Finance Intern

To work closely with the Finance Officer (Cash & Bank) on day-to-day operational aspects of the Finance function of Oxfam Country Office, to maintain the primary books of accounts and to ensure they are up to date, and to maintain financial documentation/records, both in electronic and paper format, in a secure and orderly manner.

core details

Location:

Kurdistan, Erbil. With the possibility of travelling to other filed offices.

Salary:

As Per Oxfam Salary Scale.

Internal Grade:

Daily rate as per Oxfam policy

Division

Division Name

Job Family:

Finance

Contract type:

Service Contract

Hours of work:

40 hours per week. This is a full-time role; however, Oxfam offers various flexible arrangements which candidates can discuss with the Recruiting Manager at interview stage

This role reports to:

Erbil Finance Officer

Staff reporting to this post:

N/A

Annual budget

£8M

Key relationships/interactions:

The employee needs to work closely with the Finance officer and also keep coordination with the other colleague (Finance Coordinator and Finance Manager)

Screening checks:

All successful candidates will be screened through Refinitiv World-Check One to comply with counter terrorism and financial sanctions regulations.

References:

Should you be successful and not already employed by Oxfam GB, we will require minimum of two references covering five years of employment history.

DBS checks (for roles based in the UK):

It is a requirement in the UK for a new DBS check at enhanced level for every new member of staff who works directly with, or has regular contact with, children or vulnerable adults in the UK (consistent with DBS guidance and relevant law).

N/A

key responsibilities

• Support the finance team in upholding stringent financial management controls and accounting standards, ensuring the program’s adherence to established guidelines and regulations.
• Maintain daily updates of cash records, meticulously monitoring expenditures to ensure accurate coding and transaction tracking. Promptly address any discrepancies identified and escalate them to the finance office and manager as necessary.
• Issue staff advances and travel floats in accordance with Oxfam guidelines, overseeing the timely recovery of owed amounts from staff salaries. Ensure proper authorization of float/salary advance requests and meticulous maintenance of the float register.
• Maintain a comprehensive record of all petty cash transactions, closely monitoring expenditure and adhering to the insured limit of cash in safe/hand. Ensure proper approval and filing of petty cash vouchers and timely replenishment requests. Conduct regular cash counts as a crucial control measure.
• Facilitate cash transfers to communities, ensuring strict compliance with security guidelines and cash handling procedures. Submit returns to the finance officer promptly after payments.
• Act as a deputy to the finance officer on matters relating to financial management, control, and reporting, demonstrating a high level of professionalism and accountability.
• Ensure proper filing of all accounting documents, maintaining an organized and accessible filing system for easy retrieval.
• Undertake additional responsibilities as assigned by the line manager, demonstrating flexibility and readiness to contribute to team objectives.
• Arrange salary transfers for field staff through Hawala company and coordinate other cash transfers in field offices, including top-ups for each Oxfam office in the country.
• Coordinate month-end closing activities, including cash counts, bank reconciliations, and preparation tasks to ensure the accuracy and completeness of financial records.
• Implement a full scan of financial transactions on a daily basis, organizing both physical files and electronic copies for easy accessibility and record-keeping.
• Collaborate with the finance team in conducting basic checks/reviews of bank payment/transfer requests, processing cheque and bank transfer payments, and preparing cheque payment vouchers. Provide support in maintaining accurate financial records and submitting bank-cashbook reports in a timely manner.
• Offer coverage for other finance assistants during periods of leave and assist the Finance Officer (Cash & Bank) with any delegated ad hoc activities.
• Ensure the timely archiving and scanning of financial records, maintaining an organized and accessible record-keeping system for efficient document management.

Your commitment to Oxfam

• Required to adhere to Oxfam’s principles and values as well as the promotion of gender justice and women’s rights
• Understanding of and commitment to adhere to equity, diversity, gender, child safety and staff health and wellbeing principles

Person specification

How this will be assessed?[1]

Note to candidates: Shortlisted candidates will be assessed on our organisational values and attributes at the interview stage. The successful candidate(s) will be expected to adhere to our code of conduct. We encourage candidates to read and understand our code of conduct here.

Shortlisting

Interview

Presentation

Other<please specify)

Key Organisational Attributes

Ability to demonstrate sensitivity to cultural differences and gender issues, as well as the commitment to equal opportunities.

x

Ability to demonstrate an openness and willingness to learn about the application of gender/gender mainstreaming, women’s rights, and diversity for all aspects of development work.

x

Commitment to undertake Oxfam’s safeguarding training and adherence of relevant policies to ensure all people who come into contact with Oxfam are as safe as possible

x

Organisational Values

Accountability – Our purpose-driven, results-focused approach means we take responsibility for our actions and hold ourselves accountable. We believe that others should also be held accountable for their actions

x

Empowerment – Our approach means that everyone involved with Oxfam, from our staff and supporters to people living in poverty, should feel they can make change happen

x

Inclusiveness – We are open to everyone and embrace diversity. We believe everyone has a contribution to make, regardless of visible and invisible differences

x

x

Essential – Experience, Knowledge, Qualifications & Competencies

Technical

• Bachelor’s Degree graduate in accounting and finance such as BSCom, BS Accountancy or equivalent
• Comprehensive knowledge and a minimum of 2 year of proven experience in Finance operations activities.
• Strong numeric skills and works accurately with attention to details.
• Ability to work under pressure
• Fluency in written and spoken Kurdish English & Arabic
• Spots errors and mistakes in own work.
• Adaptable and Flexible.
• Strong computer literacy, and proven experience of computerized accounting packages, preferably PeopleSoft. Strong proven experience in using Excel Spreadsheets.
• Ability to prioritise, manage time and commitment to deliver against agreed deadlines.
• Willingness and ability to travel at short notice and/or to work extra hours as necessary, often in difficult circumstances.
• Commitment to the values of Oxfam and its policy on equal opportunities, gender and diversity

Good interpersonal skills experience of working in a multicultural, multilocation environment

• Capacity building experience
• Knowledge of donor requirements and deadlines.

Desirable

[1] Whilst we make every effort to indicate how the candidates will be assessed against a criterion, this is subject to change and may be influenced by the quality of applications.