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Job Title:  Finance Officer

Organization: Center for Health, Human Rights & Development (CEHURD)

Duty Station: Kampala, Uganda

Reports to: Finance Manager

About US:

Center for Health, Human Rights & Development (CEHURD) is an indigenous, non-profit, research and advocacy organization, whose vision is “To realize social justice in public health systems.” CEHURD works with public, private and civil society organisations to ensure that public health laws are used as principle tools for the promotion and protection of public health of the vulnerable populations in Uganda.

Job Summary:  The Finance Officer will be responsible for implementing finance and accounting work processes with a focus on project management, financial transaction processing as well as recording, maintaining accurate books of account, and preparing timely financial reports for different stakeholders including internal clients, partners, donors, auditors and regulatory authorities, within approved accounting standards and CEHURD’s policies and procedures.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

Financial planning and budgeting:

• In conjunction grants development team, prepare project budgets and forecasts during proposal writing phase.
• Work with project teams to develop costed work plans for projects.
• Monitor budget and financial plan implementation and prepare appropriate periodic tracking reports for the various stakeholders.
• Analyse trends to identify issues that might impact on the financial wellbeing or viability of projects and advise management accordingly.
• Prepare reports that analyze budgets against actuals income and expenses and advises management on the variances observed, if any.
• Carry out monthly review of the financial performance of projects and advise the responsible teams accordingly.

Financial accounting and management:

• Participate in the day-to-day financial transactions including invoicing, payments and other related transactions.
• Maintain an up-to-date records of the financial transactions in CEHURD’s Financial Management System (Quick books).
• Accurately post all financial transactions in the financial management system (Quick books) in accordance with agreed directorate procedures and financial standards on a daily basis
• Accurately post all financial transactions in the TASO management financial system on a daily basis.
• Ensure that all transactions are posted in both the CEHURD financial management system and TASO management system in not more that one day after payment
• Scan and upload all the payment done on the TASO management information system
• Main an updated cash book ledger Profit and Loss for programme
• Process payment requisitions and the corresponding payment vouchers and follow up the approval process to ensure that payment are timely made. Ensure that the payment Voucher are sequentially number and payments are filled timely to allow ease access of records for future reference.
• File all financial records in accordance with approved procedures.
• Post the approved budget into the financial management system with one week after approval of the budget.
• Prepare monthly donor reports in the approved donor templates and formats and share them for review by the 5th of the following month.
• Maintain a fixed asset register for all assets procured by the project as CEHURD approved template
• Work with procurement officer to ensure that all assets are engraved as per the donor/CEHURD guidelines before handing them over to final user
• Make monthly salary transfer from the project account to the salary account are prepared promptly and any changes in staff are taken care of during the monthly transfers

Payments and Reconciliations:

• Monitor bank accounts to ensure that there are sufficient funds for operations.
• Conduct monthly bank reconciliation statements by the 3th of the following monthand ensure that interbank transactions are promptly settled within that month.
• Make timely payment of service providers and follow up any late payments
• Follow up original acknowledgment receipts and ensure that there are attached to respectively payment vouchers
• Maintain an up-to-date schedule of CEHURD Debtors and Creditors and share this report with Finance Manager on a monthly basis.
• Prepare timely receipts of acknowledgements of donor funds and share the same with supervisor for remittance to the donor.
• Ensure that all payment are stamped paid as per donor guidelines if any or CEHURD guidelines upon payment in timely manner before filling them.

Financial Records Management

• Maintain a file for all the correspondences of the grant.
• Follow and implement all established protocols regarding computerised and physical financial record keeping and retrieval of financial information
• Ensure that all appropriate finance-related paperwork is sent to donors, contractors, consultants, funding partners and sub-grantees as required and that CEHURD copies are stored safely on file in accordance with CEHURD’s procedures.
• Follow up to ensure that staff and partners with cash advances submit accurate and timely accountability reports in accordance with CEHURD’s guidelines. In case of default, prepare a report on a monthly basis and submit it to the Finance Manager for further action.
• Prepare financial journals and submit them to the Finance Manager for review and signature.

Grants Management

• Upon project allocation or on an annual basis, work with the project teams to prepare costed work plans and budgets.
• Follow up funds requisitions from the donor and advise teams as soon as funds are reflected on CEHURD’s accounts.
• Support the project teams in funds requisition and processing of payments
• Track project budgets and update the project teams on their performance accordingly.
• Maintain a file for each subgrantee and ensure that each subgrantee MoU is updated
• In case the grant has sub-grantees, review their funds applications, process payments, reconcile their accounts, and advise on any corrective actions to be undertaken as soon as errors or anomalies are observed.
• Share timely feed back to the subgrantee after review of their respective report and offer any technical assistance required by the subgrantee.
• Prepare monthly reconciliation of the grant account and submit findings with recommendations, if any, to the Finance Manager.
• Comply with all financial contractual obligations that CEHURD committed to with the donor. Where CEHURD has sent funds to partners, ensure that such partners comply with all financial obligations that they agreed to with CEHURD.
• Participate in financial literacy activities of partners so that they can meet CEHURD’s financial performance standards.
• Support the field staff ensure that their requests for funds are reviewed and processed in a timely manner to avoid delays in implementions of activities.

