Solidar Suisse is a non-profit civil society organization based in Switzerland, active in the areas of devel-opment cooperation and humanitarian aid, which fights for decent work, democratic participation, and so-cial justice worldwide. Solidar Suisse presently has over 60 projects running on four continents and is pre-sent in Bangladesh since 2017. Solidar Suisse is looking for a Finance Officer for a project with five local partner organizations in Bangladesh, aimed at strengthening local Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) to engage as actors of good governance and development in building a sustainable leather sector in Bang-ladesh. The position is full-time (5 days/40 hours per week), part-time employment is negotiable.

Purpose of the Position and Key responsibilities:

The Finance Officer in the Solidar Suisse Bangladesh Office is responsible for ensuring proper accounting and financial management in adherence to generally accepted accounting standards, applicable laws and regulations of the Country, Solidar Suisse internal rules and regulations and external donor regulations. The Finance Officer operates under the direct supervision of the Project Manager.
Finances:

• Direct the day-to-day accounting operations, incl. monthly closing and regular cash, petty cash, bank balance and accounts reconciliation;
• Review project partner’s financial reports, consolidate all finance reports required for the project with proper documentation in an accurate and timely manner;
• Regularly review transactions lists and ledgers, accounts, supporting documents (e.g. vouchers, allo-cation of expenses) and procurement process documentation of partner organisations.
• Guide and advise project partners on appropriate finance procedures and proper documentation ac-cording to donor, Solidar Suisse internal and legal requirements, follow up on partner audit findings;
• Proper year end closing (modified cash accounting, incl. accruals/deferrals), and complete and timely submission of year end documentation to Headquarter, in accordance with the Project Manager
• Ensure appropriate external audit arrangements are in place and manage the annual audit process, incl. coordination of timely partner audits;
• Ensure adherence to the national tax laws and ensure applicable payments are made in time;
  Administration & Human Resources:
• Ensure payroll and HR management for the staff directly employed by Solidar Suisse for the project;
• Manage and follow-up regarding all contractual office issues and ensure timely payment of all office related bills and fees;
  
• Ensure financial, HR and administrative records and filing are comprehensive, accurate, secure, and up to date

Qualifications:

Essential:

• Minimum 3 years of proven experience working in accounting/finance
• Minimum of 1-year relevant experience in a project in an organization in international cooperation
  
• Strong financial skills including project budgeting, budget monitoring, and financial reporting
  
• Bengali language and English language proficiency both written and spoken is required
  
• Advanced MS Excel skills
  
• Accuracy and attention to detail
  
• Very good communication and organizational skills and ability to work as part of a team
  
• Ability to work effectively under pressure and meet deadlines

Desirable:

• Relevant work experience in non-profits organizations and with providing guidance and advisory on financial procedures to local civil society organizations organisations
• Knowledge of financial and compliance regulations of major institutional donors (EU, USAID, UN, bilat-eral donors)

Overview of the Project:

The project “Building a Sustainable Leather Sector in Bangladesh” is a three-year project implemented by Solidar Suisse (lead) and co-applicant Bangladesh Occupational Safety, Health and Environment (OSHE), along with four grassroots organisations in the leather sector in Bangladesh. The action is focused on strengthening civil society in Bangladesh by creating a CSO platform in the leather sector for occupational safety and health (OSH) and environmental protection, bringing together trade unions and CSOs in a par-ticipatory process. It aims at a sustainable leather industry which would emerge from active engagement at different points along the chain– right from the grassroots with different CSOs, workers and trade unions, to the high rungs of government, international institutions and employers and brands.

Application Procedure:

Interested candidates should email their CVs along with a motivation letter and relevant work certificates latest by 31 January 2023 to:

Dr. Indira Gartenberg, Asia Regional Representative (indira.gartenberg@solidar.ch)

In the email subject line, please clearly mention: ‘Application for the position of Finance Officer - Bang-ladesh project’. Women candidates are especially encouraged to apply. Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.