Finance Officer

Search for Common Ground (Search) is an international non-profit organization that promotes the peaceful transformation of conflict. With headquarters in Washington, DC and Brussels, Belgium, Search’s mission is to transform how individuals, organizations, and governments deal with conflict—moving away from destructive approaches and towards cooperative solutions. With more than 700 staff worldwide, Search implements projects in more than 30 countries in Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, and North America. The Project  The proposed project approach, which focuses on strengthening the capacities of the legal community to support individuals at risk of FoRB violations while simultaneously fostering a social and policy environment conducive to inclusive FoRB efforts, is strongly justified by research-based evidence. Studies show that effective legal advocacy can significantly improve the protection of human rights, including religious freedom, by ensuring that violations are addressed through appropriate legal channels. Moreover, the establishment of mentorship groups and support networks for law students has been shown to enhance their effectiveness and sustainability in advocating for FoRB. The Project pursues two specific objectives: The project aims to reinforce Nigeria's legal, social, and policy environments for improved FoRB. OB1 : The legal community supports individuals at risk of FoRB violations and violence along religious lines. OB2 : Attitudes, behaviors, and policies support greater religious tolerance and freedom in Nigeria. Position Summary Search for Common Ground seeks a Finance Officer to offer financial support. This role involves close collaboration with the Admin & Logistics department and the finance team to maintain accurate records. Additionally, the Finance Officer will liaise with the housekeeping staff to ensure the office operates smoothly.The position holder will be responsible for a range of bookkeeping responsibilities as well as providing support on finance and project budget management functions. Carrying out and recording relevant financial transactions as well as coordinating the financial coding of these transactions will all be part of your daily routine. You will oversee the maintenance and reconciliation of bank records and, as SFCG receives funding from a number of donors. You will also be responsible for maintaining ledgers and contributing to the regular financial reporting. This position is based in Plateau, Nigeria with frequent field visits.

Roles and Responsibilities

Major duties and responsibilities

Support the Finance Lead in effective financial management of the project.

Ensure proper documentation of vouchers and receipts, financial reporting, proper coding of expenses, distribution of payments, tracking petty cash distribution and bank deposits;

Work closely with the Admin and Logistics unit to ensure timely payments for goods and services rendered to SFCG;

Support Finance Lead to strengthen financial and accounting systems - identifying gaps, weaknesses, and issues and recommending and implementing solutions;

Ensure compliance with SFCG and donor accounting requirements.

Undertake regular reconciliation and other expenditure and income, according to agreed timeframes and standards.

Collaborate with SFCG finance teams in order to fulfill payments and other project expenditure.

Ensure that all expenditure is charged to the correct budget line.

 Liaise with the Finance Lead to ensure smooth and proper coordination related to regular payments and purchases

Ensure overall financial compliance and management within the office,

Follow up with a partner for financial tracking and spending rate

Conduct internal verification within the office to ensure cost eligibility and compliance

Maintain regular communication and provide support to finance teams of Search’s partner

Support the reporting process by ensuring all documents supporting transactions are collated, reviewed, and reconciled before submission to the Finance Lead for upload to the system.

Support the Finance Lead to maintain a tracker of all subcontracts and other activities under grants.

Review and monitor budget performance by analyzing variances between approved budgets and actual expenditures.

 Manage transactions effectively and efficiently to ensure quality reporting.

Carries out tasks in support of assigned activities, such as photocopying, processing paperwork, and organizing meetings.