Financial reporting and audit management

• Post accurate information in the financial management system and generate the required periodic and project financial reports.
• Prepare reports that are aligned with generally accepted accounting principles and standards and ensure that all reporting complies with the CEHURD’s policies and procedures.
• Carry out end of year adjustments to and ensure that all transaction are posted and ledgers reconciled before the start of institutional audit.
• Provide computerized and physical information required for institutional and project audits
• Support the Finance Manager in preparing annual institutional final accounts.
• Prepare periodic financial donor reports in line with the donor agreements.
• Prepare periodic institutional reports for instance programme/ department financial performance reports and or Board reports and submit them to the Finance Manager for collation.
• Prepare monthly budget tracking reports for the assigned projects.

Compliance management:

• Ensure Legal and Regulatory Compliance by enforcing compliance with CEHURD’s overall policies, good practice standards, external donor requirements and national laws and regulations, identifying corrective measures as required.
• Maintain up to date knowledge of financial legislation and good practice to ensure that CEHURD complies with all legal requirements.
• Keep abreast of changes in financial regulations and legislation and participate in financials and regulatory reporting submissions (e.g filing of annual income tax returns, PAYE, NSSF, LST, WHT remittances, etc)

Financial Risk Management

• Prepare monthly reconciliations for project and where anomalies are observed, notify the immediate supervisor for redress.
• Review partner financial reports and where anomalies are observed, alert management through the Finance Manager.
• Implement CEHURD’s policies and procedures to minimize financial risks and where loopholes are observed recommend changes to management to mitigate such risks.
• Document and report any risks identified relating to the project to the immediate supervisor and copy in the internal auditor

Salaries and welfare expenses:

• Prepare funds requisition regarding staff payroll for each project ensuring timely & accurate payments in accordance with best financial practice and staff contracts
• Ensure that project contributions to salaries and other welfare expenses are in line with Uganda Laws including PAYE, NSSF, LST, or WHT as applicable. Review sub-grantee financial reports to ensure their salary payments also meet the regulatory standards.
• Advise Management on compliance of the statutory requirements of partners.
• Prepare and submit periodic reports regarding salaries and welfare expenses and submit them alongside institutional financial reports or donor reports, as required.

Partners and staff support:

• Support partners by providing technical assistance to their finance teams in a manner that empowers them to accomplish project objectives and best practices
• Support partners and staff to understand and/or interpret financial reports and utilize them in their daily activities.
• Support partners and staff in preparing finance reports using the approved CEHURD templates to account for financial resources they are responsible for.

CEHURD organisational activities, events and any other duties:

• Attend events/activities organized by the Organization and/or its partners as required or as may be delegated by the line manager.
• Obtain, process and or use information in a fair and lawful way only. Always bearing in mind the importance of confidentiality relating to the work of CEHURD.
• Keep safe custody of any physical or financial assets assigned to you e.g. receipts, stamps, files, petty cash, passwords, log in keys etc. to ensure the security of such assets.
• Be aware at all times the responsibilities placed upon the role to ensure understanding of, and adhere to all relevant safety procedures put in place to maintain a safe environment for employees, volunteers and visitors.
• Undertake any other duties commensurate with the level of the post

Qualifications, Skills and Experience:

• Bachelors Degree in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration, Economics, Financial Management, or any related field from a reputable Institution
• At least Part II professional qualification such as ACCA/ CPA
• Experience working with an audit firm will be an added advantage
• At least three years’ relevant working experience working in an NGO environment
• Advanced knowledge and hands-on experience in using Spreadsheets particularly MS Excel
• Strong conceptual understanding and appreciation of NGO accounting and operational management or previous possible roles such as financial analyst
• Superior mathematical and accounting skills including financial reporting experience
• In-depth understanding of IFRS standards, Knowledge of corporate governance principles and best practices
• Must be a proficient user of finance and accounting software and ability to adopt new technologies
• Proven budget development and oversight experience
• Knowledge of tax and other compliance implications of non-profit status
• Strong interpersonal, communication and presentation skills
• Attention to details with analytical skills
• Negotiation skills and the ability to develop strong working relationships
• Understanding of data privacy standards

How to Apply:

All suitably qualified and interested candidates should send their applications clearly indicating the position/title to the Human Resource and Administration manager via email only to support@cehurd.org

Deadline: 30th April 2024

NB: Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted. Women are encouraged to apply.

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