Job Vacancies at Search for Common Ground (SFCG)

Search for Common Ground (SFCG) is an international non-profit organization that promotes the peaceful resolution of conflict. With headquarters in Washington, DC and Brussels, Belgium, Search’s mission is to transform how individuals, organizations, and governments deal with conflict - away from destructive approaches towards cooperative solutions. With more than 600 staff worldwide, Search implements projects in more than 30 countries across the globe.

We are recruiting to fill the following positions below:

1.) Finance Officer - EU Niger Delta

Job Locations: Port Harcourt - Rivers and Bayelsa
Job Type: Full Time - Local 

Position Summary

• Search for Common Ground seeks a Finance Officer to provide finance support, liaising closely with the Admin and Logistics in the office and the finance team to ensure good recordkeeping, as well as liaising with the housekeeping staff to support the smooth running of the office.
• 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. 
• These positions are for 2 locations, one will be based in Portharcort and the other in Bayelsa, Nigeria

Roles and Responsibilities

• Support the Senior Finance Coordinator in the effective financial management of the Organization
• 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;
• 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 Senior Finance Coordinator to ensure smooth and proper coordination related to regular payments and purchases
• Support Senior Finance Coordinator 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.
• Ensure overall financial compliance and management within the office,
• Conduct internal verification within the office  to ensure cost eligibility and compliance
• Support the reporting process by ensuring all documents supporting transactions are collated, reviewed, and reconciled before submission to the Senior Finance Coordinator for upload to the system.
• 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.
• As job descriptions cannot be exhaustive, the position holder may be required to undertake other duties that are broadly in line with the above key duties.

Qualifications
Education:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting & Finance. An ICAN/ANAN Certification plus Master’s Degree in Accounting would be an added advantage.

Required Experience:

• 2-4 years of professional experience providing finance, administrative, logistical and/or operational support
• Experience working in an NGO or civil society is a plus
• Experience working with little or no supervision

Other Relevant Requirements:

• Proven interest & commitment to humanitarian and development principles and a demonstrable understanding of conflict/post-conflict development contexts
• Excellent in English (oral and written)
• Ability to plan, organize work, communicate, and reports effectively (both in writing and verbally)
• Proven ability to prioritize tasks and meet deadlines; team player and effective communicator. 
• Strong IT skills (Email, Microsoft Office applications, Google Drive, Google Docs, Sheets, Presentation).
• Good reporting capacity and experience
• Ability to function effectively under stressful conditions such as heavy workloads and deadlines.

Salary
N490,000 - N520,000 / month.

Application Closing Date: 6th June, 2025.

Click here to apply online

2.) Finance Coordinator

Job Location: Sokoto
Duration: 24 months

Position Summary

• The Finance Coordinator will report to the Country Finance Manager. He/she will oversee the financial aspect of the project by ensuring that accounts are up to date and that the grant meets the requirements of both the funders and SFCG. S/He will maintain accounting systems, provide financial analysis and other key management reports, and provide assistance with budget preparation.
• S/he will directly supervise the Finance Assistant and ensure the finance support function is effectively delivered.
• S/He will review procurement supporting documentation and conduct periodic compliance reviews. In addition, s/he would handle preparation of the consolidated Monthly Financial Reports, carry out account reconciliations and prepare Budget vs Actual reports for monthly review with Project Managers
• The ideal candidate will have proven experience in financial and grant management in the INGO and nonprofit sectors, financial statement preparation and analysis, accounting system implementation, design, and workflows.
• She/he will work closely with the Head of Program Implementation and the Project Manager, as well as with the Finance Team Lead in Abuja.

Major Duties and Responsibilities
Financial Management:

• Ensure proper documentation of transactions are kept in line with financial policies;
• Ensure all financial documents are stored in hard copies and backed up by scanning into our backup system
• Supervise and maintain SEARCH cash management, optimal bank balance, and bank reconciliation
• Monitoring of funds to ensure availability for disbursements
• Ensure timely reconciliation of bank accounts, advances, partner accounts, accruals, payroll, and severance, and ensure that data in books match data in the system (GP) on a monthly basis
• Correspond with local bank and donors on all financial operational matters
• Ensure regulatory reports and Tax obligations are properly prepared and timely reported
• Prepare Monthly Financial Reports (MFR) for review by the CFM and upload into the Global Finance system 
• Ensure the Balance Sheet is reviewed and a schedule of outstanding balances is prepared and sent to the CFA for review
• Prepare Budget Vs Actual Project reports and ensure monthly meetings are done with Project team
• Prepare and organize internal and external audits
• Ensure that Search and its partners have practices and policies that support easy audits
• Facilitate timely audits and responses to auditors, both local and at headquarters
• The position holder will conduct him/herself both professionally and personally in such a manner as to bring credit to Search and not jeopardize its mission and objectives;
• Any other function assigned to him/her by the Supervisor.

Key Internal Relationships:

• Country Finance Manager, Program Manager, and Head of Programmed Implementation.

Key External Relationships:

• Finance and Program staff and donors.

Minimum Qualifications

• A Bachelor’s Degree in Finance, Business Administration, or Accounting is required.
• Professional qualification in accounting (ACCA, ICAN, ANAN or equivalent)
• Minimum five years of relevant work experience within an NGO, of which three years should be working with EU and/or US government funds. Experience working within an international NGO is a strong advantage.
• Experience managing a portfolio of awards from multiple donors
• Experience preparing for internal audits and implementing audit recommendations
• Demonstrated ability to build capacity and lead training for staff and partners.
• Proven ability to be an effective supervisor of staff of varying levels of responsibility
• Proven ability in setting up and implementing accountability mechanisms
• Proven ability in financial planning and developing budgets for new business
• Excellent command of spoken and written English
• Mastery of Excel is a must
• Self-guided, strong organizational and planning skills
• Ability to work independently and under pressure
• Excellent communication, coaching and facilitation skills
• Ability to travel up to 30% within Nigeria.

Salary
N900,000 - N1,000,000 / month.

Application Closing Date: 6th June, 2025.

Click here to apply online

3.) Finance Assistant

Job Location: Abuja

Position Summary

• Search for Common Ground seeks a Finance Assistant to provide finance support, liaising closely with the Admin and Logistics in the offices and the finance team to ensure good recordkeeping, as well as liaising with the housekeeping staff to support the smooth running of the office.
• 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. 

Roles 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.
•  Liaise with the Finance Lead to ensure smooth and proper coordination related to regular payments and purchases
• Ensure overall financial compliance and management across the consortium
• Follow up with consortium partners for financial tracking and spending rate
• 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.
• Conduct internal verification within the consortium to ensure costs 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.
• As job descriptions cannot be exhaustive, the position holder may be required to undertake other duties that are broadly in line with the above key duties.

Requirements
Education:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting & Finance. An ICAN Certification or Master’s Degree in Accounting would be an added advantage.

Required Experience:

• 1 year or above of professional experience providing finance, administrative, logistical and/or operational support
• Experience working in an NGO or civil society is a plus
• Experience working with little or no supervision.

Application Closing Date: 29th June, 2025.

Click here to apply online