Monitoring and Finance Officer

Forest Peoples Programme

1c Fosseway Business Centre, Stratford Road, Moreton-in-Marsh GL56 9NQ, UK tel: +44 (0)1608 652893 fax: +44 (0)1608 652878 [email protected] www.forestpeoples.org

MONITORING AND FINANCE OFFICER

Job Description and Person specification

The Forest Peoples Programme is an international NGO which promotes the rights of indigenous and tribal forest peoples to their forests, lands and livelihoods. Our staff comprises specialists in human rights, anthropology, international law, development and tropical forest ecology. The Finance and Monitoring Officer post is an excellent opportunity for an enthusiastic and experienced person to join our dynamic team of committed individuals. See our website www.forestpeoples.org for more information about our work.

The Finance and Monitoring Officer will assist with the management of the finances of a new high-profile SIDA-funded project to promote rights protection and poverty alleviation around REDD pilot projects across the Democratic Republic of Congo, as well as assisting in the financial management of other projects as required.

The Finance and Monitoring Officer will be a member of FPP’s administrative team, reporting directly to the Finance Manager and playing a key role in the management of our funds of around £2.5 million p.a. You will work closely with FPP’s technical and policy staff, providing financial information to enable them to manage their grants and report to donors. You will liaise with the new overseas office in Kinshasa and with project partners regarding management and accounting of project funds transferred to them, and play an active role in financial training of overseas staff and partners to meet the requirements of the SIDA grant. This will involve occasional travel to the Democratic Republic of Congo. You will also provide support for fundraising, preparation of accounts for auditing, and donor reporting.

We are looking for a well-organised, self-motivated person with strong bookkeeping and financial management skills, who enjoys working as part of a team and preferably has experience of working with partners in an international setting. You are able to prioritise your own workload, meet deadlines and respond flexibly to unforeseen events. Many of our staff are based overseas or spend much time traveling, so you must be able to carry out tasks with minimum supervision, maintain good communications with colleagues while they are out of the office and take the initiative when required. As many of our project partners are in francophone Africa, you need to be able to speak and write good French and English.

SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES

The Forest Peoples Programme is a company limited by guarantee (England & Wales) Reg. No. 3868836, registered address as above. UK-registered Charity No. 1082158. It is also registered as a non-profit Stichting in the Netherlands. Granted United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Special Consultative Status July 2010  In relation to the SIDA grant:  Providing administrative and monitoring support to UK and Kinshasa staff as required, including in the preparation of contracts and documentation for partners and suppliers;  Providing finance support to the Kinshasa office, including the timely transfer of funds to the FPP office and partners;  Assisting with the setting-up and implementation of finance systems that minimise any potential for fraud or mismanagement of funds;  Assisting in the provision of finance training and support to Kinshasa-based staff and partners from six provinces in DRC, to build their financial capacity and to ensure that grant conditions are met;  Maintaining project files, and preparing the project accounts for annual audit;

 Other Responsibilities  Monitoring project expenditures in UK and overseas, and providing financial reports for budget holders, management and donors as required;  Developing an excellent working relationship with staff and partners in the UK and abroad;  Liaising with donors on financial issues as required  Assisting with financial administration of other grants as required.  Maintenance and control of petty cash funds and records  Assisting with checking staff expense claims  Assisting with other financial controls and procedures as required

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE REQUIRED

KNOWLEDGE Essential Desirable Finance knowledge – minimum 3 years experience of Financial qualification such as AAT, or part-qualified finances ACCA/CIMA Familiarity with procedures and requirements of external funders Familiarity with accounting packages Knowledge of French finance packages and accounting environment

EXPERIENCE Essential Desirable Experience of project financial monitoring and reporting Experience with administration of complex grants from funders such as SIDA, EC, DFID Experience of complying with funding contracts and Experience within an international NGO setting reporting to donors Experience of working with and giving advice to partner Experience of working with partners overseas organisations Experience of giving finance training Experience of working as part of small team

SKILLS Essential Desirable Good financial presentation/ report production skills Excellent French language skills Fluent French Familiarity with Excel, Word and accounting packages Experience of working with people from different Experience of working in Africa cultures

 Full-time, based at FPP’s offices in Moreton-in-Marsh in the Cotswolds, UK  Salary £24,000 - £27,000 depending on qualifications and experience  Post is for a fixed term of 36 months, starting as soon as possible, subject to 3 months probationary period.  Continuation of post depends on availability of funds.  Benefits include 20 days leave per year, plus the week between Christmas and New Year when the office is closed, 40-hour flexible working week including one hour lunch break, and time off in lieu under certain circumstances.

To apply for this post

Please fill in and return the application form by email to [email protected].

Closing date for applications: 1st October 2011 Interviews: mid-October 2011 for commencement of post as soon as possible thereafter

We regret that we are unable to contact those candidates who are not short-listed.