Finance Officer

Job Title: Finance officer

Contract: Fixed-term

Duration: 12 months to December 2023 (with possible extension)

Deadline for applications: 18 December 2022

Location: Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

BBC Media Action is seeking a finance officer to support our country office in Tanzania.

BBC Media Action:

BBC Media Action is the BBC’s international development organisation, and we believe in the power of media and communication for good. We work in more than 20 countries around the world, supporting the independent media essential to democracy and development. Each year our projects and programmes reach over 100 million people facing poverty, inequality, and insecurity with information they can trust, helping to improve health, bridge divides, challenge prejudice, and save and change lives. We follow the editorial standards and values of the BBC, but we rely on funding from donors and partners to carry out our work.

Job purpose

To provide professional financial support to a range of BBC Media Action stakeholders, effective control of financial processes and deliver operational excellence. The finance officer will work closely with the finance manager in administering the financial system in line with organisational financial policies and controls, and in ensuring full compliance with Tanzanian laws. This role will also assist project teams in planning, budgeting, monitoring, and reporting expenditure.

Main duties

Financial control

• Prepare, consolidate, and analyse financial data and management information system reports at all command levels.
• Assist in month-end activities such as reviewing and analysing travel advances and posting into internal financial systems, resolving data integration issues, and bank and petty cash reconciliations with accuracy and an eye for detail
• From time to time manage monthly payroll postings, including ensuring that payroll reconciliation is completed monthly and that statutory deductions and payment to the Government are made in a timely manner
• Ensure monthly journals are prepared and posted onto the financial system in a timely and accurate manner. Coordinate with HR staff to ensure that the Excel based time recording systems are completed accurately and in line with the staff recharge timeline.
• Assist in reviewing payment vouchers whenever necessary.

Financial & management accounting

• Prepare cash forecasts to identify monthly funding requirements.
• Support the project manager in ensuring the integrity, accuracy, and timeliness of core financial processes on forecasting and budget management and realignment whenever necessary.
• Support the finance manager to review short term plans and assist in the production of budgets, extrapolation of trends and support the input of financial data.
• Working with other members of the Finance team, continuously assess the service being provided to the users of financial information and explore improvements to ensure that core finance processes are being undertaken as efficiently as possible.
• Preparing monthly variance analysis as per donor agreements and BBC Media Action finance controls as assigned by the Finance Manager.

Donor & organization compliance

• Work with the finance manager in the preparation of the annual statutory accounts, including preparing financial statements and disclosures under accrual-based IPSAS.
• Preparation and submission of financial returns which includes administration of taxes and risks as required by BBC Media Action and Tanzania accounting laws.
• Under the supervision of the finance manager, participating in project and statutory audits answering auditor queries where relevant.
• Ensuring compliance with all financial management and reporting of various donor organisations.
• Working with respective project managers, ensure that donor reports are prepared and submitted in an accurate and timely manner, using the correct donor reporting templates.

Supervisory roles

• Line management responsibility for the finance assistant, including providing guidance on daily activities and reporting.
• Make sure all journal entries each month are printed, reviewed, approved, and filed.
• Provide capacity building on financial requirements to the finance assistant and other project staff whenever needed

Collaboration and teamwork

• Maintain full and effective communication with members of the Finance team and others to ensure the smooth and efficient flow of information.
• Provide finance support and analysis for other parts of the organization as requested by the Finance Manager.
• Covering for other Finance staff when on leave.

Safeguarding responsibilities

• Understand and comply with the Safeguarding policy and the staff Code of Conduct.
• Participate in relevant mandatory training on Safeguarding and Respect at Work.
• Report any Safeguarding concerns immediately, either to the Country Director, or using the Whistleblowing Policy.

Required skills, knowledge, and experience

• Fully qualified accountant or pursuing CPA, ACCA. Diploma in IPSAS will be an added advantage.
• At least three years of professional working experience of which one has been spent managing project budgets within a recognised NGO or INGO.
• Know the current requirements for presentation of accrual based IPSASs financial statements and related disclosures.
• Have full knowledge of IPSAS reporting requirements and be able to differentiate accrual-based IPSASs from IFRSs and cash basis frameworks.
• Experience of working with and reporting to international donors.
• Good interpersonal skills to establish effective working relationships with financial and non-financial staff within BBC Media Action and key stakeholders externally.
• Able to communicate effectively at all levels within the organisation.
• Excellent IT skills with experience of operating computer-based financial management systems. Competent to advanced level in Microsoft Excel.
• Willingness and ability to take initiative in identifying problems, suggesting solutions, and implementing agreed solutions.

Key competencies

The following competencies (behaviours and characteristics) have been identified as key to success in the job. Successful candidates are expected to demonstrate these competencies.

• Analytical thinking – able to simplify complex problems, processes, or projects into component parts, explore and evaluate them systematically. Able to identify causal relationships, and construct frameworks, for problem-solving and/or development.
• Decision making – ready and able to take initiative, originate action and be responsible for the consequences of the decision made.
• Planning and organisation – able to think ahead to establish an efficient and appropriate course of action for self and others. Prioritises and plans activities taking into account all relevant issues and factors such as deadlines, staffing and resource requirements.
• Resilience – maintains personal effectiveness by managing own emotions in the face of pressure, setbacks or when dealing with provocative situations. Demonstrates an approach to work that is characterised by commitment, motivation and energy.
• Influencing and Persuading – able to present sound and well-reasoned arguments to convince others. Can draw from a range of strategies to persuade people in a way that results in agreement or behaviour change.
• Communication – able to get one’s message understood clearly by adopting a range of styles, tools and techniques appropriate to the audience and the nature of the information.
• Managing relationships – able to build and maintain effective working relationships with a range of people.
• Self-development – able to identify and apply opportunities for learning and development.

The role may involve working with groups of vulnerable children and adults. For the successful candidate, mandatory training will be provided on BBC Media Action’s safeguarding policy and staff code of conduct. A police background check may form part of the recruitment process. BBC Media Action operates a zero-tolerance policy concerning all forms of abuse and exploitation of vulnerable people.

BBC Media Action has zero tolerance for fraud and exploitation. If you have any concerns, please share with us through whistleblower@tz.bbcmediaaction.org

How to apply:

Candidates should send their CV and a cover letter (in English, PDF or Microsoft Word format) which outlines their experience and suitability for the role by email to: recruitment@tz.bbcmediaaction.org – please include the title of the position applied for in the subject line and send by 5pm on 18th December 2022

Only applicants with separate cover letter will be considered. Please do not send certificates or other attachments. Only shortlisted candidates will be notified.