Project Finance Officer

Job Summary

The Project Finance Officer oversees budget tracking, transaction entries, financial risk registers, and partner financial management assessments. Core duties include supervising fund advances; analyzing budget-versus-actual deviations; preparing monthly, quarterly, and annual donor financial reports; verifying invoices against approved Concept Notes and Terms of Reference (ToRs); implementing strict anti-fraud internal controls; and designing training programs to elevate the financial literacy of local project partners.

Foundational Capabilities & Prerequisites

Minimum Requirements

• Academic Credentials: A Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration, or a closely related financial discipline from an accredited institution.
• Proven Tenure: A minimum of five (5) years of related professional experience in financial management, with a clear preference for experience gained within an international non-profit organization or an active NGO field office.
• Accounting Principles: Deep, practical knowledge of financial accounting principles, ledger management, and regulatory compliance frameworks.
• Technical Software Stack: High proficiency in operating enterprise-grade accounting software (ERPs), relational financial databases, and advanced Microsoft Office applications (specifically Excel functions).
• Analytical Skills: Strong problem-solving capabilities, with the ability to detect systematic budget variances, analyze complex data sets, and trace potential financial anomalies.
• Execution Autonomy: Proven ability to work independently, manage shifting internal priorities, and meet rigid reporting deadlines with high attention to detail.

Preferred Technical Attributes

• Professional Certifications: Partial or full completion of recognized professional accounting designations (ACCA, CPA, or CIMA) is highly advantageous.
• Donor-Funded Experience: Prior experience handling complex multi-regional budgets, tracking commitments, and preparing financial schedules for international institutional donors.

Key Roles & Responsibilities

1. Financial Management, Data Entry & Documentation

• Maintain precise, up-to-date project books of accounts, checking that all receipts, vouchers, and ledger items are systematically filed and safeguarded against misuse.
• Supervise the preparation of financial analyses regarding partner advances in strict accordance with SNV and donor operational guidelines.
• Conduct weekly data entry of financial transactions into the organizational database (SBD) after running extensive document reviews.
• Verify external invoices, cross-referencing them against approved Concept Notes, Terms of Reference (ToRs), and valid procurement contracts.
• Enforce rigorous documentation standards, ensuring all physical vouchers are systematically labeled, transaction numbers are logged, and invoices are stamped with standard "PAID" marks for audit mapping.

2. Budget Control & Advanced Financial Reporting

• Guide the annual project budgeting process, lead quarterly reforecasting loops, and drive pipeline/funding-gap analyses.
• Execute routine Budget-Versus-Actual (BVA) calculations, providing project managers with cost-allocation insights and corrective action plans for negative variances.
• Support the generation of monthly, quarterly, and annual financial statement packages, ensuring complete compliance with IPSAS or applicable reporting frameworks.
• Oversee receivables, payables, and foreign-exchange gain/loss accounts while coordinating project closure financial processes.

3. Risk Management, Compliance & Internal Controls

• Design, update, and manage project financial risk assessments and dedicated risk registers covering fraud prevention, corruption hazards, and tax compliance.
• Coordinate internal and external audit pathways, preparing robust audit schedules and executing timely follow-ups on all auditor recommendations.
• Monitor operational petty cash thresholds, checking vouchers to authorize timely, compliant cash replenishments.

4. Partner Capacity Building & Team Management

• Conduct financial management capacity assessments of local project partners, identifying structural knowledge gaps regarding internal controls and procurement.
• Design structured training modules, standard operating procedures (SOPs), and tools to coach partners on donor compliance rules and budgeting skills.
• Provide direct line-management and performance appraisals for the internal Finance Officer and Accounts Clerk, establishing clear performance expectations.
• Collaborate closely with program managers, banking institutions, and external vendors to streamline financial processes.

Core Professional Competencies

• Accuracy: Working diligently with an exceptional eye for detail to systematically eliminate errors across data entries and reports.
• Controlling Progress: Effectively managing and tracking the progress of tasks, timelines, and responsibilities for yourself and your team.
• Problem Analysis: Detecting operational roadblocks, linking disparate financial data, and tracing root causes to discover solutions.
• Integrity: Maintaining strict adherence to the professional ethics, organizational values, and codes of conduct expected within global development circles.
• Result Orientation: Taking proactive, decisive action to meet or exceed established project financial performance objectives.

Skills Required:

• Accounting / Finance
• Sales / Marketing / Business / Management