ETHIOPIAN AGRICULTURAL TRANSFORMATION AGENCY

Position:  Senior Finance Officer

Term of Employment: Full time

Duty Station(s): Addis Ababa

Required Number: One

Salary & Benefits: Competitive

Application Deadline: July 03, 2021

BACKGROUND:

The Ethiopian Agricultural Transformation Agency (ATA) is a strategy and delivery-oriented government agency created to help accelerate the growth and transformation of the country’s agriculture sector. The ATA envisions that, by 2025, smallholder farmers are commercialized with greater incomes, inclusiveness, resilience and sustainability, contributing to Ethiopia’s achievement of middle-income country status.

The agency focuses on two primary national approaches to catalyze agricultural transformation. First, we support the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Resources (MoA), its affiliate institutions, and other partners to identify and address systemic bottlenecks within an Agricultural Transformation Agenda. Second, we support Regional Governments to accelerate the development of high-priority commodity value chains in clearly defined geographic clusters, through the Agricultural Commercialization Clusters (ACC) Initiative.

Our major activities include conducting strategic and analytical studies, providing technical implementation support, coordinating platforms to better integrate partners and projects, and designing and directly leading a number of implementation projects. Our headquarters are in Addis Ababa, and we have regional offices in Amhara, Oromia, SNNP, and Tigray regional offices, allowing us to work closely with a wide range of public, private and development sectors partners across the country.

Our Culture

We have an exceptional team of highly competent employees with a proven track record of success in managing complex activities and achieving transformational results. Our culture is one where talented, dedicated and adaptable individuals are committed to doing their best and exhibit great teamwork to achieve excellent results. 

At ATA, we provide an exceptional platform for people who want to achieve their highest potential and make a meaningful contribution to changing the country’s agricultural sector. We offer rewarding work in a young, fast-paced growing organization with passionate, committed, motivated colleagues and excellent career development and training. We recognize our most valuable assets are our staff and are committed to providing our employees with the tools, training, and mentorships necessary to achieve their career goals. 

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Senior Finance Officer is accountable for the specific deliverables of the finance team, pertaining to financial transaction processing, recording, data management, treasury/disbursement management, AR/AP management, reporting, as well as organization-wide budgeting process. The Senior Finance Officer is expected to work closely with and have direct oversight on the activities of the junior finance officers & finance officers to ensure fulfillment of responsibilities. The Senior Finance Officer is also to act as a liaison between the Finance Managers and the Finance Officers and the rest of the finance team to ensure smooth functioning of the team.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES:

Support and ensure a robust and timely budgeting and planning process:

• Organize and Provide training, and closely support the budget holders during the development of the budget formulation process.
• Review draft budget submitted by SD, and provide feedback before it is submitted to the CEO to ensure that accurate budget is submitted to the CEO;
• Ensure that the approved budgets and subsequent amendments are correctly uploaded into the system.
• Support the Budget & Planning Manager to ensure budget adjustments are made in accordance with program changes.
• Assist the Budget and Planning Manager in invalidating the proposed budget is formulated in accordance with established policies and guidelines.
• Compile periodical BVA and parliament reports and submit them for review in a timely manner.
• Follow up and incorporate feedback and action on budget variances on future planning and budget amendments.
• Ensure budget amendment processes are in accordance with ATA policies and procedures.
• Review program and project spend against approved budgets and highlight any variances to budget holders.
• Analyze transactions and investigate any unusual items and take appropriate corrective actions.
• Reconciliation of accounts between the two systems (AGRESSO & IFMIS) and follow-up advances for timely settlements
• Support auditors (Both the IA & External auditors) during the audit and respond to audit queries.
• Put the approved Gov’t budget into IFMIS and perform budget transfer/realignment as required.
• Support auditors (Both the IA & External auditors) during the audit and respond to audit queries.
• Conduct analysis and validate and review budgets periodically.
• Assist in the coordination of budget preparation and support in the preparation of regular and special budget reports.
• Handle budget checking tasks of all ATA requests using ERP based on the pre-set threshold.
• Manage year-end closing routines and submit all the required sets of financial reports to MOF and IA as per the timeline prescribed by the MOF financial management directive.
• Facilitate and follow up annual OFAG and Quarterly Internal audit, handle audit queries, and provide a response to the audit findings in consultation with the budget and planning manager, and track audit action plans and ensure timely implementation of the audit action plans as per the timeline set in the audit reports.

Treasury, Disbursement, and Data Management related roles:

