Finance Support Professional - GOPA

 

Terms of Reference

Finance Support Professional

National long-term staff

Partnership for Sustainable Agroforestry (PSAF) Ai ba Futuru

(GIZ processing number 15.2190.5-002.00)

Type of contract:	Long-term Professional (national)
Duty station:	GOPA Field Office Baucau, Timor-Leste
Reports to:	GOPA Team Leader
Languages Required:	English, Tetum
Duration of Contract:	Fixed-term: 10 January 2022 – 31 July 2022
Deadline for application:	Wednesday, 5 January 2022, 17.00 Timor-Leste time

 

1. BACKGROUND

The ‘Partnership for Sustainable Agroforestry (PSAF) Ai ba Futuru project (tree for the future in Tetum), under the auspice of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries (MAF), Timor-Leste at national level is endorsed by the German Government through the Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), co-financed with the EU and implemented by GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit). For the implementation in the field, GIZ has commissioned GOPA Worldwide Consultants. At the subnational level, the project is working with the municipal governments of Manatuto, Viqueque, Baucau and Lautem.

The project started in September 2018 and will finish in July 2022. It is part of a larger action targeting marginalized groups in Timor-Leste. The rural areas that the project focuses on have rare employment opportunities. In particular, youth and women with low level of education struggle to make a better living.

The overall objective of the Ai ba Futuru project is “to contribute to a peaceful, inclusive and sustainable development in Timor-Leste through improved access, the creation of employment, economic and domestic revenue opportunities, and a durable reduction in food security and malnutrition in rural areas”.

Implementation of Ai ba Futuru in the target municipalities of Baucau, Lautem, Manatuto, and Viqueque is will be completed by July 2022. During the project period, Ai ba Futuru contributes to MAF's efforts to foster a conducive legal and regulatory environment for agroforestry and associated value chains as well as to support the development of agroforestry systems, land and natural resource management, technical skill development, and market linkages. To increase sustainable production in agroforestry systems, the project aims to establish 6,000 hectares of new or improved area under agroforestry and to plant 3,000,000 trees. This is to directly benefit 4,000 households in 40 sucos (10 sucos/municipality) and, in the long-term, to improve agroforestry-related value chains.

GOPA Baucau field office needs mid-level personnel that supports the work of the Finance & Administration Manager in controlling the cashbook and cash advances, check transactions (payments, advances, settlements) for accuracy, correctness, completeness of information and documentation, preparing vouchers for data entry by F&A Manager into WINPACSS accounting system, prepare salary, tax, and social security lists, prepare monthly cash flow projection for Request of Funds, archiving all financial and personnel documents

2. ASSIGNMENT

Objectives of this Assignment are:

The overall objective of the national long-term Finance Support Professional is to ensure that the essential services required by GOPA’s Ai ba Futuru team are carried out effectively, efficiently, timely, and accurately. S/he is committed to work with the Office Manager in supporting the F&A Manager in financial management and accounting for GOPA in accordance with GIZ and GOPA regulations and SOPs. Thus the Finance Support Professional works in a team with the Office manager, under supervision and guidance of the Finance and Administration Manager, and under ultimate direction of the Team Leader PSAF – Ai ba Futuru, Baucau Office.

There are two objectives for this assignment. They are:

1. To oversee and execute financial, contractual, human resources and logistics aspects for the project, and
2. To ensure that financial and legal documentation and filings are compliant with standard accounting practices and follow SOPs.

 

The Finance Support Professional is expected to perform the following tasks:

