Program Finance and Budget Officer

THE ASIA FOUNDATION – PHILIPPINE OFFICE
Position Description

TITLE: Program Finance and Budget Officer
REPORTS TO: Senior Program Finance & Budget Officer

UNIT: Program Finance and Budget
SUPERVISES: (N/A)

SUMMARY OF POSITION RESPONSIBILITIES
The Program Finance and Budget Officer for the Coalitions for Change (CfC) project, funded by the
Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), has several key responsibilities:
• Compliance: Ensuring full adherence to award agreement clauses and budgets.
• Financial Reporting: Providing accurate and timely financial reports for internal and external use.
• Monitoring and Review: Overseeing compliance with policies and procedures; conducting timely
expense reviews, and maintaining updated spending projections.

REQUIREMENTS
Experience

• Minimum 5 years of professional experience with a Master’s Degree, or 6 years of experience if no
  Master’s Degree.
• Minimum 3 years of Finance, Donor Compliance and Sub-recipient monitoring experience with an
  International Development Organization
• Previous experience with Australian Government and other Government-funded projects is highly
  desirable.

Education

• Minimum of Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting, Managerial Accounting, Financial Management, or
  related field. A Certified Accountant is preferred but not required.

Others

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in both English and Filipino
• Strong organizational and time management skills
• Effective at multi-tasking and maintaining a schedule
• Strong computer skills (MS Office, spreadsheets, and some database management)
• Strong attention to details and can work with minimal supervision
• Ability to work independently on multi-faceted tasks and meet deadlines
• Good interpersonal and intercultural skills, including ability to work with and manage cross-cultural
  teams
• Willingness to work and travel in the Foundation’s project areas

POSITION ACCOUNTABILITIES
Program Finance:

Spending projections and budget monitoring:
• Prepares and updates monthly spending projections and work with program staff to ensure that spending
meets targets and approved workplans. Tracks and monitors individual project spending and
performance and leads monthly spending projection meetings.
• Analyses time charges of staff, updates, monitors, and gives timely reports on Level of Effort (LOE)
charging for all staff.
• Contributes to financial monitoring and management discussions during program review meetings and
planning sessions.
• Assists the country teams in producing operational and strategic budgets and ensure support to program
teams/project offices in donor fund management concerns.
Reporting to donors and file maintenance:
• Responsible for ensuring quality and timely production of financial reports as required by the donors
and the Foundation.
• Leads in the preparation of draft financial reports to donors as per the approved format and agreed
timeframe with the program/unit, and coordinates with PFG as needed
• Coordinates with PFG for any award budget related queries and/or submissions, e.g. review of financial
reports and invoices, update of program budgets, cost transfers and co-funding reports, new award setup and amendments, etc.
• Uploads award documents to Foundation’s Award Central 1, ensuring timeliness and completeness.
• Maintains comprehensive, complete, and effective filing system of donor-supported programs.

Review:
• Processes billings, requests for payment, cash advance liquidations, employee expense reports, and
reimbursements for the CfC Phase 3 including review and monitoring of assigned consultant contracts
and billings as support to Subawards Awards and Audit (SAA) unit.
• Prepares adjusting journal vouchers as needed.
• Reviews transaction documents of projects assigned by the supervisor and Finance Management
Proposal Budgets:
• In coordination with supervisor, prepares proposal budget, concept notes, and/or budget amendments
thru TAF225 and writes budget narratives as needed.
• Coordinates with PSDS for the review and approval of budget proposals, concept notes, and/or budget
amendment for CfC Phase 3.

Compliance:
• Reviews donor award agreements and ensures compliance by the Foundation to the policies, procedures,
and reporting requirements – as well as monitoring of reporting deadlines.
• Assists in providing and reviewing documents and information needed for internal and external audits.
• Coordinates project audits, prepares trial balance, financial statements, and other schedules and
documents as requested by auditors.

Others:
• Provides training, orientation, and refreshers to program and other staff on financial management
practices, TAF policies and procedures, spending projections, and other identified financial support
needs.
• May be assigned to assist Program units on finance-related matters during selected events, e.g.
disbursing of funds to participants.
• Performs other functions as maybe required by the Senior Management, and supervisor(s)