Church World Service (CWS) is a not-for-profit, faith-based organization transforming communities around the globe through just and sustainable solutions to hunger, poverty, displacement and disaster. CWS does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, gender identity, genetic information, age, disability or veteran status in employment or in the provision of services.

The Grants Finance Officer is responsible for providing overall financial management, budgeting and forecasting, preparation of donor reports, and operational support across CWS projects in Tanzania. The position holder contributes to maintaining internal controls and compliance with CWS and donor requirements. The role holder will work closely with the Regional Finance and Grants Manager and project teams to support accurate and timely financial processes. S/he will build a business partner relationship with project implementation Teams and relevant managers in order to gain a thorough understanding of the projects, as well as manage their challenges and expectations.

Key relationships

Internal to CWS

• Regional Finance and Grants Manager.
• Tanzania Program and Administration staff.
• Regional team (Business Development unit, Procurement Unit).

External

• External Auditors

Working Environment

• Office and/work from home environment.
• Periodic travel to the field as may be required

 Financial and Budget Management - 40%

• Contribute to Business Development unit by participating in concept and proposal development process and ensure that Proposal Budgets for new projects are prepared in line with CWS and donor specifications.
• Assist in the preparation of grant and project budgets in collaboration with finance and program teams.
• In consultation with the Regional Finance and Grants Manager, ensure project expenses are reasonable, allocable, and prudent and spent in accordance with the donor’s rules and regulations.
• Create accurate forecasts and manage expenses according to spending plans
• Periodically monitor the Project Budgets Performance through BVA Analysis and ensure that performance is within the expected range.
• Monitor project expenditures against approved budgets and flag variances for review.
• Support in preparing donor financial reports and forecasts, ensuring consistency with approved budgets.

Grant Compliance and Reporting - 20%

• Support the development of guidelines, templates, and toolkits to ensure timely submission of narrative and financial donor reports
• Liaise with the project implementation team to prepare and submit periodic (Monthly, Quarterly etc) high quality programmatic and financial reports.
• Maintain grant files, including coordination and preparation of documents and files for internal and external audits.
• Monitor financial exceptions reports for unusual activities or transactions, investigate anomalies and report to the supervisor’s conclusions and/or present recommendations for actions/decisions
• In coordination with the Regional Office, Facilitate CWS TZ internal audits, Statutory audit and  project-specific audits and take guide on the implementation of recommendations.

Finance Operations- 20%

• Process all payments as per policies, e.g., supplier payments, staff advances,  payroll deductions, and partner disbursements.
• Prepare monthly reconciliations to determine cash movement to facilitate refunds/reimbursements from regional office/donor.
• Prepare monthly bank reconciliations
• Review and verify financial transactions, activities, and documentation; taking corrective actions as needed and reporting any unusual activities
• Monitor cash balances per project and per donor and the respective forecast.
• Review of financial controls and liaise with Regional Finance to update policies and procedures as needed.
• Monitor and proper follow up of all the financial items in Month-end and Year-end closure instructions.
• Provide inputs and take necessary actions to facilitate timely financial project closure.

• Ensuring the maintenance of up-to-date financial and administrative data in appropriate systems (Sylogist, Coupa etc.) including grant budgets, internal agreements, implementing partner agreements, etc.
• Reviews travel expense reports to ensure they are prepared correctly according to the relevant SOPs.

 Administration and Procurement 20%

• Supervise the Administrative Assistant, the Drivers and the Janitor. This will include preparation of annual performance reviews of supervised staff.
• In coordination with the Regional Procurement Officer, Support procurement processes, including preparing requests for proposals, analyzing submissions and awarding contracts in collaboration with the project team.
• Participate as required in procurement tender review committees per the set thresholds
• Review and maintain annual vehicle insurances, road licenses including routine maintenance of all CWS vehicles and equipment.
• Maintains the vehicle activity schedule and ensures that all transport needs for the office are met
• Maintain an inventory of CWS property and ensure that adequate security is in place against theft or damage.

Education & Experience:

• Bachelor of Commerce degree, accounting option required.
• National Board of Auditors and Accountants (NBAA) registration with at least intermediate level qualification is required.
• Full professional qualification in CPA (T) /ACCA finalist is required
• A Minimum of 5 years directly related specialized paid experience performing the essential duties is required.
• Demonstrable experience in managing staff, and systems / process development experience.
• Experience in the non-governmental sector is preferred.

Knowledge/Skills:

• Knowledge of Excel spreadsheets, Sylogist, Coupa or similar accounting software.
• Knowledge in fund and accrual accounting principles.

Abilities:

The Grants finance officer must have the ability to:

• Maintain the confidentiality and integrity of accounts and budget information.
• Exercise good judgement and seek guidance as appropriate when confronted with unanticipated problems.
• Communicate effectively both verbally and in writing.
• Follow instructions from the Supervisor with a positive and receptive attitude.
• Deal effectively and courteously with a large number of associates, outside agencies, refugees and members of the public.
• Conduct oneself in a professional and courteous manner to represent the best interests of CWS in Tanzania.
• Maintain a high-performance standard with attention to detail.
• Carry out all the duties of the position efficiently and effectively with minimal supervision.
• Work independently and contribute to overall operations of CWS Tanzania and CWS Africa.
• Take initiative in the development and completion of projects.
• Maintain strict confidentiality with CWS Africa administrative and operational information.
• Manage a large and diverse workload under pressure with competing priorities.
• Analyse and solve complex problems and make sound decisions.
• Work well as a team in a multi-cultural environment while maintaining a high level of motivation.
• Effectively manage CWS Tanzania and CWS Africa’s resources.

Important Requirements:

• Strong English communication skills, both written and oral.
• Ability to work in a multi-cultural environment required.
• Commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion and willingness to support CWS’ Platform on Racial Justice as a CWS employee required.

• COVID Vaccination is required for all successful candidates
• The candidate should be in good health, willing and able to travel extensively in often difficult conditions and have a high degree of flexibility. Must have proof of Yellow Fever vaccination before traveling for RSC Africa.
• This position is based in Kasulu, Tanzania
• This position always requires the use of laptops, competence in Microsoft Office packages is required.
• This position may require travel in sub-Saharan Africa on short notice and under sometimes difficult conditions to meet the demands of a dynamic operational program
• A valid passport and the ability to maintain a valid passport throughout the entire appointment is required, which includes having enough passport pages for travel.
• Environmental: Incumbents in this position will be exposed to excessive noise, marked changes in temperature and/or humidity, dust and infectious diseases, harsh weather climates, long work hours, bumpy roads, extended travel, excessive sun exposure, and non-ventilated spaces.
• The US Embassy rates Tanzania as both HIGH in crime and HIGH in terrorism. Incumbents should fully understand the insecurities present within Kenya and the region.
• This position is Full time.
• All employees should be prepared to work from the CWS office within their location of hire. Remote work arrangements may vary depending on location and the governing rulings regarding the COVID-19 pandemic.