Job Title:  Finance Officer

Organisation: World Education

Duty Station: Kampala, Uganda

About Organisation:

World Education, a division of JSI Research & Training Institute, Inc. (JSI/WE) is dedicated to improving people’s lives around the world through greater heath,  education and socioeconomic equity for individuals and communities, and to providing an environment where people of passion can pursue this cause.

Job Summary:   JSI/WE is seeking a Finance Officer for a five-year USAID funded Targeting the Learning Crisis (TLC) Activity in Uganda, which aims to create sustained, measurable improvements in development outcomes in Basic Education through Targeted Instruction for foundational skills, a learner-centric pedagogy that reorganizes math and reading instruction based on children’s actual learning levels, rather than on the prescribed grade-level syllabus. The Activity seeks to implement cost-effective, sustainable, and impactful programming, centered around Targeted Instruction pedagogy for P3-P5, Targeted Instruction and other evidence-based approaches for P1-P2, and evidence-based early childhood education for pre-primary years, in order to significantly improve math and reading learning outcomes for Ugandan primary students. Reporting to the Accountant, the Finance Officer is a full-time position based in Kampala.

S/he will support in the preparation of timely financial reports, implementation of a strong internal control system as well as ensuring compliance with USAID and JSI/WE regulations. The Finance Officer will be responsible for the day-to-day management of the project’s financial records, payments, and receipts.

Key Duties and Responsibilities: 

• Provide supervisory line management and technical guidance to the Accounts Assistant supporting the Finance Officer and be responsible for his/her performance.
• Review all field expenses and vouchers according to JSI/WE documentation requirements and USAID requirements;
• Ensure advances issued out to staff are kept at a minimum; and reconciled timely;
• Receive and review travel advance requests as necessary before travel in a timely manner.
• Maintaining a system of tracking of all accounts receivable including Advances;
• Review accountabilities from staff more especially, enter them in Quick books and ensure that all funds unspent are refunded to project account.
• Review vendor invoices from procurement and ensure all support documents are fully attached before any payment is affected.
• Work closely with Accountant and ensure timely preparation and processing of payments by ensuring all payments are reasonable, allowable, and allocable to the project.
• Support review of financial reports and documentation from sub grantees as needed, under the direction of Finance and Administration Manager.
• Work closely with the sub award team to ensure that sub grantee accountabilities and reconciliations are properly documented and journalized in QBs.
• Prepare journals for accountabilities, deposit journals, general journals and forward them for approval.ie General Journals include (i) Reclassification journals, (ii) Correction Journals etc
• Assisting in answering exceptions from review of finance documents by HQ.
• Reviewing of scanned documents before they are sent to HQ by the Finance & Administration Manager.
• Together with the finance team, ensure that all costs in the project adhere to USAID JSI/WE regulations, and are allowable, reasonable and allocable.
• Assist with the maintenance of a proper filing system for all financial reports, field wire requests, bank reconciliations; field accounts review certifications and other finance documentation.
• Assist in gathering information and documentation required in preparing foreign tax reports (VAT).
• Work closely with the finance team in preparing monthly financial reports for timely submission to home office.
• Ensure that in your line of duty, you are aware of child safeguarding principles and guidelines and apply it in your day-to-day roles as you interact with communities and children.
• Ensure promotion of safe child practices and mitigation, prevention and reporting of violations of children to ensure compliance; and
• Carry out other tasks as assigned by your supervisor or designee.

• University degree in a relevant field, such as accounting, finance or business management;
• CPA or professional training in ACCA is an added advantage.
• Three (3) years of experience working in finance/accounting (e.g. Assistant/Junior Accountant), preferably with donor funded projects;
• Good skills in Microsoft Word, Excel;
• Experience working with accounting software preferred;
• Good communications and interpersonal skills;
• Ability to work as part of a team;
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision;
• Knowledge of USAID rules and regulations and past international development sector experience are preferred.