Finance and Administration Officer WeForest Zambia Ltd

Employer – WeForest Zambia Ltd

Job Title – Finance and admin Officer

Location: Based at the WeForest office in Mpika, Muchinga Province. Work to focus in both Lavushi Manda and Mpika districts

About WeForest

WeForest is a fast growing international non-profit association with headquarters in Belgium and legal entities in France, USA, Ethiopia and Zambia. Our aim is to demonstrate, through the restoration of entire regions, that well planned tree planting and reforestation can be the solutions to today’s biggest challenge: climate change. The organization is promoting Forest Landscape Restoration (FLR) best practices, creating a movement, engaging the greatest brands and their millions of customers to act positively. Our activities are growing and the organization is urgently looking for an experienced profile to further capacitate its Zambian team, and drive the projects there to the highest standards.

The Muchinga Province

WeForest has been active around agroforestry and sustainable reforestation in Zambia since 2011, starting in Kitwe district, Copperbelt. Currently, six projects are running, two in the Copperbelt and four in Muchinga province.

The position available focusses on providing support to the 2 WeForest implemented projects in the province:

• The Mpumba CFA project, which is about to start in June 2022, aims to support three Community Forest Management Groups (CFMG) to manage their community forests (Mabonga, Mwenda and Kalonje)
• The HEARTH project, which started in March 2022 in partnership with Frankfurt Zoological Society aims to scale up beekeeping in Mukungule GMA to support CFMG’s and local households with sustainable forest friendly income sources.

WeForest is looking for a finance and admin officer to facilitate WeForest’s financial and admin work in the province, as well as to provide support and training to the local community based natural resource management (CBNRM) organisation with their finances and administration (CFMGs, etc). The works will initially focus on the HEARTH project and then expand to the Mpumba CFA project.

The finance and admin officer will be supervised by the WeForest Zambia Admin and finance manager, but report to and collaborate with the different project managers/coordinators on site

The Finance and admin Officer needs to be based in Mpika, with weekly visits to the different projects with offices in Mununga (Mpumba CFA project, 90km S of Mpika along the Greath North Road).

ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES

WeForest Finance and admin

1. Responsible for monitoring the financial progress of projects,such as evaluating the variance between budgeted and actual expenditures, and give advice on the remaining budget available.
2. Responsible for managing petty cash for all the different projects and their employees to ensure accurate and timely delivery of financial reports, including cash book management, and posting of transactions into the computer system accounting package.
3. Preparing and maintaining the Asset registers for the three projects and periodically review and prepare inventories of the assets
4. Prepare, examine, or analyse accounting records, financial statements, or other financial reports to assess accuracy, completeness, and conformance to International Financial Reporting Standards.
5. Manage financial controls, analyse office and project budgets.
6. Responsible for procurement of project goods and services approved by the different offices
7. Responsible for the administration of insurances, contracting and administrating services in accordance with the institution’s standards and policies.
8. Responsible for maintaining files containing important documents related of the society in soft and hard copy
9. Support the different project coordinators/managers in coordinating and facilitating all finance and administration tasks for each project
10. Assist the different project coordinators/managers with planning and implementing project activities
11. Assist with communication and reporting activities of the project
12. Support where possible, the field team in facilitating their work such as, but not limited to, data entry, data analysis, transportation of staff to field sites whenever the project driver is indisposed and assist in field activities whenever necessary.
13. Any other duties assigned by the project coordinators/managers
14. Assist the managers/coordinators with the day to day running of each WeForest office, ensuring that office requisites and equipment are in place for all staff to perform their duties.

CBNRM support with finance and admin

1. Together with the Lead Community officer play an active role in building local CBNRM organisations that have a strong governance and ownership
2. Guide and support CBNRM organisations to manage their finances and accounts, including cash book management, payroll, ledgers and other aspects of local financial management to ensure each CBNRM organisations adopts good practices in finance and account management and is able to deliver timely and accurate financial reports
3. Guid and support CBNRM organisations with good budget management and financial controls
4. Prepare, examine, or analyse accounting records, financial statements, or other financial reports from the CBNRM organisations to assess accuracy, completeness, and conformance to reporting and procedural standards
5. Assist the CBNRM organisations with procurement of project goods and services approved by the organisations
6. Assist the CBNRM organisations with preparation of financial reports
7. Assist the CBNRM organisations to manage their assets through periodically reviewing and preparing inventories of the assets
8. Assist the field staff with logistic arrangements for training and field work.

CANDIDATE PROFILE

a. Education:

• Minimum degree in Accounting/ZICA Licentiate, ACCA or equivalent
• A Degree in Business Administration will be an added advantage

b. Work experience and skills:

a. minimum 5 years relevant work experience in accounting and administration, with demonstrated experience in financially and administratively leading projects with large and multi-component budgets

b. Must be conversant with SAGE Evolution package and Savana system

c. Excellent communication and numerical skills

d. Competent with Microsoft Office applications, email and other relevant computer skills.

e. Previous experience with payroll management

f. Previous interaction with community based organisations and experience with training and local capacity building will be considered a plus

g. Exposure to and experience with the NGO sector is considered a plus

h. Clean and excellent track record and references

c. Language: Fluent in English (both speaking and writing) and Bemba/Bisa

d. Other requirements

a. Must be a registered member of ZICA
b. Driving license
c. Be willing to relocate and live in Mpika, Muchinga Province of Zambia
d. Flexible in terms of travelling

Terms & Conditions

Start date: May 2022

Duration of Contract: One year, renewable to a multi-year contract based upon performance

Salary: Level 2b. Remuneration based on experience.

Location: Based at the WeForest office in Mpika, Muchinga Province. Work to focus in both Lavushi Manda and Mpika districts.

Extras: Bonus of 5% based on performance, please note that there are no field allowances though this position is also expected to carry out fieldwork regularly (visits to the project offices). We do offer professional health insurance (Essential).

Hours of Work: Full-time, working a minimum of 8 hours per day and 4 hours on Saturday. Hours will however vary depending on project needs and flexibility is essential.

Reporting line: The finance and admin officer will work under the supervision of and report to the WeForest Zambia finance and admin manager and the managers/coordinators on site. There will be regular contacts with the Muchinga manager and the Country director.