Senior Finance Officer

SENIOR FINANCE OFFICER

TRANSBOUNDARY RIVERS OF SOUTH ASIA (TROSA)

Closing date: March 03, 2025, at 23:59 ICT.

Location: Cambodia, Bangladesh, or Nepal

Contract: 2-years fixed term

One Oxfam Grade: D1 National

Salary and benefits: N/A

Department purpose: The Oxfam in Asia regional platform contributes to and implements Oxfam’s Global Objectives and Strategy and leads the implementation of Oxfam in Asia’s Strategic Framework, by providing vision and strategic direction to all of Oxfam’s work in Asia. This includes Oxfam’s humanitarian responses and the localization of humanitarian leadership, long-term development programming, and influencing work. Responsible and accountable for the strategic direction and effective management of the programming in Asia, effective management of financial and human resources in line with Oxfam policy, and providing high-level support and representation for advocacy, fundraising, and any other representational purposes in support of Oxfam’s work and interest while ensuring gender justice and feminist principles are adopted.

Team purpose: The Regional Programs Team provides strategic leadership and management to all regional work in Asia ensuring quality, coherence, and added value for Oxfam in Asia. 

TROSA is a multi-year program commenced in 2017, supported by the Government of Sweden, that aims to improved cooperation in governing shared water resources and strengthening resilience to climate change of riparian communities in the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna River basins. The program works directly with communities in selected locations within the transboundary Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna (GBM) river basins, across Bangladesh, India, Bhutan, and Nepal. Currently, we are in the second phase of the program that commenced in December 2022 to June 2027.

Job purpose: In line with Oxfam’s finance systems, the Senior Finance Officer (SFO) will maintain financial oversight and provide financial services to TROSA by providing consolidated finance, budget monitoring and reports to the respective Project Managers. S(he) will be line-managed by the Finance and Operations Manager and will deputize for them as requested. 

Key Responsibilities:

Financial Reporting

• Prepare Monthly Budget Vs Actual Status report and share with Project Management Unit (PMU)
• Review PMU ledgers on monthly basis and prepare the entries corrections/reclassifications as and when required as per the procedures in Oxfam Novib systems. 
• Review and analyse quarterly and annual financial reports of all partners including ledgers, reconciliations etc and provide feedback.
• Produce consolidated quarterly and annual financial reports for overall program for all active contracts.
• Update the Project Management Team on cash flow.

Partner’s Financial Monitoring and capacity building

• Maintain liaison with finance focal points of partners and document the discussions and feedback 
• Organize partner consultations and trainings at least once a quarter.
• Visit partners' offices as per agreed financial monitoring plans and producing good quality monitoring reports along with recommendations and regular follow-up on action plans
• Conduct partner financial monitoring visits, and provide support/coaching on financial reporting, requirements, and other compliance. 
• Report on findings and performance including preparation of Partners’ capacity development plans. 
• Ensure the project team and all partners understand Oxfam’s financial policies and procedures particularly relating to Fraud Prevention and relevant codes of good practice and alert the Finance and Operations Manager to any areas of concern where refresher training might be needed.
• Support partners in maintaining compliance and being well prepared for external audits.
• Responsible for coordination with Regional and National Partners, financial monitoring, and consolidation of project expenditure against budget, ensuring the integrity and compliance of the financial accounting systems.

Budgeting

• Efficient participation in Project cycle management and planning at PMU.
• Assist Finance and Operations Manager to develop the budgets for existing and potential donors following the templates and maintaining compliance.
• Review partners' budgets and forecasts to ensure they are aligned with the required templates and as per donor compliance requirements.
• Build Partner’s capacity to complete reporting templates and provide feedback in writing and through discussions.  

