Finance Project Officer

Date of Publication
Application Deadline
Company
PARLIAMENTARY CENTRE
Brief Description

Job Announcement

Finance Project Officer 

The Parliamentary Centre is hiring a Finance Project Officer to support activities and oversee the implementation of its exciting new project Inclusive Legislatures for Gender-Responsive Policies (ILGRP) project based in three countries in Africa (Ethiopia, Ghana, and Togo) and to assist the Parliamentary Centre’s headquarters on-going activities and projects. This is a full-time role split into two areas of responsibility.

As the Financial Project Officer dedicated for three days a week to the ILGRP project, you will work in close collaboration with the Regional Director, Africa/MENA, the Parliamentary Centre’s Finance team, and with the field office Financial Officers in project countries.  As such, part of your role will be to liaise with field finance staff to prepare and review the financial monitoring forecast, support the team and field offices in ensuring the strategic/analytical monitoring of the project’s overall budget, including the financial planning and management of financial risks,  project procurement processes in support to the field offices. In collaboration with both the HQ and field offices, you will also be supporting the financial aspects of the planning and implementation of the ILGRP project in line with funder agreements and other requirements.

For the remaining two (2) days per week, in collaboration with the Director of Operations, you will be supporting other current projects and financial tasks as necessary for the Parliamentary Centre.

You will be fully bilingual and able to operate professionally in both English and French. You will report to the Director of Operations.  The position is based in Ottawa, with potential travel to the field in countries (subject to the evolution of COVID-19-related travel restrictions). The job can be done remotely until restrictions on accessing the Ottawa office are eased. However, relocation support to Ottawa is not available. The position is open to those legally authorized to work in Canada. Visa support is not possible.

Starting date: January following the signature of the Contribution Agreement with Global Affairs Canada. (expected by mid-December 2021).

Duration: 5-year with possibility for extension contingent upon the continuation and renewal of donor funding.

  • Deadline to apply is December 17h, 2021. 
  • Please consult the full and definitive job announcement and instructions to apply on our website at https://parlcent.org/category/current-opportunities/
  • Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. No phone calls please.

 

RESPONSIBILITIES

Financial analysis and reporting:

  • Ensures PC’s and donors’ financial management policies and procedures are followed and effectively implemented.
  • Designs, generates and analyses financial reports for GAC and internal management.
  • Provides program financial analysis and recommendations on spending rates, over and under-spending and pattern of expenditure.
  • Supervises the preparation of and certifies the monthly project financial reports, in conjunction with field finance staff, before they are entered into the system/submitted to Ottawa.
  • Monitors the recording of cash disbursements/receipts daily and controls payments to ensure compliance with policies for approval of expenditures.
  • Ensures participants’ reimbursement of per diems, transportation or incidental expenses is done in accordance with donor travel requirements and advances are tracked and expenses recorded in a timely fashion.
  • Analytically reviews the project expenses and cash position of the field offices.
  • Reviews the monthly financial reports and follows-up on issues related to coding.
  • Prepares financial reports for GAC with narratives, explaining variances to project budgets.
  • Assists with the annual project budget development and process.
  • Supports and facilitates GAC audits.

Budget and Field Technical Support:

  • Contributes to the development of project budgets, notes and narratives. 
  • Helps to ensure that the Centre’s activity-based budgets comply with GACs requirements and the Centre’s reporting requirements.
  • Notifies the team of any significant budget changes that require GACs approval
  • Works with the country offices to prepare donor budgets, quarterly donor financial reports, forecasts and annual work plan budgets.
  • Checks accuracy of country offices’ financial information shared through internal database management system.
  • Revises, maintains accurate and accessible records of uploaded budgets for country offices.
  • Follows up with the field financial officers on reallocating and recording expenses and other charges.
  • Processes timely cash disbursement to the field partners.
  • Coordinates with and assists the ILGRP project staff with respect to GAC budgets and financial reports and ensures timely submission.
  • Coordinates closely with the field financial team to contribute to the annual revenue and audit process.
  • Provides support as needed to different stakeholders in areas of proposal budget development, financial reporting, and compliance.
  • Supports teams to adopt a gender responsive budgeting approach, helping ensure that gender equality interventions and capacity are adequately budgeted for.

Contracts :

  • Follows procurement procedures to ensure compliance with financial contract requirements are fully understood and met by the relevant stakeholders.
  • Maintains archive of contracts and amendments both electronic and hard copy.
  • Maintains information on related subcontract agreements with partners.

