Finance Officer - Grants

Summary of responsibilities

1. Budgets are monitored regularly to ensure that spending are within the budget, in line with the project activities and timeline, and fully utilized at the end of the project.
   
2. Annual budgets and rolling budgets are updated in a timely and accurate manner.
   
3. Financial Reports to donors are reliable, accurate and submitted on time.
   
4. Project expenditures are eligible and accepted by the donor and amounts receivable from donors are collected promptly.
   
5. Grant agreements and all financial requirements are carefully reviewed and acknowledged.
   
6. Restricted Grants Partners financial reports comply with the laid down donor and/or CIFOR-ICRAF financial procedures and regulations and in accordance to the budget.
   

1. Monitor Budget and Actual Expenses of restricted grants

• Maintain a complete record of all pertinent documents of each project and coordinate with other Finance Staff and various project leaders to ensure that the financial implementation adheres with all the other aspects of the project agreement.
  
• Collaborate with Project leaders and PMU to clarify financial issues, answer queries and give updates on the financial and budget status of the project.
  
• Review and verify expenditures of restricted projects assigned to ensure adherence to budgetary and donor requirements.
  
• Liaise with the Program Management Unit (PMU) regarding the development of Letter of Agreement (LoA) with partner Institutions, project start-ups and set ups in myTree and OCS, budget update and management in OCS and project tracking & closures
  

2. Annual Budget and rolling budget updates

• Collaborate with PMU regarding staff time allocation updated in OCS planner.
  
• Collaborate with PMU on budgets for partnerships, travel, supplies, consultants, publications, and other costs based on the availability of funds of on-going restricted projects.
  
• Review the overall annual budgets once posted in OCS by PMU of grants in assigned teams.
  

3. Donor Reporting

• Prepare reports on the specific projects finances to donors and other users in compliance with Center standards and as specifically pre-determined by the donor as mentioned on the signed Grant Agreements and Donor s General Conditions.
  
• Ensure that reports to donors are submitted on time.
  
• Submit draft and final financial reports in grants management system.
  
• Review all donors reports from the Country Offices
  
• Prepare invoice/payment request to the donor according to the payment term and schedule on the agreement.
  
• Follow up for any query or review from the donor for the submitted financial report.
  

3. Grant Proposal Budgets and revised Budgets for On-going Projects

• Key resource for project proposal/budget preparation regarding compliance issues for prospective sources of funding
  
• Review and discuss revised budget for on-going projects from Offices, Units and Themes assigned
  
• Ensure that the grants recover full overheads as per relevant cost structure
  
• Provide guidance and ensure the budget figures are correct and the budget lines follow the donor requirements
  

5. Grant Agreements

• Review the financial part and other relevant information of the new Grant Agreements and Grant agreement amendments.
  
• Acknowledge the specific financial requirements from the donor and inform the relevant parties to ensure conformity on such requirements
  

6. Internal Reporting

• Collaborate with PMU on the update of the 3 years staff time plan on quarterly basis or as necessary.
  
• Update the monthly summary of restricted projects with multi-year budgets and cumulative expenses.
  
• Prepare and review the monthly summary of cash flow (projected incoming and expenses of restricted project) to be used by the Head of Treasury and Fixed Assets.
  

7. Special Audit of Restricted Projects

• Execute the selection process of audit firm to appoint the auditor for special audit of restricted projects as required by donor
  
• Key resource on providing supporting documents and queries from the external auditors during the audit process
  
• Review the preliminary draft audit report received from the auditor
  
• Review partner audit report in relation to project requirement.
  

8. Time system

• Monitor and ensure that staff time allocation is in accordance with the budget and the time sheets are recorded/adjusted appropriately
  
• Collecting timesheets from respective staff involved in the project that required timesheets as mandatory supporting documents..
  

9. Daily and Monthly Operations

• Monitor donor receivables and payables. Assist in ensuring that receivables are collected. Review donor payables remind project leaders if there is slow and payables >USD 50K, prepared by Treasury team.
  
• Identify incoming funds from restricted donors and provide the code to the Head of Treasury and Fixed Assets.
  

10. Restricted Grants Partners Financial Management Monitoring

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• Review project partner s agreement and budget in collaboration with PMU.
  
• Monitoring financial compliance for restricted grants partners of assigned grants and ensurepartners spend within their budgets and are following the laid down donor and/or CIFOR-ICRAF financial procedures and regulations.
  
• Analyze restricted grants partner expenses and provide feedback of analysis to the projectleaders and managers on expenditure trends and areas with significant over- or underspending.
  
• Review the financial reports submitted by the partners, monitor partner balances, and collectany unused funds.