Administrative and Finance Officer (Ghana)

The Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF) is looking for an organised, proactive and rigorous Administrative and Finance Officer for its growing team in Ghana. 

With an experience in bookkeeping and management of operations, and a deep knowledge of the administrative procedures in Ghana, ideally applied to the NGO sector, the Administrative and Finance Officer will work closely with the Ghana Country Coordinator, and the Finance and Office Manager based in the UK.

About EJF

The Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF) is a UK-based non-profit organisation working internationally to protect the environment and defend human rights. EJF’s work focuses on protecting the world’s seas and oceans by investigating and exposing illegal ‘pirate’ fishing and exploitation in the seafood industry. We train local people and communities in the latest video technologies, research and advocacy skills, enabling them to investigate, expose and combat local threats to wildlife and wild places, and the people who live alongside them.

About the project

EJF aims to build greater environmental sustainability and social equity in Ghana’s fishing sector, by reducing illegal fishing, building local capacity towards securing legal, sustainable fisheries and to promote the implementation of the FAO voluntary guidelines on the responsible governance of tenure (VGGT) in the content of national food security. EJF aims to promote food security and improved livelihoods of fishers and families by reducing illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing activities in Ghana’s Inshore Exclusion Zone (IEZ) and promoting participatory co-management of fisheries. 

Overall role of Administrative and finance officer:

Administrative Duties

• Develop and oversee a project’s equipment register, inventories and management database, to ensure a close monitoring on the use of this equipment (fuel use, spare parts, equipment and vehicle  tracking…)
• Ensure communication and compliance of systems developed in administrative matters at District Level.
• Assist the Country Coordinator in corresponding with various agencies and persons, by preparing draft letters and arranging for their dispatch.
• ·Assist with the internal correspondence such as office orders, minutes of meetings, memos etc.
• Schedule meetings, set appointments and take care of meeting details of staff
• Ensure regular maintenance of the office building and other facilities in the organization
• Prepare for travel arrangement or hotel accommodation of visiting international and local staff on field visits

Financial Duties

• Undertake accounting and financial reporting including proper recording of all financial transactions, cash and bank reconciliations together with monthly analysis, report of expenditures versus budget and cash flow projections, in collaboration with the Country Coordinator and in close relation with the Finance and Office Manager in the UK.,
• Monitor expenditures, and use of project resources to ensure activities operate within budget.
• Provide monthly or quarterly reports to management on budgetary performance of the project.
• Prepare and keep proper book of all accounts (both physical and electronic) and assist for periodic financial audits.
• Prepare financial reports to the donors when required.

Human resources:

• Handle payroll accounts of all local staff on the project
• Maintain accounts of advances granted to employees etc.
• Analyze all fiscal activities and ensure that they comply with accounting and legal requirements of the Ghana project office

 Essential skills and attributes:

Education

• University degree in business administration, accounting or other relevant areas.

 Professional experience:

• At least a first successful professional experience in a similar position.
• Knowledge and experience in international development projects, the administrative procedures of donors and work with multiple currency required
• A good knowledge of the Central Region context (local administration, local market and suppliers etc.), and in Cape Coast area in particular.
• Desirable: Knowledge and experience of the European Union development project’s administrative procedures

 Required skills:

• Good verbal and written communication in English, good level of Fante would be a plus.
• Problem-solving oriented
• Ethical, responsible, enthusiastic
• Strong organization skills
• Ability to lead good interpersonal interactions with different people.
• Computer literate, particularly with Excel. Good capacity on accounting software desirable.