Concern Worldwide is a non-governmental, international, humanitarian organization dedicated to the reduction of suffering and working towards the ultimate elimination of extreme poverty in the world’s poorest countries. Currently, Concern has been working in Afghanistan since 1998, when it responded to an earthquake disaster in Takhar province. Currently Concern has been working in Takhar, Kunduz and Badakhshan provinces undertaking both emergency response and long term developmental work in the areas of livelihood security, primary education and Water, Sanitation and Hygiene. This year, Concern is expanding its programming to nutrition.    

Main duties & responsibilities:

Responsibilities:

• Ensuring proactive participation from Finance Team during partner selection process so that financial issues are properly taken into account when selecting suitable partners.
• Ensuring the partner NGOs assessment tools are regularly reviewed and updated to support transparent and effective selection processes.
• Ensuring assessment tools are properly used and accurately completed by assessment team to enable a sound basis for selecting financially capable partners.
• Ensuring complete documentation is maintained, including any identified areas for development for future reference and as a basis for future support plan. 

• Ensuring the development and regular updating of comprehensive partner NGOs financial policies incorporating best financial practice, and ensuring donor requirements are adequately addressed.
• Ensuring development of clear and effective templates for partner support and financial monitoring and reporting are in place and all users understand them and are able to use them for the intended purposes.
• Ensuring clear understanding on the partnership policy and reporting framework within the partners support team so that they can assist managers and programme staff to fulfil financial reporting and monitoring responsibilities.
• Ensure development of an efficient payment process to ensure funds required by partners are received on a timely basis to ensure smooth programme implementation.
• Ensuring that both parties have access to, understand and agree with the basic financial requirements and procedures from Concern and the donor to be complied with before the partnership agreement is finalised.
• Ensuring that any donor requirements are specifically highlighted in the partner’s financial agreement and reporting and ensure that partner fully understands the importance and agrees to comply with the donor’s requirement from the outset of the partnership.
• Ensuring proper orientation for new partners, including facilitation of introductory workshop with the partner to clarify financial procedures and reporting requirement to enable smooth financial operations subsequently.
• Ensuring the Concern’s manager have a good understanding of the basic financial guidelines for partners and agreed reporting requirements, through providing training and ad hoc guidance to programme staff across the organisation.
• Proactively ensuring the preparation of a periodic development and support plan using suitable tools to identify partner support and development needs; ensuring agreement with the respective Concern project staff and partner NGOs.
• Providing regular support and assistance through frequent field visits, training and other mechanisms, to ensure compliance by the partner organisations with relevant financial policies (partners own, agreed with Concern and donor’s rules) as well as government regulations.
• Providing assistance to establish a standard financial record keeping system and documentation process to ensure a complete audit trail for transparency and accountability.
• Working with partners to ensure they are capable to prepare realistic budget, monitor actual expenses, clarify any variances and negotiate for revision in case of programme need.
• Ensuring that partners understand and implement the reporting requirements, templates etc and adhere to deadlines accordingly.
• Working with programme teams and partner staff to ensure any audit findings are addressed properly and there is a clear progress to implement the action plan.

Emergency/ Humanitarian &  Core Humanitarian Standards (CHS):

• Concern is committed to CHS to ensure downward accountability. CHS standards guide Concern activities in all stages both emergency and development projects /programs. In Afghanistan, we also bounded our activities by Accountability framework and therefore any Afghanistan employees is responsible to comply with CHS principles and benchmarks as instructed by its policies and therefore make sure that all accept and implement CHS standards in all our activities. 
• To give full support in relation to emergencies/ humanitarian operations when occurring in any area that Concern Afghanistan will respond. This can include but is not limited to participation in the Concern Afghanistan Rapid Deployment Unit (CARDU) and deployment on emergency response teams.

Qualification and experience: 

• Bachelor degree in the areas of business administration, accounting or finance
• At least three years of experience working in a finance, accounting or audit function, preferably with an I/NGO
• Experience in partnership and project financial management in I/NGO
• Experience in working with Community-Based organizations  
• Must be computer literate with a comprehensive knowledge of MS, Excel & accounts packages

Professional Skills, competencies and qualities:

• Willingness to travel to field sites on a regular basis
• Effective communication skills
• Ability to collaborate effectively with internal and external stakeholders and partners
• Good written/verbal command over English language
• Ability to work independently on own initiative, to structure and assign specific tasks, set priorities and meet deadlines
• Skills in time management and ability to work under pressure

Ability and willingness to work as part of a multi-cultural team

Applications should be written in English and demonstrate the applicants suitability for the job. A current Curriculum Vita and three referee’s reports should be included in the application. In the first instance, applications should be submitted to Concern World Wide- Afghanistan offices in Taloqan marked to the attention of the Human Resources Department. And / or to any other Concern offices in, Faizabad, Yawan, Chahab, Kunduz and Kabul (Shari now ,5^th Street House 1117 Qala - e - Fatullah) or through this email address: afghanistan.hr@concern.net 

Subject line must be (821/2024- Finance Officer-Partnerships) or your application may not be considered.   

Closing Date: 4 April 2024