Finance Officer

Background

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) coordinates effective and principled humanitarian response and ensures that relief assistance reaches the people in need in a timely manner. OCHA-managed Somalia Humanitarian Fund (SHF) is a multi-donor country-based pooled mechanism created in 2010 to allocate funding for the most urgent life-saving interventions in Somalia. Combining flexibility and strategic focus, the Fund ensures timely allocation and disbursement of resources, enables effective humanitarian action, and strengthens coordination.

The Associate Finance Officer - communication, under the guidance of the Head, Humanitarian Financing Unit (HFU), and direct supervision of the SHF Finance Officer, participates in the overall implementation of the SHF Accountability Framework and works in close collaboration with the HFU and other OCHA Somalia staff, as well as cluster coordination staff. He/she is expected to travel extensively to the SHF project locations within Somalia to assist with the implementation of the SHF Accountability Framework as well as provide support in communications and external relations activities of the SHF.

Duties and Responsibilities

1) Provide support in the allocation and financial management processes of the Somalia Humanitarian Fund (SHF)

• Review and advise on the clearance of the project budgets and grant agreements;
• Review and advise on budget amendments or no-cost extension requests;
• Regular follow-up with IP to obtain financial reports;
• Review of interim and final financial reports and supporting documents to ensure compliance with the signed SHF agreements, budgets and guidelines;
• Follow up on disbursement of funds and refund of balances from partners; 
• Review of grant agreements and supporting documents to ensure accuracy, consistency, reasonableness, compliance with the United Nations Financial Rules and Regulations (UNFRR) and the Country-based Pooled Funds (CBPF) Guidelines;
• Receipt & review of audit reports from contractors and ensure projects records are updated as necessary.

2) Provide support in implementing the financial aspects of the SHF Accountability Framework

• Conduct financial spot-checks in line with the SHF operational modalities;
• Facilitate and provide support during audits, at the project and fund level, as requested, including assistance with vendor contracting, supporting the planning process and assisting in the follow-up of critical audit findings;
• Liaise with partners, SHF/HFU staff and other third parties in verifying expenditure supporting documents during spot-checks, review of financial reports, capacity assessments and audits;