STAR-Ghana Foundation (SGF) is a national center for Active Citizenship and Local Philanthropy. Its approach to achieving its mission is to act as Convener, Catalyst and Coordinator of civil society actions towards systemicand transformational change in Ghana and to harness learning for continuous improvement and innovation. Our vision is to see a well-informed and active Ghanaian citizenry able to contribute to transformational change that advances democracy, accountability and social inclusion.

Background

There are growing fears of insecurity, arising from a mix of internal factors and external threats of spillover and infiltration of violent extremism. Particularly for Northern Ghana, which shares very porous borders with neighbouring countries currently battling violent extremism and its impacts, the vulnerabilities to radicalization and violent extremism are higher. These vulnerabilities are worsened by a combination of internal factors such as high poverty and unemployment rates, existing local conflicts, and the influx of refugees from neighbouring countries such as Burkina Faso to some border communities in Northern Ghana to seek refuge and escape from attacks in their places of origin. As a result, the resilience of these border communities in Northern Ghana is threatened, making vulnerable populations in these communities more susceptible to radicalization and violent extremism.

One of the projects STAR-Ghana Foundation is implementing under the Peace and Security programme area is the Building Resilience Against Violent Extremism (BRAVE) in Vulnerable Communitiesproject. The project aims to contribute to strengthening the resilience and capacities of vulnerable communities and populations to prevent and counter violent extremism and terrorism in selected communities and districts in the Upper-East and Upper-West regions. The Project Officer and Project Finance Officerroles will support the implementation of the BRAVE project which will be implemented over a one-year duration from December 2023 to November 2024 with the possibility of an extension.

Job Title 2: Finance Officer

Purpose of the Finance Officer Role

Under the direct supervision of the Head of Finance, the Finance Officer performs a variety of accounting functions required to ensure all financial transactions are carried out and recorded with integrity and in compliance with the donor and STAR-Ghana’s policies and procedures. The Finance Officer is accountable for monitoring and maintaining the project’s records, including project contracts/consultant/grants/service contract, activity plan and ensuring that all related supporting document are collected and paid accordingly.

Duties of the Finance Officer

• Maintain accurate records of all transactions, data input to QuickBooks with proper budget line and filing of hard copies of related transactions.
• Preparation of payment vouchers; including the writing of cheques, preparation of bank transfer instructions and e-payment processing
• Ensure that monthly project accounts and financial returns are produced and submitted accurately and timely.
• Support to ensure effective budget management by producing timely variance reports.
• Assist the finance workstream in meeting financial requirements including project budget tracking, monthly project account and bank reconciliation
• Ensure that requests follow donor financial policies and procedures
• Provide support for internal, external and donor audits and any audit recommendations dealt with in collaboration with the Head of Finance.
• Assist in the preparation of budgets, account balance management, tax remittance, tax return compilation and activity budget reviews.
• Ensure a proper documentation and filing (soft & hard copies) of all payment requests and vouchers; including expense reports, withholding tax records, travel and other advance reports
• Make recommendations to improve the general financial management, financial controls, policies, and workflow processes.

Qualification Required & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in finance and accounting, business administration, business management or relevant fields•
• At least 3 years of relevant experience, particularly with a national level civil society organisation or a donor project/programme.
• Knowledge of local finance and accounting system, standards, and practices
• Part professional qualifications (ICA, CIMA, ACCA, etc) would be an added advantage

Location: Accra