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Finance Officer - Ascend

Employer
Sightsavers
Location
Haywards Heath, West Sussex
Salary
c£30,000
Closing date
2 Feb 2020

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Job Details

Sightsavers is recruiting for a Finance Officer to work on the Ascend programme who will deliver on all financial requirements for the DFID funded Ascend programme (working in thirteen countries with a total budget of £91.2m).  They will also provide support to the Head of NTD Finance and Operations Team as necessary.

In particular, the Ascend Finance Officer will help prepare budget and reporting templates in line with DFID requirements, oversee project financial planning, monitoring and reporting as well as support on implementation of the online reporting portal for financial submissions from partners (MyCLAIMS system). The role will also provide support to the Head of Finance & VfM (Ascend) in managing all aspects of project cash flow, produce internal and external analysis and reports to influence project decision making, oversee project control frameworks and help support partners to undertake their work effectively.

Salary: c£30,000 dependent upon experience

Contract: Two Year Fixed Term Contract

About the role:

Key duties will include:

  • Review and check budgets and other financial submissions prepared by partners and Sightsavers country office staff
  • Analysis across data sets using MyCLAIMS and Excel to identify cost drivers and assess financial performance across countries against agreed indicators.
  • Participate in ongoing financial monitoring of projects (including donor financial reporting, audits and overseas travel to provide support and training as needed).
  • Ensure that contract income and expenditure is correctly reflected in the accounting system and that Sightsavers internal financial process requirements are complied with
  • Assist with the development, management and continual improvement of financial, programme management and reporting systems
  • Responsible for the operational financial management of the Policy Strategic Innovation Fund (PSIF), a subset of the Ascend programme worth £4.3m
  • Support with other day to day finance and administration tasks on the programme.

This is not an exhaustive list of duties or required professional skills and it’s an involved role so please read the complete Job Description for further details.

About you:

The ideal candidate will have:

  • finance and accountancy experience
  • awareness of overseas development (preferably gained through work in the INGO sector)
  • excellent numerical skills
  • strong attention to detail
  • an improvement mindset and a willingness to develop skills and knowledge
  • an understanding of institutional donor contract management, in particular DFID funding

This role may be for you if:

  • You are proactive by nature and have initiative.
  • You are comfortable taking decisions and have a good sense of when to escalate issues.
  • You are quick to notice irregularities, yet you do not lose sight of the bigger picture.
  • You enjoy solving problems and have a keen eye for improvement.
  • You communicate clearly. You adapt your language and pace to suit your listeners.
  • You are confident holding close working relationships with a wide range of stakeholders.
  • You are comfortable working in an international context and travelling to the countries we work in.

Sightsavers offers a great place to work within easy reach of London and Brighton.

We anticipate that interviews, including a short Excel-based task will take place at our Haywards Heath, West Sussex offices in mid-February. Please note that this role has been extended.

 

Company

Sightsavers Head Office

35 Perrymount Road,
Haywards Heath,
West Sussex RH16 3BW

Postal Address

Bumpers Way,
Bumpers Farm,
Chippenham SN14 6NG

Sightsavers is an international charity that works in more than 30 countries around the world to eliminate avoidable blindness and support people with visual impairments to live independently. Sightsavers is headquartered in the UK and has over 400 employees. It also has branches in Norway, Sweden, Ireland, Italy, India, the United States and the United Arab Emirates.

Sightsavers works with partners in order to provide a comprehensive range of eye care services. In 2013, Sightsavers' projects provided eye health examinations for nearly 14 million people, performed 300,000 eye operations, and treated over 100 million people for neglected tropical diseases.

People are also referred for treatment to prevent blindness or restore sight. Through community volunteers in developing countries, Sightsavers distributes medication to prevent blinding diseases. The charity also trains eye care workers and surgeons and funds operations.

Of the 30 countries Sightsavers works in, 23 are in Africa. These include Mozambique, Mali, Liberia and Kenya. Sightsavers is also present in India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and the Caribbean.

In addition to its medical work, Sightsavers works with partners in order to train specialist teaching staff and supply glasses, Braille kits and other learning tools. The charity aims to educate communities and reduce stigma around visual impairment and blindness. Through its work, people with visual impairments and other disabilities are supported to live independently, get an education and earn an income.

Sightsavers is also a campaigning organisation, working with national governments to tackle the root causes of avoidable blindness, such as lack of access to clean water and sanitation facilities. The charity’s ‘Put us in the Picture campaign calls on the international community to make global development inclusive of the world’s 800m people with disabilities. The campaign’s vision is for all people to have equal access to employment, education, healthcare and participation in society.

Backing up Sightsavers’ work around the world is a strong research capability. Research and policy work revolves around three priorities – health, education and social inclusion. Gathering and disseminating sound research evidence helps to ensure the charity’s programmes meet the needs of the people they are designed to serve. Research evidence is also a strong tool when advocating for policy changes with governments.

Sightsavers has many partners that assist with its aim of eliminating avoidable blindness and may also provide funding. Partners include the UK government’s Department for International Development, the European Union and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Read our latest article on Third Sector: Sightsavers: Work for an award-winning charity tackling blindness worldwide

Company info
Website
Telephone
01444 446600
Location
35 Perrymount Road,
Haywards Heath,
West Sussex
RH16 3BW
GB

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