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Job Profile

 Afghanaid is an equal opportunity employer and women are strongly encouraged to apply
 Afghanaid has robust security management practices in place and continually strives to ensure the safety
and security of its personnel and consultants

Job Title: Finance Manager - ARC


Line Manager: Director of Finance & Operations
Matrix Manager(s): Consortium Manager, Deputy Director of Finance and Administration
Matrix reports Finance Officers
Collaborates with: Afghanaid: All Directors and Deputy Directors; Communications Manager, Project
Managers
ARC: Deputy Consortium Manager, All ARC Country Directors and Country
Representatives; all ARC Finance Officers/Directors; all ARC Programme Directors;
all ARC Project Managers,
Work base: Afghanaid Head Office (Kabul)
Travel/ Visits: Up to 30% - to field and implementing partners’ offices
Contract length: 12months / 1 Year

Afghanaid and the Afghanistan Resilience Consortium (ARC)


Afghanaid is a British-registered international NGO, which has worked in Afghanistan for over 35 years. We
assist community-driven processes that address the rights and fundamental needs of people in some of the
most remote areas of Afghanistan, supporting the development of basic services, rural livelihoods and
initiatives that reduce the risk of disasters, as well as responding to humanitarian emergencies when they
occur. Afghanaid is the lead partner of the Afghanistan Resilience Consortium (ARC), a consortium of 4 British
and Irish NGOs: Afghanaid, Save the Children, ActionAid and Concern Worldwide. The Consortium works
together to build national, sub-national and community capacity in climate change adaptation, DRR and
resilience.

Job Purpose and Role


Under the overall lead of the Afghanaid Managing Director and reporting to the Director of Finance and
Operations as well as the Consortium Manager, the ARC Finance Manager will be responsible for overseeing
the financial performance of the ARC, provide leadership in developing the tools to successfully administer
ARC consortium budget(s) and accounts and analyse financial performance to inform decision-making. As a
member of the lead implementing agency, the Finance Manager will support the Afghanaid finance team and
work with finance staff of ARC partners to oversee financial reporting, in accordance with each agencies
financial and accounting practices, to produce and submit timely and accurate reports and budgets in line with
Afghanaid and donor requirements.

Primary Responsibilities
Consortium Financial Management and Reporting
a) Coordinate all financial management, accounting and reporting aspects of the ARC’s programs in line
with Afghanaid and donor requirements.
b) Prepare and consolidate budgets and budget amendments, financial plans, projections and cash
requirements, cash flow and budget versus actuals reports, in accordance with donor and Afghanaid
requirements throughout project life.
c) Monitor and assess budget versus actual expenditure and recommend appropriate action on any
significant variances
d) Ensure financial management systems and processes are effective, robust and efficient in protecting
ARC assets and interests and recommend refinements as needed.
e) Participate in procurement committees for joint items and large ARC capital assets
a) Support ARC members and Afghanaid PDRM team in developing/reviewing budgets for new
proposals.
b) Regularly participate in any ARC meetings to improve compliance and to address any financial issues

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c) Ensure ARC partner agencies fund flow related processes and procedures are consistently
implemented through the use of compliance checks and agreements.
d) To perform the partner risk assessments and performance management on periodic basis.

Financial Control:

1) Provide financial accounting services for Afghanaid, maintaining complete oversight of the general and
subsidiary accounting ledgers.
a) The Consortium Finance Manager assumes overall responsibility for the general ledger of the ARC
including data integrity, completeness and accuracy of the financial information. The accountant
takes charge of the accounting records of the consortium, including preparation financial reports for
the combined entity and its individual partners as well as cost pool financial reports in consultation
with budget holders and the Deputy Director of Finance and Administration.
b) Ensure that all financial records and accounts are compiled on time, accurately and in line with
international accounting standards and donor regulations.

c) Assists in developing and implementing new accounting techniques and systems or in modifying
existing methods and procedures.
d) Ensure all finance procedures are consistent with organizational and donors standards.
e) Oversee and manage daily activities of accounting and finance functions including timely recording of
transactions, cash management, banking, assets, receivables, and payables.

2) Provide accounting technical support to finance/accounting staff across the Consortium.


a) Provide feedback and guidance on the preparation of accounting vouchers and supporting documents
in a way that will pass audit scrutiny and meet donor requirements.
b) Be the first port of call for partner financial staff on accounting and finance related queries.

3) Prepare draft financial statements and review with the Deputy Director: Finance & Administration
before sharing with the Director of Operations, Senior Management, Board of Trustees and/or
auditors.
a) Review the trial balances for each branch to ensure that completeness and accuracy of financial
results.
b) Ensure the monthly/ quarterly cutoff plans are communicated in advance with the team.
c) Reconcile the financial statements with the donor reports and obtain approval of the reconciliation
statement.
d) Provide satisfactory explanations for changes, variances in individual accounts and fund balances.
e) Prepare monthly management accounts with signed checklist supporting by balance sheet items
schedules.
f) Ensured that the accounts are complete, accurate and readily available to internal
users/internal/external auditors.

4) Review and/or approve financial transactions in accordance with delegated approval authority.
a) Prepare and/or review paper-based journal vouchers for reasonableness, accuracy, correctness and
completeness
b) Prepare/Review transactions captured in the financial management system to ensure that they are
consistent with the laid down procedures.
c) Ensuring that financial transactions are complete and their effect on the financial statements
is known and desired.
d) Ensure that established controls are sufficient in maintaining data integrity and

5) Prepare and/or review general and subsidiary ledger account reconciliations.


a) Review the reconciliation of bank accounts, vendor accounts and customer accounts
b) Prepare general ledger account reconciliations.
c) Reconcile the inter-branch account to ensure that all transactions have been identified and captured
in the corresponding branch at the end of each month

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d) Review cost pool reports to ensure that optimum cost recovery is achieved.

