Senior Finance Officer

SCOPE OF WORK

USAID Karnali Water Activity Project

PROJECT BACKGROUND:

The USAID Karnali Water Activity Project will create healthy, resilient, and water secure communities at the watershed level through strengthened water and sanitation governance that improves water resource management (including water for more resilient and biodiverse ecosystems), enhances sustainable access to drinking water, improves agriculture water management, and reduces the fecal pathogen burden in the environment from poorly managed non-sewered sanitation through fecal sludge management. The program team will methodically integrate WRM, watershed biodiversity conservation, and water and sanitation service delivery by mapping and strengthening the roles, connections, and capacities of key actors and stakeholders’ system wide.

POSITION DESCRIPTION:

The Senior Finance Officer is a key member of the finance team and will assist the Finance Manager (FM) with financial, accounting, and budgeting support at field level. He/she will maintain accurate financial and accounting records in compliance with DAI policies and USAID rules and regulations, and assist with financial reporting, bank reconciliations, or other related duties of the field office. S/he will directly supervise Surkhet-based Finance Assistant.

KEY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

General Accounting/Financial Management and Reporting

• Process wire requests for field project implementation to Kathmandu Office
• Conduct regular cash flow analyses to ensure availability of funds and the accurate maintaining of cash/bank balances. 
• Responsible for accurate and timely processing of invoices, advances and reimbursements, timely deposit of cash receipts, checks, and wire transfer payments
• Responsible for recording and assigning costs based on approved budget in field accounting system (FAS). 
• Performs monthly bank reconciliations and routinely monitors bank/cash account balances. 
• Supervise Petty cash custodian and conduct periodic/surprise cash counts. Ensure Petty Cash procedures are followed.
• Ensure the safeguard of bank, check and cash receipts.
• Ensure proper segregation of duties maintain for the financial activity.
• Manage banking relationships and coordinates as necessary.
• Maintain file management systems for soft and hard copy documentation as required.
• Compiles backup documentation for all project related transactions and ensures completeness and appropriate review and approvals are documented.
• Reconciles project inventory on a regular basis ensuring that the value/purchase price of projects assets reflected in the inventory register agrees with the total shown in the cumulative non-Expendable account balance.
• Manage the schedule of financial activities for the timely preparation of budget related reports.
• Ensure non-billable expenses are thoroughly reviewed, approved, and are kept to a minimum.
• Ensure that any/all contractual financial reporting requirements are identified and complied in a timely and accurate manner.
• Ensure that tax/ VAT reporting procedures are well documented to facilitate preparation and submission in a timely manner.
• Prepares vendor and remittance tax forms and ensure these are submitted in a timely manner.
• Monitor and submit advance, commitment, and grant reports as applicable.
• Ensure the reporting of expenses aligned with correct GL code.
• Directly supervise Surkhet-based Finance Assistant.
• Prepare budgets in coordination with technical team and provide overall financial management support during events and workshops.
• Responsible for the overall implementation of digital payment system in project events.
• Assist for timely and accurate processing of all payroll transactions, assuring compliance with established employment agreements and modifications.
• Ensures staff compliance with timekeeping policy and recordkeeping. 
• Conduct periodic VAT reconciliation statements. Liaise with Inland revenue office for smooth VAT refund process.
• Provide orientation to project staffs and STTAs on financial procedures and document requirement. Also, train new finance staffs on financial management system and procedures.
• Work with technical team on budget preparation for Annual Work Plan.

Travel Advances & Reimbursements

• Follow and maintain procedures to ensure accurate and timely payment of travel advances, reimbursements for staff and partner travel.
• Maintain procedures to ensure accurate and timely reconciliation of travel advances.
• Review outstanding advances and aging reports for accuracy and follow up as needed.

Audit

• Support preparation of internal and external audits.
• Support responses and actions to internal audit comments.
• Conduct daily reviews of backup documentation to ensure completeness, accuracy, and full compliance with all regulations and the Field Operations Manual (FOM).
• Perform regular spot audits on project’s files.
• Ensure all required backup documentation is uploaded to DAI file management system according to set deadlines.

