Position Title      : Finance Officer (FO)- 1
Grade                  : O2
Person Assigned: To be selected
Project                : Transforming the Future of Adolescent Girls through Education in Sindhuli (Ujjwalta)
Expertise             : Complete bachelor in business studies (BBS) or Bachelor in Business Administration (BBA).  S/he has at least two years’ experience in development organization and in relevant field.
Duty Station        : Hands Nepal, Sindhuli at project office at Kamlamai, Sindhuli
Contract type      : Annual with possibility of extension as per fund
Working Area      : Project schools and Municipalities of Kamalamai and Dudhauli municipality, Sindhuli district.
Responsible to     : Directly to Project with dotted reporting to Senior Finance Officer at HANDS Nepal, Sindhuli.

BACKGROUND

Human And National Development Society (HANDS) Nepal, established in 2001, is a non- governmental, non-political, non-profit organization focused on integrated community development and natural resource management. With a vision of a prosperous, equitable, and ethical society, HANDS Nepal's mission is to implement initiatives fostering inclusive and equitable development. For over 24 years, the organization has promoted sustainable development, addressing areas such as governance, education, child rights, WASH, climate change, disaster risk reduction, health, and livelihoods. HANDS Nepal aims to empower marginalized groups, particularly women, children, and Dalits, to access basic needs and lead dignified lives. Through partnerships with multiple agencies and over 42 projects impacting more than 200,000 people across thirteen districts, HANDS Nepal strengthens local governments, promotes participatory governance, and ensures marginalized communities can shape their futures.

HANDS Nepal, Sindhuli has been working in long-term partnership with Plan International Nepal since 2012, focusing on education, child development, WASH, DRR/CCA, and more. Currently, the organization is collaborating with Plan International Nepal to implement the "Transforming the Future of Adolescent Girls through Education in Sindhuli (Ujjwalta)" Project for 3 years starting from July, 2024.

The core aim of the Ujjwalta project is to address these challenges by retaining girls in secondary education and enhancing the local education system in Kamalamai and Dudhauli municipalities of Sindhuli district. The project has following specific objectives;

• To ensure girls' retention in secondary level education in Sindhuli district.
• To strengthen local education system as inclusive and gender transformative to deliver quality and relevant secondary education.
• The project purposes to target 30 schools and 19,240 participants, including students, teachers, parents, and local government officials, 
• To create supportive environments for girls' education, the project focuses on building local partnerships, capacity building, community awareness, equity and inclusion, sustainability planning, and advocacy in Sindhuli's educational landscape, ensuring long-term, sustainable change.

The Ujjwalta project will address the different social and systematic barriers including cross-cutting issues in education including School WASH, CCA, and DRR, which will enhance the project effectiveness. Gender disparities, driven by social norms, behavior and practice hinder to girl’s education and it requires gender-transformative approaches for equitable education. The project is designed with gender transformative approach in education. Further school WASH will also include the lack of Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) facilities, impacting students' health and learning experiences, and inadequate Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM), which leads to absenteeism and dropouts among girls. Climate change impacts access to quality education especially to girls that necessitates to be addressed through climate- resilient education including climate smart learning environments. Hence, the Ujjwalta project adopts a holistic approach in education focusing girls and involving collaborative efforts among government bodies, NGOs, and local communities which will create a conducive learning environment to girls and ultimate girls will empowers for utilizing their full potentials. HANDS Nepal is seeking a qualified and competent Finance Officer.

GENERAL RESPONSIBILITIES

Under the overall direction of Program Coordinator (PC) and Senior Finance Officer, Finance Officer will be responsible for the financial record keeping and documentation. FO shall maintain financial recordings and documents as per organization’s policies and procedures. Finance Officer will work along with the team members and will be responsible to coordinate and establish the linkages amongst all the project team members, stakeholders, line agencies and concerned officials. The Officer will provide the timely, accurate, and reports to the PC and senior finance officer.

Specific Duties

• Prepare periodic project budget and its revision with support of PC and project lead from partner organization.
• Prepare detail budget break down, budget forecast and cash flow.
• Ensures that the supporting documents attached to vouchers are accurate, valid and that complies with the tax, contract and other law of Nepal
• Ensure all payment documents/vouchers are properly filed, numbered and located safely with correct labelling
• Ensure all payment requests are correctly reviewed in accordance to available budget/account line and other relevant documents.
• Ensure full compliance of income tax act, rules and related directives, Plan financial guideline, internal control system and donors' requirements.
• Maintain all project detail including income and expenditure in accounting software i.e. truebook.
• Comply with partner and donors' requirements of projects effectively
• Follow and ensure that working and staff advances are settled timely
• Prepare the bank reconciliation statement, income and expenditure accounts, trial balance and balance sheet
• Manage to prepare staff payroll and tax calculation on salary
• Manage the preparation of the monthly financial reports and variance reports on time
• Prepare of the quarterly and annual financial reports and budgets to donors and SWC/government authorities if needed
• Assists project team on other works as per need in financial management and administration
• Assists project team in doing all necessary arrangements for the undertaking of the annual audit
• Provide inputs to management on financial matter, make aware project team on financial requirement and supporting documents
• Carries procurement process in accordance with donor compliances and Plan’s financial guideline to partners
• Support procurement committee to prepare CANVAS sheet and decision memo.
• Support admin and logistic officer for the procurement of goods and services as per project needs.
• Ensure proper PR from program team and prepare purchase orders for procuring goods/services.
• Regular follow up with vendors to ensure the vendors collect their payments on time and obtaining receipt acknowledgement after payments to suppliers and partners on all the bank-to-bank transfers
• Maintains personal files, staff leave record, attendance register, timesheet, reconciliations, fixed asset registers, stationary stock register, vendor roster, purchasing files, agreement files, incoming/outgoing register etc.
• Ensure scanned all financial document and upload in allocated system and storage as per requirement.
• Manage logistic support (hotel booking, air ticketing, vehicle, hiring etc.) to all staffs and interns
• Coordinates with service providers and arrange hotel and transport facilities as per requirements.
• Carries out general shared office related works, such as receiving guests, arranging training etc.
• Ensures logistic support to organize organizational events and workshops effectively
• Supports other works as per need of the project as directed by Project Coordinator

REQUIREMENTS

• Education : At least Bachelor in business studies (BBS) or Bachelor in Business Administration (BBA). Master’s Degree is preferred.
• Experience : S/he has at least two years’ experience in development organization and in relevant field.

COMPETENCE :

• Sound management knowledge and skills of financial management and recording keeping.

SKILLS : 

• Language: Ability to write clearly and concisely in English and Nepali
• Communication: Sound communication skills, managing work relationships (internal/external), coordination and networking.
• Proven IT skills: Word, Excel, Account package eg. Truebook, Outlook, PowerPoint, and skill of computer applications.
• Two wheelers driving license is preferred.
• The strongly recommended to apply to female candidate