the delegation staff, flight bookings, purchase tickets; make hotel/accommodation reservations and clear the payments and keep records thereof.
• Ensure proper welcome arrangements for staff, delegate, visitors/consultants including pick up/drop from/at airport in coordination with the NS fleet.
• Filing system and record keeping management:
• Ensure there is a standardized filing system applied through the whole programme /operations.
• Develop a process to review the filing system (hard and soft files) on a monthly/quarterly basis.
• Keep track of all admin documents including registration all internal & external correspondence and records updated.
• Responsible for proper record keeping of programme/operations admin activities.
• Ensure good and clear communication, knowledge and information sharing mechanism with IRCS, IFRC staff, and MENA.
• Keep an accurate record of the inventory of assets, document the procurements or disposals of assets properly, conduct a physical count to ensure the list is reconciled with the physical items.
• Verify periodically that the insurance policy is up to date and covers the existing list of assets.
• This position should coordinate with the IT responsible staff for the proper insurance of the IT equipment.
• Review and ensure that the staff in the Office files their documents following the standardized filing system for offices in the Field.
• Manage the technical set up and the administrative organization of major meetings (interpreters set up, meeting facilities, organization of receptions/buffet/meals, renting of office equipment).
• Organize transportation for meeting participants.
• Undertake non-operational procurement based on the IFRC procurement procedures and regulations, i.e., but not limited to stationary, furniture, IT equipment, translation services.
• Ensure that the items/services are well delivered, properly stocked where relevant and invoices processed in a timely manner for payment purposes.
• Create a portfolio of suppliers and service providers to be used by IFRC where needed and based on proper clearances and documentations.

Relationships with other stakeholders

• Liaise with project managers and unit staff to provide adequate services to contribute to the achievements of the plans and results.
• Liaise with the administration, accounting staff or finance officers of other offices (when it is necessary)
• Liaise with the assigned senior finance analysts to get advice, orientation, support on technical matters and provide feedback to the findings observed in the monthly field returns, accounting, and financial matters.
• Liaise with the Head of Finance and Administration to highlight urgent matters and provide feedback on how to improve systems and processes.
• Support auditors in terms of clarification or provide supporting documentation.
• Conduct briefing and debriefings to unit staff under his/her portfolio.

Others

• Provide support in case of long-term vacancies, absence, or illness to ensure continuity of the finance and administration function.

Be prepared to deliver training to IFRC staff, or National Society Staff (if it is required)

• University level degree master/bachelor’s in accounting, finance and administration, or equivalent qualification - Required
• Diploma in financial management and/or any relevant field - Preferred

• At least 3 to 5 years of progressive experience in accounting, finance and administration in the field of humanitarian operations with I/NGOs - Required
• Minimum 3 years working experience in budget preparation and monitoring and financial reports - Required
• Experience in using Accounting Software - Required
• Experience of working for the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement - Preferred

• Excellent excel and Microsoft office skills is a must, especially for functions relevant to financial management and accounting - Preferred
• Knowledge and experience of CODA is preferred - Required
• Experience of and ability to use manual accounting systems - Required
• Skills in training and developing staff in finance - Required
• Computer skills: Windows, Word Processing, PowerPoint, Excel & Ability to use video conferencing application i.e. Microsoft Teams, Zoom etc - Required
• Proficiency in written and spoken (Arabic & English) language - Required

• 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

The position holder will be contracted by the Syrian Arab Red Crescent and seconded to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent. 

IFRC Disclaimer

IFRC has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment and other forms of harassment, abuse of authority, discrimination, and lack of integrity (including but not limited to financial misconduct). IFRC also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles.

If you appointed to or undertake a role within IFRC, whether as staff, staff on loan or secondees, you will be subject to the organization's Code of Conduct, which is available here and on our website.

Note: All offers of employment will be subject to satisfactory references and appropriate screening checks, which include prior professional conduct checks and review of criminal records. IFRC will request a conduct check from all prior employers for a period of 5 years, including but not limited to employers who like IFRC participate in the Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. For more details on the Scheme, please see THE MISCONDUCT DISCLOSURE SCHEME — SCHR.

IFRC ensures equal employment opportunities!