Position Summary

Innovations for Poverty Action Liberia is seeking to hire highly motivated, qualified, and experienced Finance Officer to join our team. The Finance Officer plays a critical role in directly leading the financial processes within the office and supporting compliance requirements. They will work closely with country office management, research, and operations teams in Monrovia, reporting to the Associate Regional Director of Finance – West Africa (ARDF-WA) and Sierra Leone & Liberia Country Director. The specific responsibilities of the position are as follows: 

Responsibilities

Routine:

• Review and approve all transactions (except for those personally entered) in the Financial Management Information Systems (FMIS)  - Netsuite

• Process all financial requests (advances, bills etc.) in accordance with IPA Global and Liberia financial policies and statutory requirements

• Ensure timely monthly closure of financial books

• Work with the Shared Services team on monthly bank reconciliation and submission to the ARDF – WA for review by the fourth working day of the following month at the latest

• Work with the Shared Services team on monthly balance sheet reconciliations and submission to the ARDF – WA for review by the 5th working day of the following month at the latest

• Complete monthly data quality reports and submit them to the ARDF – WA for review by the sixth working day at the latest

• Work with HR on the processing of monthly payrolls

• Coordinate and process statutory payments (withholding taxes, pensions, etc.)

• Support the Operations Coordinator on other statutory requirements such as business registrations, NGO accreditation, etc.

• Process monthly nudgets and submit them to the ARDF – WA for review before the last working day of the month

• Manage the equipment rental accounts with the support of the Regional Associate IT Manager

• Train staff on financial policies or systems introduced by the ARDF- WA and/or the global team.

• Perform other duties that may be assigned by the ARDF – WA / CD

Non-Routine:

• Implement policies for internal control improvements introduced by the ARDF – WA and/or the global team

• Process all cost transfer requests for the country office and forward them for other related reviews

• Liaise with banks and other statutory organizations on financial issues 

• Meet with the project teams before field activities begin to discuss and align on their financial plans. 

• Lead external audits in the country through the support of the ARDF –WA

• Generate and send monthly pay slips to all locally paid staff

• Assist management during internal audits

• Onboard new staff on Finance policies

• Draw the attention of the ARDF –WA/CD to any potential fraudulent transactions

• Perform other non-routine tasks that may be assigned by the ARDF – WA  / CD

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, or related field;
• A minimum of two years of work experience as part of a global organization within a Finance/Accounting role
• Demonstrated advanced use of Excel
• Strong knowledge of local accounting policies
• Ability to communicate issues and thoughts clearly
• Process and control-oriented
• Ability to multitask and prioritize

Preferred

• Masters Degree or other post-graduate degree in accounting, finance, or related field 
• Demonstrated advanced use NetSuite or other accounting software is strongly preferred

Reports to

Associate Regional Director of Finance – West Africa

Desired Start Date

February 19th

Location

Monrovia, Liberia

Application Instructions

Click here to apply now 

About IPA

Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA) is a research and policy nonprofit that discovers and promotes effective solutions to global poverty problems. IPA brings together researchers and decision-makers to design, rigorously evaluate, and refine these solutions and their applications, ensuring that the evidence created is used to improve the lives of the world’s poor. In recent decades, trillions of dollars have been spent on programs designed to reduce global poverty, but clear evidence of which programs succeed is rare, and when evidence does exist, decision-makers often do not know about it. IPA exists to bring together leading researchers and these decision-makers to ensure that the evidence we create leads to a tangible impact on the world. Since its founding in 2002, IPA has worked with over 600 leading academics to conduct over 900 evaluations in 52 countries. This research has informed hundreds of successful programs that now impact millions of individuals worldwide.

IPA's Commitment to Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI) 

As an organization, IPA is dedicated to improving the lives of the world's most vulnerable populations through evidence and policy. We also recognize how important it is for our staff to reflect the diversity of the places where we work and the communities we work with. As such, IPA is committed to hiring from a diverse pool of candidates, from a range of backgrounds, beliefs, experiences, and perspectives. We know that this makes our work stronger and more responsive to the challenges faced by those we work with and for and we encourage people from historically underrepresented groups to apply. Click here to learn more about IPA’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Innovations for Poverty Action is an affirmative action-equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other protected class. IPA will endeavor to make a reasonable accommodation to a qualified applicant with a disability unless the accommodation would impose an undue hardship on the operation of our business. If you believe you require such assistance to complete this form or to participate in an interview, please contact us at jobs@poverty-action.org or via phone at 1-202-386-6200. The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of the work to be performed by the specified position. The statements are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all possible duties, tasks, and responsibilities. Management reserves the right to amend and change responsibilities to meet organizational needs as necessary. Please note that IPA will never request any form of payment from an applicant. Applicants are encouraged to confirm the information listed above with IPA prior to releasing any extensive personal information to the organization. Please direct questions to jobs@poverty-action.org. Please note that only qualified applicants will be contacted by the hiring manager.