Policies and Procedures

• Ensure accounting policies and practices are carried out in accordance with GAAP standards; project internal controls are established and implemented in accordance with DAI policies, USAID rules/regulations, GON’s tax policy and the terms of the contract.
• Periodic review of financial and travel policies and work on policy revision as per need.

Financial Systems

• Field Expenses Recorder (vFER), cloud software for backup documentation, DAI’s operations system (TAMIS), etc.
• Coordinate with home office system support teams to troubleshoot technical issues related to systems or operations.
• Scans and uploads voucher files to the electronic archival system per DAI policies.
• Maintain comprehensive knowledge of project’s Field Operations Manual (FOM) and identify areas where policies, procedures and/or practices may not align with project practice and advise project management with recommendations.
• Coordinate with field staff relating to compliance and finance procedure with documentation requirements at field level.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Master’s or bachelor’s degree in accounting, Finance, Business Administration or equivalent. Advanced degree MBA, CPA or equivalent preferred with bachelor’s degree with 10 years of relevant experience or master’s degree with 6 years of relevant experience and progressive responsibility in finance and accounting, office administration, project operations at the mid-level of an organization. (Subtract one year of experience for applicants from excluded groups).
• Minimum 2 years’ experience managing USAID funded projects.
• Experience leading and managing the financial aspects of USAID projects, including a demonstrated understanding of applicable finance-related USG contracting regulations. 
• Accuracy in working with large amounts of data.
• Ability to respond effectively to the most sensitive inquiries or complaints.
• Experience with enterprise accounting software, and Microsoft office suite.
• Demonstrated knowledge of internal controls and audit processes (e.g., procurement, local subcontract agreements, etc.)
• Demonstrated report writing skills in English is required. 
• An articulate individual who possesses excellent communications and personnel management skills and who can relate to people at all levels of an organization.
• An energetic, forward-thinking, and creative individual with high ethical standards and appropriate professional image.
• An extremely well organized and self-directed individual with sound technical skills, analytical ability, good judgment, and strong operational focus
• Fluency in English is required.

LEVEL OF EFFORT/SUPERVISION:

The level of effort is 260 days per year. The Senior Finance Officer will be based in Surkhet Regional Office, with occasionally travel to field sites in the Karnali River Basin. The Senior Finance Officer shall work in close coordination with Kathmandu Finance team and support in financial functions for backups as per need. The Senior Finance Officer will work under the direct supervision of the Finance Manager.

APPLICATION LINK: 

https://fs23.formsite.com/OLJTgx/sdbhweqqgt/index

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS:

Please fill out the required information and upload CV. Applicants are encouraged to apply as soon as possible as interviews will be conducted soon. Please note, due to the volume of applications that we receive and the urgency to fill-up positions only shortlisted applicants will receive notifications on next steps.

Interested candidates should submit their application no later than October 6, 2024.

DAI promotes workforce diversity and considers excluded groups to include women, Dalits, indigenous ethnic groups, Madhesi, Muslim, persons with disabilities, people living in remote areas, and sexual and gender minorities.

ABOUT DAI

DAI is a global development company with corporate offices in the United States, the United Kingdom, EU, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Palestine and project operations worldwide. We tackle fundamental social and economic development problems caused by inefficient markets, ineffective governance, and instability. DAI works on the frontlines of global development. Transforming ideas into action—action into impact. We are committed to shaping a more livable world.

DAI and its employees are committed to confronting racism and holding ourselves accountable for positive change within the company and in the communities, cultures, and countries in which we live and work.  DAI is committed to attracting and retaining the best employees from all races and backgrounds in our continued effort to become a better development partner.

DAI upholds the highest ethical standards. We are committed to the prevention of sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment as well as other ethical breaches. All our positions are therefore subject to stringent vetting and reference checks.

This SOW is only a summary of the typical functions of the job, and not an exhaustive or comprehensive list of all responsibilities, tasks, and duties.