.
Financial Reporting
a) Consolidate financial reports, fund requests and budgets in a timely manner
b) Develop financial analysis tools to assist in the management and monitoring of budget and funding.
c) Finalize year-end accounts and provide any ad-hoc year reports that may be required
d) Maintain accounting records
e) Follow up and monitor timely implementation of the recommendations to remedy significant budget
versus actual variances.

Capacity Building
a) Facilitate trainings and workshops on grants management, general accounting, internal controls and
administrative systems
b) Ensure internal audit recommendations are implemented
c) Track lessons learned and share with consortium members throughout projects implementation
d) Organize peer reviews amongst finance personnel and draw lessons learnt to improve financial
oversight
e) Promote the rights, equality, role and empowerment of women, both within Afghanaid and externally
and support all other staff in doing likewise

Undertake any other duties as assigned.

Person Specification
Education/ Training
The position holder must possess a master degree in finance or accounting or professional accounting
qualification, such as CPA, ACMA, CMA, ACA or equivalent professional qualification.

Work Experience
Essential:
1) Six (6) years of financial management and accounting experience with a minimum of two (3) years in a
senior financial (and administration) management position with an international NGO.
2) Demonstrated experience in developing and managing large budgets.
3) Experience working on projects funded by major international donors.
4) Strong coordination/negotiation skills specifically with the ability to effectively coordinate among other
partner organisations
5) Proven ability to think and lead strategically, plan effectively, set priorities and meet deadlines.
6) Demonstrated knowledge of generally accepted international accounting principals, internal controls,
auditing, and grant management.
7) Proven and substantive expertise in budgeting, donor reporting and auditing.
8) Experience in preparing excellent, coherent, well-organised financial and narrative reports.
9) Sound understanding of international humanitarian and development work.
10) Ability to represent a respected organisation at a senior level.
11) Experience and strong understanding of security and operating environment in Afghanistan (or a similar
conflict-affected context).
12) A minimum of 1-year recent experience working overseas in a conflict-affected country.

Desirable:
1) Experience working in a consortium.
2) Experience working with FCDO & SIDA funded projects.
3) Working experience in Afghanistan.

Professional Skills, Competencies, Values and Attitudes

Afghanaid seeks dependable professionals with strong initiative, judgment and adaptability as well
as excellent skills in leadership, communication, representation, interpersonal relations, decision-
making, financial management, programme development, monitoring & evaluation and reporting. Specifically,
applicants for this position should also demonstrate the following:

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Essential:
1) Native fluency in written English.
2) A clear and firm commitment to the rights, equality, role and empowerment of women, minorities and
persons with disabilities and ability to promote the same commitment in others.
3) Excellent conceptual and analytical skills able to distil key ideas with clarity and precision.
4) Excellent communication skills with the ability to persuasively present ideas.
5) Ability to lead and influence others with diplomacy and tact.
6) High-level proficiency in relevant enterprise-wide software packages and office applications, including
spreadsheets, word processing, PowerPoint and Outlook.
7) Personal integrity with initiative and drive to get things done and achieve results in a fast-paced and
challenging environment.
8) An outgoing and engaging personality, with cultural and gender sensitivity and a strong sense of humour;
able to build trust, work and live collaboratively with others and manage relationships with a variety of
stakeholders in a diverse multi-cultural environment.
9) Strong organisational and coordination skills, able to work with significant levels of autonomy, manage
personal priorities and meet tight deadlines.
10) Business oriented with a commitment to build Afghanaid’s agility and grow its reputation.
11) Flexible and dynamic with the ability to deal with difficult, often ambiguous and challenging situations and
creatively solve problems.
12) Resilience to live, travel and work in isolated and possibly insecure locations.
13) Demonstrated commitment to continuous learning and professional development.
14) Commitment to the vision and mission of Afghanaid.

Other information
Afghanaid’s core values are creativity, fairness and honesty. Our staff are passionate about and proud of their
work. Teamwork is fundamental to our standards and is demonstrated by taking initiative, assisting others and
taking on additional responsibilities / tasks if necessary. We are results driven, committed and motivated to
achieve targets and take accountability for our own actions.

Due to security considerations for international employees, this is an unaccompanied post. International
employees are entitled to 22 annual leave days, 20 rest and relaxation days (R&R), 4 travel days and 14 public
holidays per year. Afghanaid also provides a travel allowance for international staff to take R&R out of the
country. You will be given a private room in the staff house where other Kabul-based international hired staff
members live.

Our remuneration and benefits package is competitive with other similar organisations.

To Apply
Please email a covering letter of application and your CV to jobs@afghanaid.org.uk including the job title and
your name in the subject line by 5 July 2021. Your covering letter should be no more than 2 standard A4 pages
in length and explain how you meet the position requirements and why you feel you would be a suitable
candidate for this role. Your CV should be no more than 4 pages and include 3 professional references
including your current employer. The precision and style with which you present yourself in your covering
letter and CV will be given significant weight in short listing candidates.

Note: This job description does not form part of the contract of employment and is subject to change in accordance with the
needs of the organisation. The post-holder will work at all times in a way which is consistent with the organisation’s
commitment to equality of opportunity.

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