Payments and Systems compliance

• Support the Finance and Operations Manager to ensure compliance with the Oxfam Business Services Management systems and practices and their alignment with financial reporting as per donor requirements.
• Monitor all grant agreements (OPAs and FAs) associated with the project and ensure finance expenditures are aligned with the agreements.
• Maintain an overview of the partner granting system at regional level and lead the grant payments process to regional partners including monitoring to ensure the end-to-end completion and filing of the process. 
• Cash Flow tracking at different levels from National to Global including exchange gains/ losses.
• Initiate grant transfers to partners on timely basis in SAP System.
• Keeping up to date records of the finance section on Box, SAP, Atlas and on other relevant platforms.
• Develop budget codes and upload them to the SAP system annually or when the need arise.
• Ensure proper project operational and financial closure with partners and country offices including proper reconciliations and other updates in the SAP system.

Audits and Risk Assessments

• Assist the Finance and Operations Manager, and coordinate with partners and Program Manager to ensure audits are planned and delivered on time according to the project and donor requirements.
• Be a focal person between partners and Auditors during project audits.
• Assist the Manager in the due diligence process of new partners and annual / periodic appraisal / review of existing partners and maintain up-to-date records in SAP system.
• In coordination with the Finance and Operations Manager, manage foreign exchange risks. 

Business Services

• In consultation with the Finance and Operations Manager, maintain regular and effective communication with Oxfam Cluster Business Services to ensure updated compliance and to contribute to the further improvement of effective services.  
• Meet regularly and coordinate between Oxfam Country teams and TROSA program manager/s to ensure consistency of approach and potential for shared activities to be considered and incorporated by the Program team. 
• Maintain oversight of staff and partner timesheets and document archiving management to ensure the availability of audit evidence during audits. 
• Contribute to the project Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning framework with analysis of how /to which activities funds are being allocated, spent and reported.  
• Provide status reports during the meetings or when required.
• Provide administrative support to the project where and when required.

Representation and Relationships

• Maintain relationships and good collaboration with Finance counterparts in other Oxfam countries and with Regional and national partners included in the project through instigating regular updates and monitoring meetings. 
• As requested, and in collaboration with country colleagues, brief partners (including donor and government departments where required) on the project compliance requirements including providing additional capacity for training and orientation.

SKILLS, EXPERIENCE AND KNOWLEDGE:

• Accounting qualification (minimum Bachelor level) and formal accounting qualification or studying for (Management/CPA/CA/CMA or equivalent)
• Proven experience of membership in a finance and operations team and a minimum of 5 years with an (I)NGO in a Finance Officer role.
• Experience of directly working/dealing with external Auditors.
• Demonstrated Ability of Financial monitoring of multiple partners based in different countries and programs including experience of delivering inductions/training to counterparts.
• Experience in implementing organizational finance systems and operating SAP systems or equivalent
• Advanced-level MS Excel skills.
• Experience in working with complex project partnerships (operational and relationships) preferably at the regional level
• Coordination and communication skills to work cross-culturally and to engage colleagues in implementing and improving practices
• Demonstrated ability to develop complex and multi-country budgets including strong analytical skills.
• Demonstrated ability to produce high quality financial insights, and reports
• Good written and spoken English communication skills and interpersonal skills.
• Understanding of south Asian context and local compliances and regulations.
• A commitment to promoting gender awareness, disability, and social inclusion. 
• Ability to work remotely and experience using virtual meeting technology across cultures and language groups
• Resilient with the ability to be self-motivated and to demonstrate and be proactive in achieving objectives
• Other relevant IT skills, MS Office, Ms Teams etc.

How to apply

Please upload an up to date CV and a covering letter, clearly explaining your suitability against the essential criteria in the job profile through the website:

https://jobs.oxfamnovib.nl/job-invite/13870/

Kindly note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted- usually within 2 weeks of the closing date.

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That means we tackle the inequality that keeps people poor. Together we save, protect and rebuild lives. When disaster strikes, we help people build better lives for themselves, and for others. We take on issues like land rights, climate change and discrimination against women. And we won’t stop until every person on the planet can enjoy life free from poverty.

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