Program Finance Officer

Terms of Reference

Position Title: Program Finance Officer
Location: Hanoi
Period of Assignment: May 2019 – April 2020 (with possibility of extension)
Reporting To: Operations Manager

Background:

Founded in 1985, CowaterSogema International Inc. has built a global reputation for excellence in the world of management consulting in international development. Headquartered in Ottawa, Canada and with experience in more than 65 countries, CowaterSogema has established itself as Canada's leading management consulting firm in international development. Our clients include the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Global Affairs Canada, the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and many more. Join our team and be part of a fast-paced and dynamic team who is passionate about development and achieving sustainable results.

Cowater is recruiting a Program Finance Officer to support a socio-economic development initiative in Vietnam. The Program aims to increase women’s economic participation and decision-making through improved access to markets and more effective engagement in the agriculture and tourism value chains in ethnic minority regions of North-West Vietnam.

Statement of Duty:

Reporting to the Operations Manager, the Program Finance Officer is responsible to providing high level financial and administrative services to the Aus4Equality Project. This includes supporting the Senior Finance Officer to process and monitor payments and expenditures, banking, electronic payments and funds transfer, funds requests, taxation, internal audit support, petty cash, payroll, facilitate and month-end processes. Providing these services in an effective and efficient manner will ensure that project finances are accurate and up to date, that staff are paid in a timely and appropriate manner and that vendors and suppliers are paid within established time limits in accordance with the procedures and guidelines laid out in the Aus4Equality Program Administration Manual.

Specific Duties:

GREAT office’s finance:

• Assist Program staff to prepare budget for anticipated activities and prepare budget summary based on the budget estimate provided by other staff;
• Handle cash management, cash advances, payments and receipts, cash reconciliation, etc;
• Check invoices, advance clearance against approved budget and payment guidelines;
• Prepare payment request;
• Prepare monthly bank/cash reconciliation;
• Prepare Personal Income Tax reports to Tax Department as required by law
• Work with Social Insurance Department on social and health insurance of local staff;
• Facilitate internal and external auditors during internal/ external audits; follow-up on auditor recommendations;
• Support the Finance Officer (FO) to maintain accounting software such as weekly data entry and Quickbooks bookkeeping, booking all LES payroll net, tax and deductions, ensuring payments and receipt are correctly coded, reconciling all bank accounts and signed by Operations Manager (OM), printing off monthly cash disbursements, cash receipts, and general journal done and signed by OM, reconciling all advances and payroll done by monthly and signed by OM;
• Support the FO to prepare total monthly budget vs actual reports – using latest work plan figures/plans due each 15th of the month and 21 of each quarter.
• Prepare Monthly/Quarterly/Annual monthly cash flow report as required;
• Update all financial records to reflect exchange rate variations.

Adminstration of payments for Program Partnership Agreements:

• Check the relevance, accuracy, consistency, clearness and coherence of advance request/invoices/payment requests/acquittal reports submitted by the program partners and the Grant and Finance Officers.
• Prepare payment request for the review by FO and subsequent approval by the OM/ Deputy Team Leader/Team Leader and/or HQ’s signatories
• Follow-up on the confirmation of fund transferred to partners and maintain an up-to-date report of partner’s fund advance, acquittal and balance.
• Communicate with HQ on the payment processing and clarification of HQ’s questions and/or supplementary information.
• Other tasks that may be required by the FO and/or OM.

Required Qualifications:

• University Degree Accounting or Finance;
• At least 5 years of experience in Financial and Accounting;
• Able to travel to the filed;
• Able to operate Quickbooks accounting software;
• Must have the ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, stressful environment;
• Must be flexible, willing to perform other duties and work?irregular hours;
• Able to communicate fluently and effectively in Vietnamese and English;
• Excellent interpersonal skills, including patience, diplomacy, willingness to listen and respect for colleagues;
• Must be capable of working both individually and as part of a team;
• Must also be able to create a supportive working relationship among all Aus4Equality Partners.

Interested candidates are invited to send application to [email protected]. Please indicate the Job title in the subject line.

Application should include:

• A cover letter including a response to each of the selection criteria
• A detailed Curriculum Vitae
• Contact details of 03 referees

Deadline of submission: 5pm, 28 April 2019

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for interview.