JOB ADVERTISEMENT – Finance Assistant

SCI employ approximately 25,000 people across the globe and work on the ground in over 100 countries to help children affected by crises, or those that need better healthcare, education and child protection. We also campaign and advocate at the highest levels to realise the right of children and to ensure their voices are heard.

We are working towards three breakthroughs in how the world treats children by 2030:

• No child dies from preventable causes before their 5th birthday
• All children learn from a quality basic education and that,
• Violence against children is no longer tolerated

We know that great people make a great organization, and that our employees play a crucial role in helping us achieve our ambitions for children. We value our people and offer a meaningful and rewarding career, along with a collaborative and inclusive workplace where ambition, creativity, and integrity are highly valued.

CHILD SAFEGUARDING:

Level 3:  the post holder will have contact with children and/or young people either frequently (e.g. once a week or more) or intensively (e.g. four days in one month or more or overnight) because they work country programs; or are visiting country programs; or because they are responsible for implementing the police checking/vetting process staff.

ROLE PURPOSE: 

The Finance Assistant is a member of the Country Office Finance team and is responsible for a range of functions including supplier payments review and documentation, preparation of General ledger uploads, cash reconciliations, partner supports on budgeting, financial reports and payments, supporting document preparation for donors and audit. The Finance Assistant is expected to be an integral part of ensuring a strong control environment for the SCI Istanbul program and for ensuring rigorous and thorough systems and processes that minimise the risk of errors, donor disallowances and fraud.

SCOPE OF ROLE:

Reports to: Finance Officer

Dimension of role: Save the Children is one of largest INGO working across globe in 120 countries for improving lives of the children. SC is implementing a large scale program for Syrian children and families inside Turkey from Istanbul office located in Turkey. SC started its programs for Syrian children and families in 2013 and program is funded by variety of international donors including ECHO, EC, DFID, UN Agencies and other donors. 

Due to the complex ongoing emergency inside Syrian and challenges in accessing the area, this is a challenging role and requires a dedicated, experienced and highly motivated individual who can manage the difficulties of remote management and fluid emergency environment.

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY:

Cash & Bank

• Act as a custodian for the petty cash and cashbook
• Reviewing all documents submitted for payment to ensure proper procedures have been followed and tracking all programme and salary advances issued and returned
• Ensure bank signatories are up to date
• Posting all cash and bank transactions into Agresso and ensuring coding and narrative are complete
• Perform weekly cash counts and ensure book and actual balances reconcile and monthly bank reconciliation for all bank accounts

Partnerships

For delegated partners;

• Ensure that the expenditure partnership spending is compliant with Save the Children and donor policies
• Support partners in preparation of proposal budgets, reviewing to ensure costing is appropriate to activities in the sub-award proposals
• Verify partner expenditure reports, through remote and direct visits, and provide audit summary with recommendations to finance controller

Budgeting and Reporting

• Create/update reporting analysis codes (DEAs) and uploaded budgets to FIS (Agresso)
• Support to prepare accurate and timely financial reports for the donors and monthly BvAs if assigned.
• Prepare the supportive documents according to donor requirements

Supplier Payments

• Receive Payment Requests and supporting documents
• Review Supporting documents for payments
• Check Coding of Payment Requests
• Preparation Payment Voucher in Integrated software
• Preparation of Cheque of Bank transfer documentation
• Coordinate approvals of cheques/bank transfers
• Make payments to suppliers

General Ledger registration

• Prepare GLACOS for all payment vouchers
• Review GLACOS to identify coding errors
• Prepare other GLACOS for corrections and other month end entries as directed by Finance Coordinator.

Month End Processes

• Receive accruals request as necessary
• Review all accruals requests for sufficient supporting documentation
• Prepare accruals GLACOS as necessary for month end of Award Closure

Document retention and audit

• File vouchers once payment complete
• Search for documents to support audits as necessary

Other

• Perform any other duties and tasks, which are commensurate with the responsibilities and level of the post

COMPETENCIES FOR THIS ROLE:

Accountability:

• Holds self-accountable for making decisions, managing resources efficiently, achieving and role modelling Save the Children values
• Holds the team and partners accountable to deliver on their responsibilities - giving them the freedom to deliver in the best way they see fit, providing the necessary development to improve performance and applying appropriate consequences when results are not achieved

Ambition:

• Sets ambitious and challenging goals for themselves (and their team), takes responsibility for their own personal development and encourages others to do the same
• Widely shares their personal vision for Save the Children, engages and motivates others
• Future orientated, thinks strategically

Collaboration:

• Builds and maintains effective relationships, with their team, colleagues, Members and external partners and supporters
• Values diversity, sees it as a source of competitive strength
• Approachable, good listener, easy to talk to

Creativity:

• Develops and encourages new and innovative solutions
• Willing to take disciplined risks

Integrity:

• Honest, encourages openness and transparency

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance or Accounting qualification and/or relevant experience in the field.
• 1 years of finance/accounting/audit experience is required.
• Experience with management information systems and strong excel skills.
• Turkish and English language is required.
• Excellent attention to detail and accuracy.
• Self-motivated with good time management skills and ability to prioritize workload, anticipate requirements, work to tight deadlines and communicate decisions on a regular basis.
• Ability to operate in a changing environment: adaptable, flexible and supportive approach.
• Strong computer skills, especially on Accounting packages.
• Ability and willingness to work under pressure as part of a professional team.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, including cultural sensitivity, assertiveness and negotiating skills.
• Willingness to travel to field offices occasionally
• INGO experience in finance is highly desirable.

Position holder will be based in Istanbul therefore legal right to work in Türkiye is necessary at the time of application. Applications will be evaluated in a rolling basis.