The Finance Officer provides financial services ensuring high quality, accuracy, and consistency of financial report in accordance with CIFOR-ICRAF internal financial as well as donor guidelines. The accountant works in close collaboration with other team outside finance such as MSU, PMU, Country team and Research Themes of CIFOR-ICRAF, to exchange information and ensure timely service delivery. In addition, the Senior
Accountant ensure that strong internal controls are instituted in following CIFOR-ICRAF’s policies and procedures

Summary of responsibilities

Monitor Budget and Actual Expenses of restricted grants

• Maintain a complete record of all pertinent documents of each project and coordinate with other Finance Staff and various project leaders to ensure that the financial implementation adheres with all the other aspects of the project agreement.
• Collaborate with Project leaders and PMU to clarify financial issues, answer queries and give update on the financial and budget status of the project.
• Review and verify expenditures of restricted projects assigned to ensure adherence to budgetary and donor requirements.
• Liaise with the Program Management Unit (PMU) regarding the development of Letter of Agreement (LoA) with partner Institutions, project start-ups and set ups in Mytree and OCS, budget update and management in OCS and project tracking & closures

Annual Budget and rolling budget updates

• Collaborate with PMU regarding staff time allocation updated in OCS planner.
• Collaborate with PMU on budgets for partnerships, travel, supplies, consultants, publications, and other costs based on the availability of funds of on-going restricted projects.
• Review the overall annual budgets once posted in OCS by PMU of grants in assigned teams.

Requirements

• Bachelors degree in accounting with at least 5 years of relevant experience
• Experience in financial and accounting services
• Experience in project or cost accounting
• Fluent in written and spoken English
• Experience with an ERP, familiarity with Agresso Unit 4 and Vision XL is an advantage
• Strong computer skills in word processing, database and other relevant office applications.
• Strong analytical skills