• Supervise & directly lead the disbursements, Treasury & Data managements officers, Accounts clerks, assistants (Doc. & Admin.)
• Ensure all financial transactions including disbursement and treasury-related activities and transactions are conducted in a timely and efficient manner, and in accordance with accounting practices and ATA guidelines.
• Assist the Finance Manager in ensuring the application of robust and adequate financial controls and procedures in line with ATA finance policies and good accounting practices.
• Ensure all financial controls are accurately and consistently applied across all aspects of financial transaction processing, financial management, record keeping, and reporting.
• Ensure the timely and accurate completion of all financial transactions and related activities by overseeing and working closely with the finance officers and other team members.
• Ensure data integrity and accurate and timely recording of all financial transactions in the ERP accounting systems/ books.
• Ensure internal working procedures and controls on cash, creditor, and debtor management.
• Maintain accrual and prepayment accounts in accordance with ATA policies.
• Ensure financial transactions are processed in accordance with ATA policies and reconciled monthly with the financial records.
• Ensure taxes are deducted from salaries and paid according to government legislation requirements.
• Ensure integrity of cash management and of transfers to field offices.
• Coordinate the reconciliation process of data between IFMIS and AGRESSO and HQ & ROs on a regular basis and take appropriate corrective actions in a timely manner.
• Ensure accurate cash flow forecasts are completed, and cash and bank balance managed in the organization to prevent cash overrun.
• Carry out Approval, checking & verifying payment requests/Vouchers before effecting payments in Agresso ERP/IFMIS.
• Ensure that all financial transactions are fully supported, accurately coded and that they are all captured in Agresso ERP on timely basis – supporting documentation is properly filed for ease of retrieval.
• Maintain accrual and prepayment accounts in accordance with ATA policies.
• Ensure petty cash, banks, floats, and advances are processed in accordance with ATA policies and reconciled monthly.
• Ensure safe security of cash in the office and coordinate weekly and monthly cash counts, including spot counts.
• Ensure accurate cash flow forecasts from the 4 regional office is received and reviewed, and make the required cash transfers to the field offices on a timely basis;
• Ensure that systems are put in place to assure document security and ease of retrieval for a complete audit trail from the System Accounts records to supporting documentation and vice – versa.
• Ensure that internal financial controls relating to Financial Data, Receivables, cash on hand, and bank are consistently applied e.g., maintaining authorized bank signatories list in accordance with the scheme of delegation.
• Directly lead, manage, and motivate the disbursement officers, accounts clerk & cashiers and ensure that they have clear work plans & performance management is integrated into day to work activities.
• Ensure that systems are put in place to assure document security and ease of retrieval for a complete audit trail from the System Accounts records to supporting documentation and vice versa.
• Mange /Handle batch upload when rectification or bulk adjustments raised.

Receivables/Payables, and Payroll Management

• Supervise & directly lead the Receivables, Payroll & tax officer.
• Assist the Finance Manager in ensuring smooth implementation of robust and adequate financial systems and procedures in line with ATA finance policies and good accounting practices.
• Implement the tasks within the finance daily to make sure that month-end and year-end routines are performed as directed by the Finance Manager and in accordance with ATA timescales.
• Make sure that monthly payroll for employees, contractors, and casual staff is released timely and accurately.
• Make sure that any employee-related payments like-Resigned employees’ settlements, data enumerators, etc, were effected on monthly basis.
• Follow up that the monthly Government Obligations like VAT, withholding tax, income tax, pension, etc, & settle to the respective Gov’t Organ as per the prescribed submission date;
• Follow up the Collection monthly employee’s attendance sheet & validate it with monthly payroll;
• Respond to employee /staff-related queries on payroll & prepare regular management payroll reports.
• Follow up the monthly posting of payroll transactions in ERP.
• Research and resolve payroll & Obligation transaction-related discrepancies and Clear on monthly basis & all accounts have a clear and normal balance.
• Supervise/Make sure receivables-related transactions, maintain accurate records and reconcile the General Ledger A/R.
• Manage Travel advance request review both (local and international) and follow up subsequent settlement.
• Check the completeness & validate the documents related to the settlement of advances related to local/international travel,
• Initiate Journal vouchers for settlement of sub-grant advances.
• Manage the proper capturing of advance to be collected from staffs & follow up the subsequent collection/Settlement, Monitor staffs/customers account details for non-payments, delayed payments, and other irregularities.
• Supervise/Participate in checking of advance settlements such as procurement, workshop, work, etc advance as per the pre-seated threshold.
• Initiate /Register receivables/Payables related settlements/adjustments using Journal vouchers.
• Generate receivables age analysis & review the AR aging to ensure compliance.
• Research and resolve receivables transaction-related discrepancies and Clear abnormal receivables, Clear abnormal balances on monthly basis & make sure all ledger accounts have clear and normal Ledger balance.

Yearend routines/Financial reports /Audit related tasks

• Prepare & submit draft year-end reports for review by the Finance Manager timely, accurate, and efficient financial reporting MGMT.
• Support in all audit and compliance-related activities
• Provision of ad-hoc financial management information and analysis from the system for the use of management and budget holder as required.
• Support internal and external audit processes & Assist the Finance Manager in producing Financial Reports.
• Support in ensuring that audit recommendations (internal and external) are implemented.
• Check the financial transactions recorded in the financial system and make adjustments to account for accruals for utilities and other commitments, clear abnormal balances before preparing reports.
• Back up the Finance Manager and perform other duties assigned by the immediate supervisor and or finance Director.
• Support all audit and compliance-related activities.
• Directly lead Junior finance officers & finance officers.
• Perform other duties as assigned by the Finance Manager and or Budget & Reporting-Manager

Job Requirements

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Minimum Bachelor’s Degree from recognized University in Accounting, Finance, or other relevant studies,
• At least 6 years professional experience, out of which 4 years experience as Senior Finance Officer in Gov’t, Donor Gov’t Bilateral & Multilateral organizations, International/Local NGOs, or relevant professional experience
• Proficiency in ERP systems (preferably Agresso Unit 4), Microsoft Office (Excel), and Oracle-IFMIS
• Knowledge of local laws of the country
• Fluency in English and Amharic and/or other Ethiopian languages is highly desired
• Superior attention to detail; skills such as analytic; critical thinking; problem-solving; multi-tasking abilities are required in addition to integrity, and honesty
• Experience in facilitating salary and benefits surveys. 

How to Apply

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS

We invite all candidates meeting the required qualifications to submit (i) a cover letter and (ii) CV (maximum 5 pages) at the website

Note: Please DO NOT submit scans of certificates with your application.

Women are highly encouraged to apply. Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.