General	Conceptually, the overall role of this position is to support the F&A Manager in finance management and cooperate with the Office Manager in doing so
Finance	Prepare, or assist staff preparing, requests for travel and cash advances, and submit to Team Leader for approval Check and verify approved cash advance requests (e.g., fuel, per diem, accommodation) before providing cash advances for travel or reimburse staff travel costs in cash Monitor and regularly settle open cash advances based on original/genuine evidence of expenditure and balances Check and verify invoices, receipts/notas, and other evidence of expenditure on authenticity, completeness, correctness, and accuracy Collect and prepare proper receipt for all cash transactions (advances, reimbursements, payments, settlements) Monitor staff expenses, operate and manage petty cash, record & document all cash transactions, keep an accurate and up-to-date cashbook to track and call in open advances before due date Pay cash advances based on written and approved requests Reimburse approved expenditure based on original/genuine evidence of expenditure Conduct weekly cash counts Assist arranging and executing recurring payments (weekly, monthly) such as salaries, taxes, social security, office security, electricity, water supply, telephone, mobile phone, e-mail, internet and other recurrent fees and its accurate administration & filing Operate online banking if and when so instructed by the F&A Manager or Team Leader Download bank statements (transactions, balances, beneficiary notifications), submit to TL and F&A Manager for review, and file Maintain bank address book (updating, verifying correctness and accuracy) Support the calculation of (monthly) fund requests and prepares the document Maintain the inventory record of the office/project Check the settlement of Local Subsidy Contract according to the contract terms and GOPA Rule and Regulation
Administration	Treats all information with utmost confidentially, especially regarding personnel and finances. Keep the document filing system for the office (electronic and hardcopies of contracts, vouchers, cashbook, bank statements and reconciliations, request for funds, salary, tax, and social security lists, etc.) accurate, complete, up‑to‑date, and readily accessible With support from Office Manager manage and maintain personnel files (contact details, ToR’s, contracts, signed time‑sheets, leave records, disciplinary measures, etc.) With support from relevant other staff, preparing draft job description/terms of reference for review and finalization by Team Leader Supports legal and financial planning and preparation of events, trainings, workshops, meetings, etc. Attend internal and external (team) meetings, training events, and workshops and assists with documenting these, e.g. recording payments, collecting participants & attendance documentation, etc. Print, photocopy and scan documents as needed Monitors the contract implementation, computes all payments (reimbursements, advances, settlements, bank transfers, tax, social security), file documentation and evidences (receipts, invoices, advance requests, travel costs, beneficiary advice, bank statements, etc.), of completed assignment Manages and ensures all supporting documents are filed, conserved , and readily retrievable
Human Resources	Work on the administrative requirements and payroll preparation (salaries, taxes, social security, travel claims etc.) Administer recruitment process including arranging logistics, pre‑screening CVs and setting up induction process for new members of staff
Logistics	Organize tickets/travel requests & approval for duty trips and preparing the travel costs settlement afterwards Ensure back-to-office/trip-reports reports are submitted within 5 working days Check and verify vehicle log books (cars, motorcycles), monthly summaries and fuel consumption as prepared by the Administration Professional, and file Monitor on fuel consumption of vehicles (cars, motorcycles)

 

3.      CONTRACT PERIOD

The expert’s assignment will commence from 10 January 2022, and ends before 31 July 2022, with a maximum number of up to 7 (7) months. Employment shall begin with a 3‑month probation period.

4.    LOCATION

The duty station will be GOAP Field Office in Baucau, with frequent travels to, and within, the four target municipalities of the project (Lautem, Baucau, Viqueque, Manatuto) and to Dili.

5.     PROFESSIONAL PROFILE and EXPERTISE REQUIRED

The professional hired to conduct the tasks outlined above is expected to meet or exceed the following requirements regarding education, professional experience and technical skills.

Requirements

• Education/training: preferably at least S1/Bachelor degree in finance management, accounting, administration, or other relevant field;
• General professional experience: at least 3 years of experience in similar finance position and equivalent responsibility level, preferably in an international development cooperation setting;
• Good time management, organisational, and people skills;
• Excellent communication and facilitation skills; and cultural and gender sensitivity in working with local communities and a range of stakeholders;
• Regional experience: working experience within the target municipalities and knowledge of its general geography is an advantage;
• Computer literate and fully conversant with MS Office (Word, Excel, Outlook)
• Experience with (online) accounting software is an advantage, particularly with WINPACCS;
• Language skills: working knowledge of English, fluent in Tetum;
• Willingness to travel to, and sometimes stay overnight in, often remote areas in the four target municipalities;
• Willingness to live in/relocate to Baucau town is a strong advantage. 
   
  Deadline for Application

Interested persons can send their application letter and CV before, or latest on, Wednesday, 5 January 2022, 17.00 Timor-Leste time via email to Bas van Helvoort (Bas.vanHelvoort@gopa.de) with a cc to Augusto da Silva Godinho (Augusto.daSilvaGodinho@gopa.de). Applications from qualified women are encouraged.