Senior Finance Assistant

IFC — a member of the World Bank Group — is the largest global development institution focused on the private sector in emerging markets. We work in more than 100 countries, using our capital, expertise, and influence to create markets and opportunities. Our mission is to leverage the power of the private sector to end extreme poverty and boost shared prosperity on a livable planet. 

The Vice Presidency for Corporate Support (COSVP) integrates Budget and Business Administration, HR, Communication, Strategy, and Information & Technology functions under one umbrella to enable the execution of IFC’s management and operational needs in the best way. Within COSVP, the Budget and Business Administration department (CBA) plays a pivotal role in allocating IFC scarce resources and aligning them to IFC 3.0 by leveraging budget as a management tool to mainstream the corporate strategy, creating profitability and efficiency metrics, improving the scorecard, and overseeing procurement and facilities administration.

The Finance Unit (CBAAF) for the Sub-Saharan Africa Region (CAF) is responsible for work program planning, budgeting, financial reporting, and resource management for all the offices in the CAF Region. Overall, CBAAF maintains cost efficiency and effective controls over all financial transactions and provides support for effective management of resources.

Within the CBAAF unit, CBA is recruiting a Senior Finance Assistant who will be responsible for country office accounting, financial controls, monthly reporting, Imprest accounts, payroll, and related activities for the Ghana cluster country offices. Based in Accra / Ghana, the Senior Finance Assistant has a double reporting line to 1) the Finance Officer responsible for accounting and controls in Africa, based in Dakar, and 2) the Finance Officer responsible for resource management in Africa, based in Nairobi. S/he will work closely with the Heads of the Country Offices, operations teams, as well as the ACS and finance function colleagues from both IFC and IBRD across the Sub-Saharan (CAF) region.

Duties & Responsibilities

Payments, Asset and Fund management:

• Process timely payments runs for non-Chennai vendors and follow up any queries.
• Process staff loans, travel advance, rental advance requests.
• Periodic oversight on Country Office P-Card, and Travel Cards to ensure correct use and compliance with policy.
• Process payroll adjustments in SAP.
• Ensure the booking of accruals and prepayments entries.
• Review E-payable transactions via the workflow and ensure compliance of the requests, and correctness of the entries.
• Monitor admin portal purchase order and STC transactions.
• Monitor and ensure replenishment of funds in the Country Office bank account.
• Perform journal adjustment entries.
• Ensure bank authorized signatories and certificate of designations update.
• Ensure the segregation of duty in the petty cash management and petty cash counts are done.
• Conduct annual physical asset inventory count and update SAP asset records.
• Ensure the compliance of the fixed asset entry and disposal process as per the policies.
• Prepare the quarterly figures related to revenue arising from: cost sharing agreement with IBRD and sub-lease agreement with IMF. Ensure the correct and timely posting of this revenue.

Monitoring & Reporting: 

• Prepare and submit Monthly Statement Report in the COAP portal while ensuring the accuracy of the Business Area Master and Business Area Contact.
• Perform monthly bank reconciliations as well as open items and outstanding items follow up.
• Prepare the country office budget reports with variance analysis. Monitor and analyze expenses.
• Prepare centralized overheads forecast templates.
• Follow up for timely submission of SOE and monitor rental contracts.
• Ensure closure of purchase orders with balances after completion of transactions.
• Provide ad-hoc reports at the request of the management (travel, SAP profiles, unreconciled PCARD statement etc.).

Other Responsibilities:

• Provide Advisory to the Head of the Country Office and staff on WBG financial and administrative policies and procedures as well as assistance on benefits policies and related issues.
• Perform knowledge sharing sessions with staff on policies and procedures and ensure these are communicated and implemented.
• Onboard new staff members on finance related matters, systems, travel, policies and perform interim support for colleagues when necessary.
• Enhance controls and advise other finance staff in the region on best practices.
• Provide guidance to vendors as well as other staff on tools and systems (vendor kiosk portal, myTravel, admin portal, etc…).
• Liaise with Procurement Specialist when needed and advise on procurement guidelines and vendor selection and registration process.
• Respond to scorecard / quality assurance / IRI / audit queries as needed and implement the action plan.
• Ensure proper filing of all documents as per the record retention policy.
• Liaison with Chennai: Imprest / Payroll / SRS / Travel audit / accounts payable / RM etc.
• Liaison with IBRD colleagues on various topics (cost sharing, MOU etc…).
• Liaison with banks in connection with IFC Corporate account.
• Follow up of staff termination process with HR team (financial aid balance reimbursement, return of IT equipment, UNLP, cancellation of PCard etc…).

Selection Criteria

• Bachelor`s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business or Economics with at least 3 years of working experience in finance or accounting roles.
• Recognized professional certification on basic level (CPA, CMA, CIMA, ACCA, etc.) is a plus.
• Sound knowledge and understanding of accounting theory, concepts and principles, financial accounting reporting, budgeting, and cost allocations.
• Ability to analyze and synthesize information, interpret data, retrieve information, and clearly and concisely communicate result. Good data mining skills with working knowledge of Microsoft Package.
• Prior experience in ERP applications (SAP) is a significant advantage.
• Ability to understand risk management principles and monitor the effectiveness of internal controls processes.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to prepare, present and discuss findings in written or oral form.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and team player, with the ability to work in a multi-cultural environment.
• Fluency in English is essential.
• Ability to manage multiple, concurrent tasks with tight deadlines.
• Ability to function effectively in multi-disciplinary teams within a matrix management environment

Source: https://worldbankgroup.csod.com/ats/careersite/JobDetails.aspx?id=28748&site=1