Finance Assistant Jobs

Organizational Context
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is the world’s largest humanitarian organization, with a network of 192-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 counts with different subregional delegations in the Americas and one regional office for the Americas and the Caribbean based in Panama. One of the subregional delegations corresponds to Central America, which has staff present in each of the central American countries and the Head of the Cluster office based in Honduras. The requested financial position will respond to the Panama Project Manager, who is responsible for the implementation of the different projects at country level in partnership with the Panamanian Red Cross (National Society). The portfolio of projects includes the Pilot Programming Partnership PPP, which is a new partnership established with DG ECHO aimed at increasing local capacities of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies to support affected people, communities, and local actors along the continuum of preparedness, anticipation/early action and response. This partnership represents an innovative funding instrument to support the building of local capacities and response to humanitarian and health crises, contributing to the objectives of Strategy 2030, and testing new ways of working for the Federation.
Job Purpose
This position is expected to perform key tasks in the areas of financial management and reporting, he/she will provide support and guidance to the project manager by working with the program team and the IFRC Finance staff with tasks related to treasury & accounting, banking, budgeting, procurements follow up and financial management to ensure full compliance with rules and regulations of financial processes, financial records and reports and audit follow up, as well as implementation of the effective internal control framework.
Main Responsibilities
Job Duties and Responsibilities
The Finance Assistant Will Be Responsible For

• Ensure the smooth implementation of project accounting activities, including (but not limited to): monitoring of expenditure levels against budget and funding obligations, financial projections and submission of financial reports
• Verify accuracy and compliance of expenses and expense reporting
• Review partner spending in relation to budgets,
• Review and provide support for the financial aspects of contract execution of local implementing partner.
• Regularly prepare and present financial reports, analysis, and recommendations concerning relevant financial issues.
• Provide the management team with information and guidance on program financial performance.
• Employ financial oversight and control mechanisms and procedures to ensure that all program expenses are in accordance with IFRC financial policies, procedures and rules and regulations.

Tasks
Accounting

• Processes all accounting transactions on a timely manner (e.g. payment requests, working advances, clearances of working advances, supplier invoices, per diems, accruals, adjustments, expenditure reallocations, forecasts, payroll, etc.)
• Verifies that all transactions are properly supported with valid justifications.
• Provide support to issue accounts statements for the staff to get confirmation of balances

Closing of the Month

• Follows up on any outstanding issue highlighted by the Finance Analyst and Senior Finance Officer resulting from the past and current revision of period.
• Supports the Regional Finance Officer with the end of month closure routines according to the accounting checklist
• Support if necessary, during the preparation of the spreadsheet of outstanding work in advance of the National Society and staff to gather the correct financial codes and book the provisions and allocations against the appropriate codes.

Financial reporting

• Support to his/her finance counterpart in the National Society on the documentation of all the financial transactions related to the projects being implemented.
• Provide support to the auditors if necessary
• Retrieve documentation on demand
• Ensure that documentation that has been submitted properly

Job Duties And Responsibilities (continued)
Other tasks

• Advises proactively to the Panama project manager, the National Society and the Regional Finance Officer on systems and process improvement that will contribute to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the accounting tasks
• Supports finance staff activities to ensure continuity of services.

Education
A university or professional school degree in an accounting or finance related area
Experience
3+ years of professional experience in a finance or accounting department
2+ years of field experience in a humanitarian organisation
Work experience with RC/RC
Knowledge, Skills and Languages
Self- supported in computing systems (e.g. accounting software package, MS Office programmes)
Excellent communication skills
Time management skills
Ability to prioritize and manage multiple tasks simultaneously;
A high degree of integrity, accountability, energy and flexibility;
Good analytical skills and solution-oriented
Teamwork skills
Ability to communicate effectively, maintaining a two-way communication
Fluently spoken and written Spanish
Fluently spoken and written English
Competencies, Values and Comments
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
Functional competencies: Strategic orientation; Building alliances; Leadership; Empowering others