Administration-Finance Coordinator, Venezuela, 100%

HEKS/EPER, Swiss Church Aid, supports projects to combat hunger, poverty and injustice in more than 30 countries on four continents. HEKS/EPER also provides humanitarian aid worldwide for victims of natural disasters and armed conflicts and supports the Church’s diaconal work in Eastern Europe and the Middle East. In Switzerland, HEKS/EPER defends the rights and causes of refugees and socially disadvantaged people. Through its development and social policy work in the areas of climate justice, access to land and food, migration and integration, HEKS/EPER strives for systemic change, both globally and in Switzerland.

Throughout 2020 and 2021, HEKS has been developing its presence in Venezuela, from the exploratory mission in October 2019 to our current presence, with an office in Caracas and another in Guasdualito, Apure State. So far, HEKS works mainly in the areas of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) and Food Security. The organization aims to further develop the good implementation and management of its livelihoods and food security activities in the mission in Venezuela.

To support the Country Director, as of 1 December 2022, we are looking for a

Administration-Finance Coordinator, Venezuela, 100%

Proposals and reporting

• You prepare budgets for proposals, in coordination with the Country Director and the rest of the team, as well as other administrative and logistical aspects: procurement plan, definition of human resources needs, security plan, etc.
• You contribute to proposal writing as required and you bring knowledge to implement donor requirements.
• You write both internal and external reports (for donors or other counterparts, as required), according to the established schedule and following the corresponding formats
• You review and validate financial, administrative and logistical reports from counterparts in accordance with the respective agreement.

Institutional Donors (SDC, UNICEF, OCHA, etc.)

• You manage institutional donors’ contracts according to their rules
• You prepare and monitor institutional donors’ compliance processes
• Under the direction of the Country Director you participate in the implementation of the recommendations of these donors.

Programme implementation

• You monitor monthly budget of all ongoing projects and delegate when necessary to local managers
• You monitor activities and consistency between activities and budget expenditure, as well as expenditure forecasting in collaboration with project managers.
• You manage and supervise external consultants
• You supervise procurement operations, you check, review and forwarding dossier to HQ according to HEKS procedures.

Country Office Management

• You maintain the office administrative and financial system in compliance with all HEKS/EPER policies and procedures, but mainly with the Field Financial and Administrative Guidelines (FFAG)
• You manage the account management and maintain a computerized accounting system.
• You review, approve and pay invoices and payroll monthly for accounting purposes.
• You ensure that all financial transactions in the country office are as low-risk as possible

Training

• Based on periodic training needs assessment, compile a mission-wide training plan and submit to Country Director for review. Planning of resources and procedures required for implementation
• You capitalize training sessions

Identification and training of National Coordinator

• You search for and identify a candidate as National Coordinator, with the objective of handing over the position within a maximum of six months
• You train and supervise the selected candidate, in a handover programme defined with the Country Director
• You supervise the selected candidate

Training and experience

• University degree in economics, finance or similar field
• At least three years of experience in a finance function in an international NGO or non-profit organization
• Demonstrated ability in budgeting, cash flow forecasting, financial analysis and monitoring
• Excellent knowledge of all relevant national and international accounting standards
• Demonstrated ability to provide support, guidance and training to internal and external stakeholders
• Previous work experience in monitoring and generating financial reports for internationally funded tenders and mandates
• Experience in logistics, in particular knowledge of standards applicable to procurement procedures
• Experience in human resources management

Additional specialized skills required

• Fluent English and Spanish, both spoken and written
• Excellent computer and IT skills (in particular Microsoft Excel and accounting software)

Personal skills / psycho-social requirements

• Excellent analytical and conceptualization skills
• Orientation to work towards objectives. Ability to work flexibly, and to develop and adapt to multiple tasks at the same time
• Good communication skills and conversational command of English (spoken and written)
• Ability to work in complex environments and to ensure that internal and external stakeholders meet deadlines (good prioritization and time management skills)
• Ability to ensure that internal and external stakeholders understand and properly comply with HEKS/EPER procedures and guidelines
• Diligent and reliable person with appropriate attention to detail
• Excellent team player and social skills
• Willingness to travel locally and nationally
• Professional, cooperative, efficient and effective work attitude
• Ability to work under pressure, with deadlines
• Ability to work autonomously
• Excellent planning and organizational skills. Must be able to predict risks and propose alternative solutions

CONTRACTUAL CONDITIONS

• Contract for the provision of services for six months (renewable)
• An opportunity to make a difference in this world
• Fees according to HEKS remuneration tables
• Including medical follow-up
• Place of work City Caracas – Venezuela (100% face-to-face work)