Catholic Relief Services (CRS) is the official international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the United States of America. Founded in 1943, CRS serves people in need in over 100 countries, providing assistance and relief without regard to race, religion, or nationality.

CRS works to save, protect, and transform lives through various programs focusing on emergency response, HIV, health, agriculture, education, microfinance, and peacebuilding. In Zimbabwe, CRS has been supporting program activities since 1989, fostering long-standing partnerships with Church and non-Church organizations and communities throughout the country.

Catholic Relief Services is looking for a highly skilled and motivated Senior Finance Officer to join our dynamic team in Harare. As the Senior Finance Officer, you will contribute to the implementation of the organization’s accounting systems, policies, and procedures.

Your role will be crucial in ensuring compliance with established accounting standards, donors’ regulations, and legal requirements, ultimately supporting the delivery of high-quality programs that serve the poor and vulnerable. This position offers an exciting opportunity to make a meaningful impact within a reputable humanitarian agency.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Perform accounting services by documenting financial transactions, compiling, analyzing, and verifying account information, preparing account entries, and delivering financial reporting services.
• Ensure accurate understanding of project budget and project cost centers, adhering to CRS policies and procedures.
• Review and validate supporting documentation before processing financial transactions, ensuring accuracy, completeness, and proper authorizations.
• Set up and maintain all necessary data for processing financial transactions in the Insight financial accounting package.
• Analyze data to troubleshoot financial issues in the Oracle financial system.
• Record financial transactions, review and analyze various accounts to detect irregularities, advise on corrective actions, and prepare adjusting entries as necessary.
• Monitor disbursement and receipt schedules, communicate effectively with relevant staff regarding due payments and liquidations, and facilitate efficient financial resource management.
• Review the employee expense module, audit pending staff advances and expenses, prepare aging reports, and ensure compliance with CRS policies.
• Track receivables, follow up on settlements within policy timelines, and invoice staff for personal expenses paid on their behalf.
• Review payroll reports, run the Field Labor Cost Allocation process, prepare fringe benefits invoices, and ensure accurate usage of the salaries clearing account.
• Maintain up-to-date and accurate records of project financial status, including budget spending trends, pipeline projections, and balances.
• Reconcile partner financial records with Insight and prepare various periodic and ad hoc financial reports, conducting variance analyses to support decision-making and effective financial resource management.
• Ensure compliance with checklist requirements, including aging reports, bank reconciliations, petty cash counts, and fixed assets reports.
• Provide information on financial accounting policies and procedural compliance to subrecipients and staff, contributing to capacity strengthening initiatives.
• Perform assigned treasury duties, ensuring segregation of duties, including cash payments/receipts, cash forecasts, and bank balance tracking.
• Facilitate conversions of USD to local currency transactions, recording the conversion in the cash management subledger and General accounting on the same day.
• Prepare foreign exchange reports and submit them to HQ by the specified deadline.
• Monitor and replenish fuel supplies, perform fuel top-ups for CRS vehicles, and oversee and review petty cash operations.
• Prepare financial statements for internal and external audits, utilizing trial balance and other statements, and managing information in the company accounting system.
• Prepare and submit year-end packages by the due dates.
• Set up bank accounts, manage signatories, and facilitate the use of online banking platforms.
• Print and file company documents accurately.

Qualifications and Experience:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting, CIMA, ACCA, CIS, or a related field.
• Minimum of 3 years of experience in a similar position, preferably within the NGO sector.
• Experience working with implementing partners is desirable.
• Knowledge of relevant public donors’ regulations is preferred.
• Ability to meet deadlines under pressure.
• Proficiency in MS Office packages (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Visio) and Web Conferencing Applications.
• Knowledge of Insight (Oracle) financial accounting package or similar ERP financial reporting software is preferred.

To apply, please submit your application, including a cover letter and detailed Curriculum Vitae with the names and email addresses of three traceable references by Tuesday, 25 June 2024.