GIZ-Internal/External Vacancy Announcement #136/2021

WIDU – Employment Promotion in the informal Sector in Africa and together with the Diaspora

GIZ is seeking a Finance Officer to support the project “Employment promotion in the informal sector by leveraging diaspora money transfers” – WIDU.africa platform. The GIZ project is a regional project funded by the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) that gives (financial and non-financial) incentives to invest remittances in friends’ and families’ micro and small businesses and thereby improve the employment and income situation in Africa. Through the digital WIDU.africa platform (www.widu.africa), grant applications are submitted jointly by members of the African Diaspora in Germany and business start-ups and micro-entrepreneurs in Africa. Entrepreneurs are supported by improved access to finance through the topping-up of diasporas’ transfers of funds and capacity-building of entrepreneurial skills.

After successfully piloting the project in Ghana and Cameroon it is being rolled-out to Ethiopia in Q1 2021.

Contract Duration:

September 01,2021-December 31,2021

Job Requirements

Responsibilities

The Finance Officer is responsible for:
Ensuring that financial administration functions well in accordance with GIZ standard procedures
Effectively coordinating with the staff of the cluster accounting team and the GIZ country office Ethiopia
Process payments via bank transfer and/or mobile money and deposits at the bank
Financial planning, monitoring and accounting for the WIDU project, in close cooperation with the WIDU finance manager

Tasks

1. Financial services

The Finance Officer

Cooperates with the WIDU financial manager at headquarters to improve accuracy of spending and cash flow estimates
Assists in preparing tentative budgets for specific activities in collaboration with WIDU coordinator
Monitors and follows up on real accounts (payables, receivables) and reports regularly to the responsible accounting manager at GIZ Country Office.
Ensures correctness of cost booked to WIDU project.

Internal control

The Finance Officer

Checks the vouchers and receipts submitted by entrepreneurs (online on WIDU.africa) and by the project for completeness and allocation to cost units and categories and corrects these where necessary.
Ensures internal control system is in place.
Ensures the project signature regulation is adhered to.
Ensures preparation of internal controls and external audits
Carries out accountability checks of partner organizations and entrepreneurs receiving grants.
General services for GIZ-assisted projects

The Finance Officer

Is responsible for the financial management of the project in Ethiopia in coordination with the head of project, e.g. project accounts keeping, preparation of payment requests for the project, etc.
Manages and monitors a substantial number of small-scale mobile money and/or bank account transfers and/or cheque payments to small business owners and start-up entrepreneurs receiving WIDU grants
Records and maintains accurate financial report including financial report on the online platform WIDU. africa
Monitors project funds and activity budgets by ensuring that all expenditures incurred are according to budgeted lines using SAP data
Prepares the annual cash flow forecasts for country office with the support of the coordinator, the WIDU financial manager and the Cluster finance managers.
Maintains the WIDU project Winpaccs cash and bank books and prepares the bank and cash reconciliations

Other duties and additional tasks

The Finance Officer

Keeps up to date with current Procedures and Rules of GIZ and gives regular updates on changes and new relevant to the project
Carries out verification of identity of entrepreneurs, investment reports and electronic checking of sanctions lists
Provides direct advice and coaching on aspects of financial management to finance officers in the partner organisations
Checks travel claims submitted by staff for approval by the superior
Reports all problems with financial administration and compliance without delay
Performs other duties and tasks to support members of the project.

Required qualifications, professional experience and additional competencies

Qualifications

University degree in accounting, financial management or another relevant field
Experience in GIZ in the relevant subject context

Professional experience

Proven experience of at least 5 years of professional working experience in finance and contract management in an international context

Other knowledge and additional competencies

Experience with IT-based accounting programs
Very good working knowledge of ITC technologies (related software, phone, fax, email, the internet) and computer applications (e.g. MS Office) and openness to work with new platforms
Excellent communication in English and Amharic.
Able to work independently and perform well under pressure
Ability to handle confidential data and information, use of good judgement and discernment
Ability to work as part of a project team
Willingness to strengthen skills and competencies as required by the tasks.