Organization Background

Plan International is an independent development and humanitarian non-governmental organization that advances children’s rights and equality for girls. We believe in the power and potential of every child. But this is often suppressed by poverty, violence, exclusion and discrimination. And its girls who are most affected. Working together with children, young people, our supporters and partners, we strive for a just world, tackling the root causes of the challenges facing girls and all vulnerable children. We support children’s rights from birth until they reach adulthood. And we enable children to prepare for – and respond to – crises and adversity. We drive changes in practice and policy at local, national and global levels using our reach, experience and knowledge. We have been building powerful partnerships for children for 80 years, and are now active in more than 70 countries.

Working in Zambia since 1996, Plan International Zambia’s development and humanitarian programmes focus primarily on Inclusive Quality Education, Skills and Opportunities for Youth Employment and Entrepreneurship, Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights, Early Childhood Development and Gender Responsive Child Protection. Child protection is key in all that we do. Plan International Zambia has Programme Areas (PAs) in; Central, Luapula, and Eastern Provinces including in Lusaka, where the Country Office is located.

Location: Luapula Program Area, Mansa

Reports to: Head of Operations/Area Program Manager

Grade: C2

Closing Date: 24th April 2023

Position Description:

The purpose of Finance and Administration Coordinator is to coordinate payment processes, programme funding and budgeting and managing office petty cash, proper allocation of office supplies, up-to-date general maintenance of offices and conducting related administrative activities.

The incumbent will be reporting to the Head of Operations with a dotted line to the Program Area Manager.

Responsibilities:

• Manage Cash Advances.
• Ensure disbursement and receipt of cash resource.
• Conduct petty cash counts by carrying out spot checks on the custodian of all cash.
• Supervise receipting of all income by Finance Officer and ensure entry into system for accountability purposes.
• Ensure all assets are accounted for and are in correct working order at all times.
• Supervise and appraise subordinates to ensure they work as per the plan.
• Ensure funds are used for intended purposes by ensuring that the non-approved activities are not implemented this allows for accountability in the preparation, review, consolidation and submission of correct and complete PA financial reports.
• Review program documents and payments and take responsibility for approval of all financial transactions.
• Submit Bi weekly Cash request to Country Office.
• Strengthen the PA procurement function through team building, providing leadership and timely clarifications on finance and procurement issues.
• Follow up and monitor the progress of internal control audit recommendations.
• Provide effective and efficient financial and accounting support in the PA project implementation, monitoring and evaluation.
• Facilitate enhancement of capacities of PA team and communities in financial accounting.
• Responsible for General Ledger (SAP) Accounting system and ensure period end processes and procedures are done to meet the country office deadlines.
• Manage Budgets and conduct budget analysis against actual expenditure.
• Analysis of budget utilization on activity lines.
• Ensure budget processes and targets are properly documented, coordinated and monitored regularly through use of corporate systems.
• Monitor and identify risk factors for payees (suppliers and beneficiaries) to ensure that they uphold child protection.
• Plan field Visits to asses utilization of fund.
• Identify key risks within area of operation and put in appropriate control measures to manage them.
• Understands and puts into practice the responsibilities under Safeguarding and GEI policies and Plan International’s Code of Conduct (CoC), ensuring that concerns are reported and managed in accordance with the appropriate procedures.
• Ensures that all staff in the unit/ function/ department are properly inducted on and understands their role in upholding Plan International’s safeguarding and GEI policies.

Qualifications and Experience:

• A Higher National Diploma in Accounting, Business Studies, part ACCA or CIMA or other equivalent qualifications
• A minimum of 2 years works related experience in similar role
• Membership with ZICA
• Experience with handling finances and building capacity for teams to deliver.
• Financial experience in development sector

Competencies:

• In-depth knowledge of finance processes, systems and principles
• Experienced and knowledgeable in Grants management
• Good Knowledge of major donors’ compliance requirements
• Proven knowledge of ability to support program teams during budgeting and reporting
• Excellent analytical and critical thinking skills, including ability to find, absorb, analyze and prioritize information from many different sources
• Flexibility and adaptability
• Plan work, anticipate risks, and set goals within area of responsibility
• Team player with problem solving skills
• Good inter-personal skills and ability to work in multi-national, multi-cultural teams
• Ability to help teams think through an issue, prioritize and implement activities, and monitor and measure outcomes
• Ambitious, realistic and action oriented.

Plan International provides equal employment opportunities to qualified and experienced women and men, Women are especially encouraged to apply.

We want Plan International to reflect the diversity of the communities we work with, offering equal opportunities to everyone regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation.

Plan International believes that in a world where children face so many threats of harm, it is our duty to ensure that we, as an organisation, do everything we can to keep children safe. This means that we have particular responsibilities to children that we come into contact with and we must not contribute in any way to harming or placing children at risk.

A range of pre-employment checks will be undertaken in conformity with Plan International’s Safeguarding Children and Young People policy. Plan International also participates in the Inter Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. In line with this scheme we will request information from applicants previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment during employment, or incidents under investigation when the applicant left employment. By submitting an application, the job applicant confirms their understanding of these recruitment procedures.

Early application is encouraged as we will review applications throughout the advertising period and reserve the right to close the advert early.

Please note that Plan International will never send unsolicited emails requesting payment from candidates.