Guided by the remarkable legacy of its co-founder, Helen Keller, Helen Keller Intl partners with communities striving to overcome longstanding cycles of poverty. By delivering the essential building blocks of good health, sound nutrition and clear vision, we help millions of people create lasting change in their own lives. Working in more than 20 countries – across Africa, Asia, Europe and the United States – and together with a global community of supporters, we are ensuring every person has the opportunity – as Helen did – to reach their true potential.

We are currently seeking a Finance Officer in Senegal to join the country office finance team and have a role in all aspects of the finance function and to facilitate the integration between accounting, finance, and program staff towards the common goal of ensuring that project objectives are met.


Functional Relationships
Helen Keller has a matrixed reporting structure. The Finance Officer reports directly to the Finance Director. Regular communication and a spirit of teamwork among colleagues, both hierarchically and laterally, are essential to make this structure thrive.
Scope of the Position: The Finance Officer’s overall responsibility is to support the finance functions for Helen Keller Int’l Senegal. The Finance Officer’s responsibilities include internal control, accounting database management, reconciliation and verification of payment, budget and treasury and cash management functions.


Specific Responsibilities
Accounting and General Ledger Management
• Review payment vouchers to ensure completeness and accuracy of documentation
• Coordinate timely preparation of payments, record transactions, bank reconciliations,
• Support Finance Director with preparation of month end financial package.
• Ensure that all processes and deadlines are in compliance with Helen Keller Intl’ and donor requirements
• Prepare monthly wire transfer requests
• Monitor and keep current knowledge of Government of Senegal regulations that affect operations including taxes and other statutory requirements and escalate as needed
• Participate in preparation of project internal, external and donor audits
• Assist in preparation of financial statements
• Review procurement related documents to ensure compliance with policies, SoPs and procedures. Represent finance team in procurement meetings, as needed
• Support management and tracking of sub-grants
• Ensure timely processing of payment to vendors, suppliers and beneficiaries in respect with the account payable SoP
• Ensure that filing systems and archiving of financial electronic records are maintained in the SharePoint database.


Budget and Grants Management
• Maintain a complete financial knowledge of the portfolio of awards in the country office.
• Assist in the preparation and analysis of the annual and mid-term budget of the country office, as well as re-forecasts, as needed.
• Prepare and analyze the monthly Budget Vs Actuals (BvA) reports; regularly update spending plans in collaboration with the
• Finance Director and the Program Manager
• Assist in preparing donor budgets and donor reports
• Participate in and contribute to grant opening and closing meetings


Qualifications
• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, Professional experience of at least height (8) years with at least five (05) years in a similar position, preferably in an international NGO, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Demonstrated knowledge of and ability to use basic accounting principles.
• Organized, detail-oriented individual with strong quantitative and analytical skills
• Demonstrated knowledge of accounting and spreadsheet software, familiarity with ERP system NetSuite, eager to learn new software.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills. Ability to communicate effectively across cultures and to communicate complex information to colleagues with less knowledge.
• Ability to prioritize workload, assume responsibility for work, and follow through to completion.
• Strong motivation for working in a non-profit environment.
• Experience in a multi-national organization and/or the non-profit sector
• Good oral and written English and French language skills as a strong plus, including the ability to clearly communicate complex financial, compliance and operational issues into layperson language.
• Collaborative, flexible and solution oriented. Ability to work under pressure, maintain balance when under stress and meet strict internal and donor deadlines.
• Demonstrable respect for all persons regardless of religion, ethnicity, class, or gender, with a high comfort level working in a diverse environment with a demonstrated commitment to high professional ethical standards.
• Personal commitment to Helen Keller’s mission and goals and the values embodied by Helen Keller Intl’s co-founder, Helen Keller: compassion, grit, rigor, and optimism.