Save the Children is the leading independent organization for children in need, with programs in over 120 countries. We save children’s lives. We fight for their rights. We help them fulfil their potential. Save the Children is working in Nigeria because one in five children in Nigeria dies before their fifth birthday. About 40% of children miss out on school and have to work to survive while nearly 2 million children have lost one or both parents to an AIDS-related disease.

We are recruiting to fill the position below

Job Title: Capacity strengthening Expert – Financial Management

Job Identification: 4316
Locations: Borno, Adamawa, Katsina & Ogoja – Cross River
Team/Programme: Operations (Localisation)
Grade: Consultancy
Contract Length: 3 months
Job Category: Programme Operations

Child Safeguarding

• Level 3:  the post holder will have contact with children and/or young people either frequently (e.g. once a week or more) or intensively (e.g. four days in one month or more or overnight) because they work country programs; or are visiting country programs; or because they are responsible for implementing the police checking/vetting process staff

Purpose of the Consultancy

• The Capacity Strengthening consultants will provide a tailor-made capacity strengthening support to community-based, local, and national organisations around Save the Children Nigeria’s areas of operation in Borno, Adamawa, Katsina and Ogoja.
• The consultants will lead mentorship, coaching, training (in-person and virtual) sessions as well as support selected organisations to train, develop policies, strategies and processes that will enable an enhanced finance management capacity.
• He/she/they will ensure that outlined capacity strengthening gaps are improved using different capacity strengthening methods which must be integrated during the period of the engagement.

Scope of the Role

• The role is expected deliver the capacity strengthening initiative of Save the Children as part of enhancing technical and organisational capacity strengthening support to prospective local and national actors, in line with its localisation strategy.
• Experts will lead one-on-one training; mentorship supports and develop relevant policies and procedures of L/N organisations towards strengthening their financial management and other internal control capacities.

Mode of engagement:

• The consultants shall be seconded to an in-situ/in-person mentorship, training and coaching based on agreed specific days (however, twice a week) with selected CSOs.

Duration of the Engagement:

• Twice a week (12-16 days between November and December).

Reports To:

• Localisation and Civil Society Specialist

Staff reporting to this Post:

• No direct reports but expected to provide training, coaching and mentoring support to selected local and national organisations.

Capacity strengthening methods:

• Technical trainings
• Mentoring & coaching
• Reporting
• Joint Field Visit
• On-the-job-training
• Follow up on actions related to capacity strengthening

Key Deliverables

• Develop and share work plan for the period of engagement
• Support selected organisations to develop annual budgets and cash flow forecast.
• Support org. to develop chart of accounts.
• Train staff on Financial Management.
• Set-up approval thresholds and scheme of delegation for the organisations
• Jointly develop an indirect cost sharing system or policy.
• Train staff on adequate supporting documentation while treating different transactions.
• Train finance staff on excel accounting or software like Quick-Books
• Support orgs. to introduce & train org. on petty cash
• Support and encourage financial reports to be developed monthly/quarterly and shared with budget holders.
• Enhance org’s skills on financial reconciliation practice.
• Develop engagement process of external auditors.
• Deliver other tasks as may be required.

Expected Results:
The consultants are expected to deliver on the below actions:

• Final report
• Support organisations to introduce and develop charts of account, petty cash, annual budget,
• Support organisations to develop approval thresholds/scheme of delegation.
• Where applicable, review and update finance manual/policy for the organisations
• Train & mentor finance and relevant teams on:
• Use of petty cash
• Accounting software or accounting excel.
• Approval thresholds
• Financial reconciliations

Qualifications

• Master’s Degree in Social Sciences, Development, Organizational Leadership or any relevant field.
• Extensive and substantive relevant practical experience and certifications may be considered in lieu of a master’s degree.

Experience & Skills:

• B.Sc or M.Sc. in Accounting or Business Management
• A holder of ICAN, ANAN or other finance certifications
• Relevant experience in similar field with an international or local NGO
• Previous experience in strengthening capacity of organisations in similar area, through consultancy or fixed term.
• Demonstrable experience and success in delivering similar support in the Ogoja, Katsina, Borno, Yobe or Adamawa in Nigeria.
• Excellent facilitation and mentorship skills
• Committed to the Grand Bargain 2.0 localisation.
• Excellent interpersonal communication skills including experience in facilitation of pieces of training/workshops and presentations as well as report writing.
• Excellent communication and writing skills in English is mandatory; local language skills especially will be an asset.

Behaviours (Values in Practice):
Accountability:

• Holds self-accountable for making decisions, managing resources efficiently, achieving and role modelling Save the Children values.
• Holds the team and partners accountable to deliver on their responsibilities – giving them the freedom to deliver in the best way they see fit, providing the necessary development to improve performance, and applying appropriate consequences when results are not achieved.

Ambition:

• Sets ambitious and challenging goals for themselves and their team, takes responsibility for their own personal development and encourages their team to do the same.
• Widely shares their personal vision for Save the Children, engages and motivates others.
• Future orientated, thinks strategically and on a global scale.

Collaboration:

• Builds and maintains effective relationships, with their team, colleagues, Members and external partners and supporters.
• Values diversity, sees it as a source of competitive strength.
• Approachable, good listener, easy to talk to.

Creativity:

• Develops and encourages new and innovative solutions.
• Willing to take disciplined risks.

Integrity:

• Honest, encourages openness and transparency; demonstrates highest levels of integrity.

Additional Job Responsibilities:

• The duties and responsibilities as set out above are not exhaustive and the role holder may be required to carry out additional duties within reasonableness of their level of skills and experience.

Equal Opportunities:

• The role holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with the SCI Equal Opportunities and Diversity policies and procedures.

Child Safeguarding:

• We need to keep children safe so our selection process, which includes rigorous background checks, reflects our commitment to the protection of children from abuse.

Safeguarding our Staff:

• The post holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with the SCI anti-harassment policy

Health and Safety:

• The role holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with SCI Health and Safety policies and procedures.

Application Closing Date

20th November, 2023.