About Sonke Gender Justice: Founded in 2006, Sonke is a women’s rights organisation that is committed to feminist principles, using a rights-based and gender-transformative approach to achieve human rights and gender justice. Our vision is a poverty-free world in which women, children, men, and gender non conforming individuals enjoy equitable, caring, healthy, and happy relationships that contribute to the development of gender-just and democratic societies. Sonke strengthens governments, civil society, and citizens’ capacity to advance gender justice and women’s rights, prevent gender-based violence, and reduce the spread of HIV and the impact of AIDS, and in this way contribute to social justice and the elimination of poverty. (http://www.genderjustice.org.za/)
About CSM STAND Consortium: In September 2021, Pact was awarded the five-year Civil Society and Media – Strengthened Together and Advancing in New Directions (CSM-STAND) for Africa and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) program by USAID. The Regional Leader with Associates Award (LWA) aims to foster independent civic forces; enhance civic engagement; and build vibrant, resilient, and self-reliant civil society and media sectors that cultivate more pluralistic, democratic societies. To reach this goal, CSM-STAND designs and implements innovative and adaptive civil society and media programs, advances trans-regional learning, and develops next-generation, sustainable technical resources that positively influence wider practice within the civil society and media sectors. The CSM-STAND consortium is comprised of leading global, regional, and technical partners with extensive practical experience and knowledge of fundamental principles, key issues, current practices, and emerging trends in the DRG community.
About the position: In partnership with Pact under the CSM – STAND, Sonke Gender Justice is seeking to employ a Finance Officer to be based in Maseru/Lesotho on a two-year USAID/Lesotho Khutlo Activity. Khutlo aims to contribute to reducing stigma, discrimination, and violence against LGBTQI+ communities, as well as cishet women and girls, and strengthening the capacity of civil society to advocate for LGBTQI+ rights and provide inclusive quality gender-based violence (GBV) prevention, mitigation, and response services.
The Finance Officer will be responsible for all in-country finance-related functions required to support the smooth operations of the project and assist with the smooth running of the office through effective office management. They will do this by ensuring that all equipment is in working condition, that the organization has sufficient stationery and other consumables on hand, and that the office is well maintained and all relevant issues have been communicated to the landlord. They will ensure that all staff queries regarding IT are resolved as soon as possible. They will especially work closely with and provide support to the COP and Finance Unit.
Key Performance Areas
Administration
Perform general admin functions in relation to:
- Assist Home Office Admin Coordinator with co-ordination of office space, office security and security systems in the organization.
- Operate the telephone management system
- Ensure all office machinery and equipment are serviced & well maintained
- Ensure office keys, access cards and parking bays are available to new staff, upon them taking up their positions at Sonke
- Manage office filing for Operations and ensure coordination of filing with Sonke’s
- Johannesburg office
- Assist Office Coordinator with closing of old files and archiving. Manage off-site storage.
- Assist Office Coordinator in managing physical office space & attend to repairs in the building
- Assist Office Coordinator with the management of entire office assets for the organization including phone system, printers and scanners.
- Assist staff to obtain IT assistance in a prompt manner.
- Ensure that the office has sufficient stationery and consumables in stock.
- Type letters when requested to do so.
- Take minutes at the staff meetings and type up the minutes.
- Manage the info@genderjustice.org.za email address.
Provide support to the Finance Unit
- Prepare payment requisitions for the organisation for authorization including rent, stationery, postage, IT, etc.
- Allocate order numbers and prepare purchase orders.
- Stamp, copy and file all financial payment requisitions.
- Scan original documents for processing by the finance team
- Assist with the audit by collating all the necessary paperwork.
- Assist finance with the preparation of payment packs
- Assist finance with document preparation for donor financial reporting
- Assist finance with digitizing documentation for submission to donors
- Save all payment requisitions on the shared drive.
- Assist the Chief of Party to manage the project budget
- Monitor expenditure against budget to ensure budget lines are not overspent.
Provide support for travel arrangements
- Assist with submitting travel arrangements to the travel agency when the Office Coordinator needs assistance.
- Assist with preparing and submitting travel expenditure including per diems forms, expense claims, including supporting receipts and invoices, staff advances (for implementation of activities).
Maintain asset register
- Assist with the maintenance of the asset register of the organization as follows:
- Tag all assets with a unique number
- List all assets in an office and attach the list on the back of the door
- Add and remove assets as is necessary
- Make recommendations for disposals
- Once a year in March complete a physical count of all assets in all the offices and update the asset register and sign off together with the Finance Manager prior to the start of the audit.
- Track and maintain an asset schedule for all assets given to staff when they join Sonke and returned to Sonke when they leave Sonke.
General
- Attend staff meetings, staff retreats, staff training and unit meetings as required.
Qualifications and Experience
- Diploma in Finance and or related Admin/logistics qualifications
- Excellent understanding of Microsoft Office
- Understanding accounting principles
- Budget management
- Basic Health and Safety – First Aid
- Minimum of 3 years’ experience in a medium sized South African NGO or International NGOs.
- Excellent typing and word-processing skills.
- Experience in finance functions.
- Experience in developing and maintaining record-keeping systems.
- Integrity in carrying out job functions.
- Maturity and the ability to be flexible.
- Good attention to details
- Ability to work with people on all levels
Application Process
- Interested applicants should submit their CV, a motivational letter that details your experience, the contact details of three referees, to Sonke’s Human Resource Unit at hiring@genderjustice.org.za closing date 26 July 2023.
- For non-Lesotho citizens, it is the responsibility of the applicant to attain a work permit from the relevant authorities, and employment will depend on a valid work permit being in place.
- Sonke is committed to racial and gender transformation and encourages previously disadvantaged individuals to apply.
- Only short-listed candidates will be contacted. If you do not hear from us by 31 August 2023, please consider your application unsuccessful.
- The organisation reserves the right not to make an appointment.
