About the job

CAFOD is the official aid agency of the Catholic Church in England and Wales and part of the Caritas International Confederation. We work with communities across the world, standing side by side with them to end poverty and injustice, and to live in dignity and peace. Our work focuses on humanitarian response, long-term development, and advocating for global justice.

Job Profile

The Programme Support Officer (Finance) provides targeted financial capacity strengthening to partners, ensuring they have the systems, standards and guidance needed to manage programme funds effectively. The role offers efficient and responsive financial support to programme staff and is responsible for maintaining accurate book‑keeping, preparing programme financial reports (excluding final sign‑off) and supporting projects procurements. The post holder ensures full donor‑compliance across all financial processes. The role plays a key part in ensuring financial compliance throughout the programme portfolio. It is responsible for producing project budget analyses and generating financial reports to support effective programme delivery. This position does not hold direct budget‑holder responsibility.

Key Responsibilities

Partner Financial Support, Reporting and Budgeting

Review partner financial reports, consolidate partner finances for reporting to donors and ensure that CAFOD and donor requirements are being met
Ensure all expenses are relevant and relate to the project being supported, properly supported and upon clearance and satisfaction, make recommendations for further disbursement of funds to the partner.
Work with the programmes team to ensure project reporting and all project-related documents are up to date and properly maintained, uploaded in Web-Promise on timely manner.
Assist in maintaining an overview of the programme finances, providing accurate and timely updates to the Programme Manager and the FAM.
Ensure that CAFOD Financial standards, policies, and procedures are disseminated to all programme staff and partner staff as appropriate, and documentation is available for ready reference in physical files.
Coordinate the timely submission of any records and accounts as required
Ensure full accountability through effective record keeping.
Assist in training of programme staff in the policies and procedures for financial accountability.
Lead an ongoing process to appraise partner organisation’s financial controls and systems in line with CAFOD partner assessment policy ensuring key policy manuals are in place. This will include field visits, desk audits and other methods as appropriate.
Support programme staff in conducting financial assessments of CAFODs partners' programmes, reviewing budgets and reports, reviewing audits; responsible for identifying any financial problems or fraud.
With partner staff, produce and develop budgets and monitor the use of funds to ensure they are properly accounted for.
Train partner staff in the policies and procedures for financial accountability and ensure ongoing compliance with these procedures.
Conduct partner compliance audits on a quarterly basis
Develop, nurture and manage relationships with CAFOD partner organisations

Donor compliance and development (in liaison with FAM)

Ensure financial compliance to donor standards
Ensure compliance in projects procurements
Ensure timely reporting to donors
Preparation of documents for annual or donor audits.
Keeps track of donor assets held by partners and maintains an asset register for different donors
Maintain separate donor asset registers

Job Specific Competencies

An accountancy qualification (or evidence of working towards a qualification) with practical work experience in a finance or accountancy-based role.
Good understanding of local context, knowledge of financial accounting & management, including the ability to carry out financial assessments for partners, build partner capacity and influence their ways of working
Ability to travel where necessary and to manage one’s own personal security and the security of others, including partners
Strong Excel skills, including working confidently with detailed and complex spreadsheets.
Fluent in written and spoken English

Person Specification

Managing ourselves - Trains and mentors’ staff in good financial standards systems and processes as well as donor compliance and accountability
Working with others - Able to interact well with other CAFOD staff and partners
Communicating - Good communication skills given her consistent contacts with partners
Looking outwards - Understanding of donors and ability to ensure compliance to donor requirements
Managing resources - Creates budgets; Full understanding and practical application of good financial standards and PCM; Full understanding of CAFOD’s finance systems and grant making; Monitors and reviews expenditure, recognizes errors, issues and fraud
Achieving results - Good numeracy and IT skills
Taking the lead - Manages, coaches and mentors staff in sound financial management skills
Safeguarding

Safeguarding for Children and Vulnerable Adults

CAFOD recognises the personal dignity and rights of children and vulnerable adults, towards whom it has a special responsibility and a duty of care and respect. CAFOD, and all its staff and volunteers, undertake to do all in our power to create a safe environment for children, young people and vulnerable adults and to prevent their physical, sexual or emotional abuse. CAFOD is committed to acting at all times in the best interests of children and vulnerable adults, seeing these interests as paramount. Any candidate offered a job with CAFOD will be expected to adhere to CAFOD’s Safeguarding policy and sign CAFOD’s Code of Behaviour as an appendix to their contract of employment and agree to conduct themselves in accordance with the provisions of these documents.

All offers of employment will be subject to satisfactory references, and appropriate screening checks can include criminal records and terrorism finance checks. CAFOD also participates in the Inter Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. In line with this Scheme, we will request information from job applicants’ previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment during employment, or incidents under investigation when the applicant left employment. By submitting an application, the job applicant confirms their understanding of, and consent to, these recruitment procedures.

CAFOD is a welcoming, supportive workplace committed to a safe, inclusive culture where everyone is respected. CAFOD will make reasonable adjustments at every stage of the recruitment process to ensure candidates with disabilities or individual needs are fully supported.

PI246f5dd7fc7f-37437-40534974

Berzel Chafa

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