Job Description

SWISSAID Finance and Administrative Officer 

POSITION VACANT: Finance and Administrative Officer SWISSAID India, Pune, Maharashtra 

ORGANIZATION BACKGROUND:  

One of Switzerland’s leading development organisations, SWISSAID is an international non-profit, working in nine countries across the world. The organization has no religious or political affiliations.  

SWISSAID has been active in India for more than six decades. Currently, the focus lies on two themes:  agroecological Small-scale Farming and Gender Equality. SWISSAID collaborates with local civil society organisations to co-create projects which meet the challenges faced by marginalised groups. SWISSAID focuses on gender-based discrimination by giving it a central place in the agroecological Small-Scale Farming Programme and by designing dedicated projects addressing gender-based violence.   

The agroecological Small-scale Farming Programme seeks to reduce the vulnerability of small-holder farmer communities to climate and social shocks. Key programming areas include promotion of traditional seeds and ecological agriculture, sustainable management of forests and fisheries, climate change adaptation, income generation and effective implementation of the government safety nets, with emphasis on Community Institution building and Gender Mainstreaming.  

The focus of SWISSAIDs programme on gender equality is on prevention of Domestic Violence as well as facilitating service provision to enable the Domestic Violence survivors to live a violence free life. The project seeks to change deep-rooted gender biased social norms that perpetrate and condone domestic violence to enable the survivors to   get necessary support from the community  and  from  the  government.      

For more information about SWISSAID, please visit https://www.swissaid.ch/en/home   

Main Purpose of Job

The employee is responsible for managing the Finance and Administration Section in SWISSAID India. He/ She will manage the funds allocated to the SWISSAID country programme, ensure legal compliance and effective administration of the Coordination Office. 

Position in Organization

The Finance and Administrative Officer reports to the Country Representative India and works in close collaboration with the Finance Manager India at the SWISSAID Head Office

Staff Reporting to Finance and Administration Officer: Project Accountants (2) and Finance Assistant 

Dimensions and Limits of Authority

Dimensions and limits of authority of the Finance and Administrative Officer are defined in the  “Minimum Standards Finance & HRM” and the “TCR – Tasks, Competencies and Responsibilities EZA-Coof” 

Scope of Work

Financial Management of country programme

Administration and IT of Coordination Office

Contributing to reaching the strategic goals and the foster overall  development of  SWISSAID India programme

Staff Management and Development 

Duties and Key Responsibilities 

1. Financial management of country programme (approximately 55%)

Bookkeeping of the country programme according to the administrative guidelines and SWISSAID’s ”Minimum Standards Finance + HRM”

Participate in the Management Committee

Preparation of Coordination Office Budget and annual Country Programme Budget in collaboration with the programme team

Support programme team in developing project budgets

Advise and, based on needs, accompany partner organizations in financial issues together with project accountants .

Identify consultants to build capacity of partner organisations on legal compliances

Prepare and coordinate the audit of projects according to the administrative and donor guidelines and finalise the management response.

Prepare and coordinate the audit of the Coordination Office as per the administrative guidelines

Inform the Country Representative on a regular basis about utilisation of funds of the Coordination Office and the projects.

Inform the Country Representative on a regular basis about the quality of interim project accounts and the quality of financial management by partner organizations

Ensure monthly financial reporting to the Head Office according to the “Minimum Standards Finance & HR”

Prepare and participate in financial monitoring meetings with SWISSAID Switzerland on country programme India

Support the development of donor budgets and prepare financial reports for donors in the given template in collaboration with the Finance Manager at the Head Office

Know and communicate the financial and administrative requirements of donors to team members

Ensure effective implementation of system set up for donor compliances

Keep Country Representative updated about the latest developments in the laws applicable to NGOs

Ensure that the Coordination office meets the legal compliances and SWISSAID internal policies 

2. Administration of Coordination Office (approximately 20%)

Suggest acquisition of necessary office infrastructure and ensure its maintenance

Ensure a performing secure and up to date IT infrastructure in coordination with IT at the Head Office and external service providers

Support administration of Coordination Office staff (salary payment, staff contracts, holidays, etc.)

Ensure that compulsory social insurances for Coordination Office staff are paid correctly

Check amortization and interest calculation of loans granted to staff

Supervise the Project accountant such that the project files in financial matters are maintained according to the administrative guidelines

Supervise the archiving of project files as well as documents and receipts relevant for financial accountability

Inform the Country Representative on a regular basis about questions regarding administrative and financial issues.

Conduct the safety and security analysis and together with the Management Committee, finalize the safety plan

Conduct the risk analysis together with the Management Committee on an annual basis and sensitize staff on the anti-corruption policy 

3. Human Resources Management (10%)

Coordination of staff appaisals

Monitoring of staff leave

Update and implementation of staff regulations

Organise sensitization of Code of conduct 

Supervise the performance of staff/s, ensuring that they are well supported, led and evaluated against agreed objectives (15%) 

Any other responsibility assigned by the Line Manager. 

Skills , Qualifications and Experience 

The  Finance and Administrative Officer  is expected to possess:

Masters degree in finance or Accounting, CWA or CA.

Minimum work experience of 10 years.

Proven experience of three to five years at senior management level within the finance department of a National/International NGO

Good understanding of financial systems and  procedures

Sound understanding of  the laws governing NGOs and INGOs

Past experience of building capacity of partner organizations in financial management and bookkeeping

Ability to prioritise and manage a workload comprising of complex, diverse tasks and responsibilities.

Ability to coach,  delegate work and manage performance of staff

Experience of managing complex donor requirements (EU, USAID etc)

Excellent Interpersonal skills and strong team player

Strong Computer literacy and expertise in accounting systems such as Banana, tally 9 and advanced Microsoft 365 knowledge (Teams, Sharepoint,  excel, power point, word)

Personality which is trustworthy and reliable

Attention to detail and precise work

Excellent verbal and written skills in English and Hindi. Desirable ability to speak and write in Marathi

Understanding of SWISSAIDs vision and mission and commitment to its values

APPOINTMENT:This is a full-time position and the initial contract will be offered for a period of three years.  

APPLICATION PROCESS: 

Eligible candidates interested in the position are requested to apply by 17th December 2024. Women are especially encouraged to apply for this position. The applications should include a recent resume and letter stating their interest in this position. The application should be emailed to jobs.swissaidindia@gmail.com.

About Company

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