Finance Officer, Field Support

Job Title: Finance Officer, Field Support

Location: Rome International Office (50% smart work on a monthly basis, 11 days max.)

Contract duration: 1-year regular contract under Italian law with the possibility of extension

Reporting to: Finance Specialist

Travel: The position will require travel to locations in the field (30%)

Open to: EU Citizens

DRS is looking, on behalf of our client, for an INGO, Finance Officer, Field Support who will provide operational and financial support remotely and on-site to Regional and Country offices. Reporting to the Finance Specialist in the International Finance Unit, s/he will assist in implementing and interpreting financial processes and policies related to accounting, budgeting, reporting, and auditing.

Key Areas of Responsibility:

Accounting & Compliance:

• Review accounting records of assigned Country Offices (CO) and Regional Offices (RO), monitoring revenue and expenditure to ensure that they are in line with respective donor agreements and regulations.
• Support COs in monitoring balance-sheet accounts, including intercompany accounts, fixed assets, donor receivables, and staff advances, ensuring appropriate follow-up on outstanding balances.
• Work closely with the CO/RO finance staff to implement corrective actions.
• Prepare financial management reports based on agreed performance indicators, document the financial review’s outcome, flag any material findings to CO management, and support them in identifying possible solutions.

Country Office staff coaching and training

• Guide staff of assigned CO/RO on financial policies and procedures, audit preparation, and audit follow-up.
• Coach finance staff of assigned CO/RO providing technical guidance on the accounting system functionalities and accounting issues.
• Serve as the first point of contact and support on System related issues, and facilitate communication with the System Administrator when needed.
• Participate in the selection of CO finance staff to assess technical skills.

Audit support

• Support assigned CO/RO to prepare for annual and project audits
• Work with CO/RO finance staff to act on auditors’ recommendations and ensure correct implementation within the agreed timeframe
• Conduct regular field visits to assigned CO/RO for monitoring and compliance checks;
• Follow up on audit and internal (SCO team) recommendations and propose ways of improving accountability.

Grants, Budgets & Reporting

• Support CO/RO staff in preparing project budget proposals, ensuring a consistent approach to shared project costs.
• Assist staff in determining allowable and allocable costs for grants.
• Advise and train finance and programme staff on donor rules and regulations as needed.
• Review donor financial reports before submission to donors, ensuring appropriate reconciliation with accounting records, including recognizing indirect costs and revenue.
• Review Grant Agreement Letter for the allocation of donor funds to CO/RO, ensuring that needed donor requirements are clearly stated and that funds disbursements are in line with needs and policies.
• Monitor and check actual expenditure levels against budgets and funding obligations and proactively work with the field offices to ensure spending is within obligated amounts.

Qualifications and competencies:

Education

• A University degree in accounting, finance, business and administration, project management, or related areas.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English and French.

Experience

• At least three (3) years of professional experience working in an accounting or finance-related role.
• Knowledge of Financial statements, financial reporting, cash flow analysis, budget development, and forecasting.
• Understanding service centre, fringe, and indirect rate application and allocation methodologies.
• Proficient with Microsoft Office package, Microsoft 365
• Knowledge of Microsoft Dynamics Navision is highly desirable.
• Excellent command of Excel and other database applications

Core values and ethics

• Commitment to the organization’s mission, vision, and values;
• The ability to convey with enthusiasm the role of accompanying and serving forcibly displaced people and to advocate for their right to protection and a life in dignity;
• High integrity, honesty, and confidentiality; ability to deal tactfully and discreetly with people, situations, and information;
• Acceptance of diversity and inclusion as a core value.

Desirable:

• Field experience with an international/intergovernmental/non-governmental organization;
• Professional working knowledge of Spanish would be considered an asset.

Please note that this position is only open to candidates with EU citizenship or other legal authorization to work in the European Union.