Programme Administrative and Finance Assistant at Westminister Foundation for Democracy (WFD)

Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD) is an independent political foundation sponsored by the Foreign and Commonwealth (FCO) and the Department for International Development (DFID) specializing in parliamentary strengthening and political party development. It does this primarily by supporting the development of parliaments, political party structures and civil society organizations. It is uniquely placed to draw directly on the expertise of the Westminster political parties in all its work.

Established in 1992, WFD has supported transitions to democracy in central and Eastern Europe, strengthened multi-party democracies in Africa, and extended its work to Asia and Middle East and North Africa in recent years.In 2012, the organization celebrated its 20th anniversary a year in which it's set to greatly increase its role and impact as a world leader in supporting the development of democracy. For more information, please visit www.wfd.org

We are recruiting for the position of:

Job Position: Programme Administrative and Finance Assistant (PAFA)

Location: Abuja, Nigeria

Description
The Programme Administrative and Finance Assistant (PAFA) will play a critical role in assisting the Programme Manager in Nigeria with implementing the parliamentary strengthening programme in Nigeria.
This role is responsible for the accurate and efficient management of financial and administrative procedures and for ensuring excellent communication on, and co-ordination of,  these requirements with stakeholders (for example stakeholders in parliament, political parties, FCO, WFD colleagues in the UK and overseas).
Responsibilities

Financial administration:
Assist with the preparation of Programme budget.
Produce monthly expenditure report and monitor expenditure regularly with the budget lines
Prepare monthly programme reconciliation and forecast
Prepare quarterly financial report in line with donor requirements
Processing local income and expenditure and inputting all transactions onto SAGE online accounting system.
Process invoices and bills relating to the programme and in line with WFD policy
Day to day management of office petty cash and bank account.
Monthly bank reconciliations
Preparation of monthly accruals
Preparation and analysis of local cash flow – Funds cash requests to WFD headquarters
Administrative Support / Office Management:
Liaise with programme suppliers and service providers, as required.
Apply the procurement process consistent with company policy.
Draft meeting agenda, records and distributes meeting minutes and takes forward action points.
Ensure documents and files are accessible and properly filed.
Order office stationery and supplies, as necessary.
Act as point of contact for the WFD office in Nigeria.
Maintain the office asset register.
Responsible for the correct functioning of the office equipment.
Logistical Support:
Provide logistical support to programme activities including booking venues, booking flights, transport, accommodation and organise catering etc.
Work closely with the London office to provide support for visits to the UK
Assist the Programme Manager during events to ensure activities run smoothly.
Help organise meetings for Programme Manager and other programme stakeholders, as necessary.
Assist in maintaining contact with key players, including donors and implementing agencies working in the same field.
Qualifications and Skills
A degree or similar, in a relevant discipline for eg. business studies, office administration, project administration, accountancy or bookkeeping
Experience of, and excellent abilities in, financial administration including management of cash flows, balance sheets, sizeable budgets (planning, monitoring and reporting)
At least two years’ experience in a similar role, in a similar type of organisation (preferably an NGO or international representative office environment)
High levels of proficiency in Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Databases and experience of using accounting packages eg. SAGE
Excellent English written and oral communications skills necessary to prepare financial analysis and reports
Ability to communicate both written and oral in another international language – notably French
Excellent organisational skills and the ability to work  in a changing environment
Knowledge and experience of the procurement processes
Demonstrates good use of hardware, software, scanners and other office equipment
Knowledge of the Westminster Parliamentary system and Political Parties, UK and international funding institutions and donor agencies.
Key Competencies:

Analysis and Judgement
Attentive to detail, understands the importance of gathering and processing information accurately.  Develops systems to gather data needed by the business
Working with Others
Recognises that other teams, organisations and communities have different ways of doing things, takes time to understand these and to establish shared understanding and goals. Seeks advice and ideas from others and proactively shares information and learning
Communicating and Influencing
Anticipates the needs and concerns of partners and prepares to address these.  Tailors communications (written, verbal, presentations) to the audience and designs communication for impact.
Delivering Results
Tackles difficult problems, seeks to understand the reason for obstacles and takes personal responsibility for finding solutions. Asks questions to clarify expectations and to agree goals.
Application Closing Date
12th April, 2013

Method of Application
Interested and qualified candidates should click here to download the wfd Application Form. The filled wfd application form should be forwarded to: recruitment@wfd.org Please click here to access/download the guidance notes to assist you during the application process.