Partners Finance Officer

JOB DESCRIPTION

1. Scope

Keep all sections below if not applicable, confirm None. Do not delete the fields.

1. Context

About Relief International

Relief International (RI) partners with communities impacted by conflict, climate change, and disaster to save lives, build greater resilience and promote long-term health and well being.

Currently, RI is active in 14 countries around the world, including some of the most fragile: Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Myanmar, Pakistan, Philippines, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Turkey, and Yemen.

Relief International includes the four corporate members of the RI Alliance: Relief International Inc., Relief International-UK, Relief International-France and Relief International-Europe Under our alliance agreement, we operate with a single, shared management structure.

About our Country Program/ Regional Programs

(Insert / select Country Program background or use regional background depending on the role)

Middle East Region

RI operates in six countries in the Middle East region:  Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey and Yemen, with a focus on the four RI sector pillars: Health, WASH, Education and Economic Opportunity.  We employ more than 4,000 staff (direct and indirect) in the Middle East region and implement a range of humanitarian and development programs valued at approximately $70 million USD on an annual basis.

1. Job Profile

The EPI Finance Officer is to support local partners in providing guidance and review of financial transactions and reports. The position is primarily responsible for providing oversight and day-to-day financial support to RI’s implementing  partners in close coordination and cooperation with RI’ Finance staff and the EPI project team.

1. Key responsibilities

Pre-Award Coordination

• Contributes to assisting partners in preparing budgets and in submitting budget amendments when necessary.
• Contribute to the partnership assessments of potential local partners to assess their related financial documents.
• Assist in drafting partnership agreement terms relating to advances, reporting and any special conditions relating to finance.

Intra-Award Coordination

• Participate in Partnership Project Opening and Review Meetings, including in relation to financial verification and review of successes, challenges, and lessons learned with the partner, and capture effective finance practices for future partnerships.
• Perform regular (at least monthly) financial spot checks including but not limited to verifying all partner payment requests, ensuring that all supporting documents are annexed as per RI policy, and are authorized by the budget holder.
• Assist in monitoring partner budgets and actual spending in collaboration with the Finance Manager, the Grants and Reporting focal point, the Awards and Partnerships focal points, and the wider Program team in identifying issues and working proactively and collaboratively with partners to resolve them.
• Assist partners in finance related processes and procedures as requested by partners and determined by partner assessment.
• Participate in the review of the performance of the partner and of the partnership, including successes, challenges and lessons learned.
• Review partner financial reports (and narrative reports for consistency) and supporting documents to ensure compliance with the partnership agreement, donor regulations and RI policies, and provide feedback to the partner in consultation with Finance Manager as appropriate.
• Provide financial and accounting training and mentoring support to partners’ financial management systems in consultation with the Finance Manager in accordance with partner capacity building plans and as determined by the partner assessments and learnings. 
• Support in preparing monthly budget monitoring and accurate donor reports in accordance with the specified format within the agreement timeframe in coordination with the Program and EPI project teams.
• Assists the Finance Manager and Deputy Finance Manager in the efficient conduct of project/donor audit and internal audit exercise where needed.
• Contribute to conducting partners’ appraisal and review of finance report from partners to ensure compliance with relevant RI and donor’s standards and guidelines.
• Ensure partner expenses – after review - are uploaded timely (at least monthly) and correctly into the accounting system.
• Coordinate partners’ funding requests and ensure transfers are timely wired.

Post-Award Coordination

• Participate in Partnership Project Closure Meetings, including verification of partners final reports.
• Maintain well structured soft archiving of partners documentations.

Assist and verify the partners audit-ready check lists.

General

• Perform any other duties as assigned by the line manager.

Behavior and conduct

• Ensures that behavior inside and outside of work promotes the values in RI’s code of conduct and safeguarding policies.
• Acts with integrity and holds themselves accountable for being respectful, inclusive and professional.
• Reports any concerns.

1. Person Specification

Skills, knowledge and expertise required for the role.

Essential criteria

• Fluent in spoken and written English.
• Completed bachelor’s degree in accounting or other relevant field.
• At least 3 years work experience with International NGO, including experience of working with local partners. 
• Accounting, data and administrative management practices and procedures.
• Computer skills and relevant office software packages (MS Office programs, email, accounting).
• Basic knowledge of project cycle management.

Desirable criteria

• Basic in spoken Arabic.
• Background on the Turkish taxes and social security calculations.

1. RI Values

Guided by the humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality, and independence, as well as “Do No Harm,” Relief International Values:

• Integrity
• Adaptability
• Collaboration
• Inclusivity
• Sustainability

How to apply:

In case you meet the requirements and you are interested in the position, please send your CV in English in addition to three professional references to [email protected] before Junuary 22nd, 2025 stating in the subject “Partners Finance Officer “

All candidates must be eligible to work in Turkey"

Female candidates are highly encouraged to apply

Please be aware that, due to the urgency of filling this position, HR will review applications on a daily basis and the position may be closed before the deadline.