GE/GBA+, (Training will be provided)

  • Be familiar with the organization’s, the partner country’s, and GAC’s gender equality approaches (FIAP/GE/GBA+) and requirements as well as the project’s gender equality strategy.
    KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND QUALIFICATIONS
  • Bilingual in English and French
  • Bachelor of Commerce, Bachelor of Business Administration (Accounting option), or other related degree or equivalent experience
  • A CPA designation (or one in progress) is an asset
  • Experience with GAC contracts
  • Minimum of 3 years of work experience in a similar capacity, preferably in a project environment or working for an International NGO.
  • Relevant experience in accounting and international project finance reporting.
  • Knowledge of budget and finance reporting guidelines followed by Global Affairs Canada (GAC).
  • Understanding of working with grants or contribution agreements from donors.
  • Extensive management reporting experience, including budgeting and forecasting.
  • Familiarity with or experience working in Africa.

Skills

  • Excellent Microsoft Excel and finance/accounting/reporting systems skills.
  • Advanced numeracy and analytical skills, including variance and costing analysis.
  • Ability to build positive interpersonal and organizational relationships.
  • Strong communication skills, including ability to liaise cross-functionally and cross-culturally with all levels of staff in the organization, especially in a virtual working environment.
  • Ability to work effectively in cross-departmental teams and liaise with various stakeholders.
  • Excellent team player, with the ability also to work well independently.
  • Strong in problem-solving and critical thinking.
  • Strong cross-cultural competencies.
  • Ability to plan, organize and prioritize workload to meet deadlines.
  • Ability to work in high pressure environment
  • Ability to work in French and English

WORKING CONDITIONS AND ENVIRONMENT

This position is based in Ottawa. It will require flexible work hours and/or irregular hours during project delivery deadlines. Fast paced and heavy pressure to meet competing priorities and deadlines. During the COVID-19 pandemic, distance working protocols are in effect, with everyone working from their residence.

About the Parliamentary Centre

The Parliamentary Centre offers an opportunity to join a multicultural, value-driven, highly experienced, dynamic and growing team of international development professionals. We offer a competitive salary and benefits package. The Parliamentary Centre is an equal opportunity employer. We encourage applications from all qualified candidates regardless of sex, age, disability, gender identity, religion, or ethnicity.

 

Inclusive Legislatures for Gender-Responsive Policies

Ghana, Togo, Ethiopia

 

The five-year initiative (2021-2025) will support the partner parliaments to adequately assess the relevant gaps in their capacity and formulate, in a transparent and accountable fashion, their own detailed plans for strengthening their capacity to incorporate gender aspects across the exercise of their legislative, oversight and representation roles.

Pursuing a holistic learning-by-doing approach, the project will assist the three parliaments in turning the plans into reality by supporting them to apply a gender lens to specific pieces of legislation, including budgets that each parliament is working on as well to the parliamentary oversight of specific aspects of the governments’ work.

The project will include a substantial focus on engaging civil society groups as well as individual women and girls and having their voices taken into account in the decision-making process. Ultimately, these experiences will inform the development and institutionalisation of practices and tools aimed at making the parliaments’ legislative and oversight work more inclusive and responsive to the needs of women and girls. Engaging with three parliaments in a concerted effort will be an efficient way to provide support to their efforts to become more inclusive and responsive while also allowing for cross-fertilization and learning from each other’s experiences. Given that Ghana, Togo and Ethiopia present a mix of different governance and legal systems, their experiences can also provide an opportunity to identify lessons learned, best practices and models that can be of relevance and use across Sub-Saharan Africa.

The project is expected to have a direct impact on the capacity of at least 280 parliamentarians, out of which at least 153 women and at least 1000 parliamentary staff, out of which at least 400 women. About 47 civil society organizations representing women and girls will benefit from increased engagement in the legislative and oversight process along with an estimated 500,000 women and girls, the majority of which falling the category of poor and marginalized, who will be given the opportunity to share their views on specific pieces of legislation and/or provide direct feedback to decision-makers on how their lives are impacted by the implementation of specific government projects. Finally, by helping the parliaments of Ghana, Togo and Ethiopia build practical capacity to apply a strong gender lens to the execution of their legislative and oversight roles. The project will offer a deeper understanding of how governance challenges can be better addressed in achieving the goals of Canadian Government’s Feminist International Assistance Policy (FIAP), as well as larger internationally shared goals such as pandemic interventions and the SDGs.