View Vacancy - Finance Assistant A2 (L) (07/19 BMK) - AU

Main purpose of job:

The British Embassy Bamako is part of a worldwide network, representing British political, economic, and consular interests overseas. The Finance Section, in the Corporate Services Team is key in ensuring that the finances are correctly spent, accounted for and within the allocated budget. This role leads on ensuring that we meet the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for spend and procurement of goods or services. You will report directly to the Finance and Procurement Manager and have day-to-day oversight of financial spend.

Roles and responsibilities:

Your role will be to ensure the effectiveness and efficiency of the Embassy's finances. Your work will ensure compliance with finance regulations, and oversight of spend for services or goods, ensuring the spend does not exceed agreed amounts. You will be responsible for the allocations of funds and for forecasting spend to ensure the embassy does not overspend its budget.  You will assist in developing and improving day-to-day systems for financial management.  You will work closely with processing teams in Manila and Pretoria. You will provide advice to colleagues on financial issues.

Your main duties will include:

• To run the cash office efficiently and in compliance with audit/financial best practice requirements. Promptly process all cash receipts, prepare financial returns including Network Post Accounting spreadsheet, replenish the imprests, reconciliations and conduct yearly checks;
• Checking the payment batches and calculating charges
• Helping with the salary calculations, entering the pay details for new staff and ensuring their banking details are correct;
• Journals for all internal embassy events and payment of extra staff invoices;
• Dealing with queries, circulating the exchange rate, supporting staff with questions, eg in relation to Expenses, UK Corporate Credit Cards;
• Record keeping/filing of paperwork in accordance with Embassy guidelines;
• Back up for the Finance Manager, ie preparing for meetings with senior staff to demonstrate that the budget is not being overspent and is profiled well;
• Keeping registers of IT holdings up to date.

Resources managed (staff and expenditure): 

• Management of one A1  

• Previous experience of Finance and Procurement work.
• Numerate and proficient in IT including Microsoft Word (essential), Excel (essential) and Oracle (desirable). 
• Excellent inter-personal skills. Able to work with a diverse range of service providers.
• Strong organisational skills, managing financial information flow, where necessary achieving a sensible balance between competing priorities.
• Ability to work under pressure, often unsupervised, and as part of a team.
• Capacity to deal patiently and effectively in a wide range of situations, including dealing with the public, knowing when to take decisions yourself and when to seek guidance.
• Fluency in English and French written and oral skills.