CARE RELIEF AID ORGANIZATION (CRO)

TERMS OF REFERENCE (ToR)

Position: Finance Officer (Volunteer)

Organization: Care ReliefAid Organization (CRO)

Position: Finance Officer (Volunteer)

Location: Nigeria Employment Type: Volunteer

Duration: Initially volunteer-based; subject to project availability and funding

Remuneration: Unpaid volunteer position at this stage. Compensation or project-based engagement may be considered when funding is secured.

Reports To: Executive Director / Head of Programmes

1. Organizational Background

Care ReliefAid Organization (CRO) is a strictly women-led, community-driven humanitarian and development organization committed to improving the lives of vulnerable populations through inclusive, rights-based, and sustainable interventions.

Founded on the principles of dignity, equity, and social justice, CRO works at the frontline of crisis response and long-term development, with a strong focus on women, girls, children, youth, and persons with disabilities.

CRO believes that empowering women to lead humanitarian and development action results in more responsive, accountable, and transformative programs for communities. The organization places women and girls at the center of solutions while ensuring no one is left behind.

2. Purpose of the Position

The Finance Officer (Volunteer) will support CRO in strengthening its financial management, accounting, budgeting, reporting, internal control, and compliance systems.

The position will support the organization in maintaining accurate and transparent financial records and in ensuring that financial processes are prepared to meet organizational, statutory, donor, and project requirements as CRO expands its humanitarian and development programming.

3. Key Responsibilities

Financial Management and Accounting

• Maintain accurate and up-to-date financial records and supporting documentation.
• Support recording and processing of financial transactions in accordance with approved procedures.

Assist with preparation and review of payment vouchers, receipts, invoices, and other financial documents.

• Support cash and bank reconciliation processes.
• Maintain appropriate filing systems for financial records.
• Assist in monitoring organizational cash flow and financial commitments.
• Ensure that financial transactions are properly authorized and supported by adequate documentation.

Budgeting and Budget Monitoring

• Support the preparation of annual organizational budgets and project budgets.
• Assist programme teams in developing realistic activity budgets for proposals and project implementation.
• Monitor expenditure against approved budgets.
• Maintain budget monitoring tools and expenditure trackers.
• Identify significant budget variances and support management in understanding the reasons for variances.
• Provide timely financial information to management and programme teams.

Project and Donor Finance

• Support financial management of donor-funded projects in accordance with approved budgets and donor requirements.
• Assist in tracking project expenditures against budget lines.
• Support the preparation of donor financial reports and expenditure statements.
• Review supporting documentation for project expenditures.
• Ensure that project costs are properly coded and allocated to the appropriate budget lines.  Support project teams during project start-up, implementation, and close-out.

Cash and Bank Management

• Support the maintenance of cashbooks and bank records.
• Assist with bank reconciliations and cash counts.
• Support proper documentation of cash advances and retirements.
• Monitor outstanding advances and support timely retirement.
• Ensure that cash and financial documents are securely maintained.

Financial Compliance and Internal Controls

• Support implementation of CRO’s financial policies and procedures.
• Ensure financial transactions follow appropriate approval and authorization processes.
• Support segregation of duties and other internal control mechanisms.
• Identify potential financial risks and bring them to management’s attention.
• Support compliance with donor financial rules and applicable Nigerian statutory requirements.  Assist in preparing financial documentation for internal and external audits.

Procurement and Finance Coordination

• Work closely with Procurement and Logistics teams to ensure proper financial documentation of procurement transactions.

Review payment documentation for completeness before processing.

Support reconciliation between procurement records, invoices, payment documentation, and financial records.

• Assist in ensuring that procurement-related expenditures are charged to the correct project and budget line.

Payroll and Staff Payments

• Support preparation and review of payroll information where applicable.
• Assist with staff payment schedules and statutory deductions.
• Maintain appropriate documentation for salaries, allowances, and other approved staff-related payments.
• Support reconciliation of payroll-related financial records.

4. Proposal and Project Development Support

The Finance Officer will support CRO’s organizational growth and project development by:

• Providing financial inputs into concept notes and proposals.
• Supporting the preparation of detailed project budgets.
• Reviewing budget assumptions and cost estimates.
• Developing project budget trackers.
• Supporting financial planning during project start-up.
• Providing financial information required for donor applications and due-diligence processes.  Supporting budget revisions and financial projections where required.

5. Financial Reporting

The Finance Officer will support the preparation of:

• Monthly financial reports.
• Budget versus actual expenditure reports.
• Project financial reports.
• Cash and bank reconciliation reports.
• Cash-flow projections.
• Donor financial reports.
• Financial statements and supporting schedules.
• Audit schedules and supporting documentation.

6. Expected Deliverables

The Volunteer Finance Officer will contribute to:

• Accurate and updated financial records.
• Organized financial filing systems.
• Regular bank and cash reconciliations.
• Budget monitoring and expenditure tracking reports.
• Project budget trackers.
• Financial reports for management.
• Donor financial reporting.

Properly documented payment and expenditure files.

Improved internal financial controls.

• Financial inputs for proposals and project budgets.  Audit-ready financial documentation. Qualifications and Experience

Minimum Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent qualification in Accounting, Finance, Economics, Business Administration, or a related field.
• At least 1–3 years of relevant finance, accounting, or administrative experience is desirable.
• Previous experience with NGOs, humanitarian organizations, or development organizations is an advantage.
• Good understanding of accounting principles, budgeting, financial reporting, and internal controls.
• Strong knowledge of Microsoft Excel and financial record keeping.
• Good numerical and analytical skills.
• Strong attention to detail and accuracy.
• Good written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.

8. Desirable Skills

Experience or knowledge in the following will be an advantage:

• NGO and humanitarian financial management.
• Donor-funded project accounting.
• Budget monitoring and budget versus actual analysis.
• Financial reporting.
• Audit preparation and support.
• Payroll and statutory deductions.
• Cash and bank reconciliation.
• Financial policies and procedures.
• Excel-based accounting and financial management systems.  Familiarity with donor compliance requirements.

9. Core Competencies

The successful candidate should demonstrate:

• Integrity and financial accountability.
• Strong attention to detail.
• Numerical and analytical ability.
• Transparency and professionalism.
• Good organizational skills.
• Problem-solving ability.
• Effective communication.

Teamwork and collaboration. Ability to meet deadlines.

• Commitment to humanitarian principles, safeguarding, gender equality, and inclusion.

10. Volunteer Engagement and Remuneration

This is an unpaid volunteer position at the current stage of CRO’s organizational development. The position is intended to strengthen CRO’s financial management capacity and organizational preparedness while the organization pursues funded humanitarian and development projects.

There is currently no salary, stipend, or financial remuneration attached to the position.

However, where CRO secures funded projects requiring finance personnel, the organization may consider transitioning the volunteer engagement into a paid project-based or employment position, subject to available funding, project requirements, performance, and organizational procedures.

The volunteer will have the opportunity to gain practical experience in NGO financial management, project budgeting, donor compliance, financial reporting, audit preparation, and humanitarian operations.

11. Safeguarding, Anti-Fraud and Code of Conduct

The Finance Officer will be required to comply fully with CRO’s policies and standards relating to:

• Child safeguarding and protection from sexual exploitation and abuse (PSEA).
• Prevention of sexual harassment and abuse.
• Anti-fraud and anti-corruption.
• Conflict of interest.
• Financial accountability and transparency.
• Confidentiality and responsible information management.
• Code of Conduct.
• Gender equality, diversity, and inclusion.

The Finance Officer must immediately report suspected fraud, financial misconduct, conflict of interest, or misuse of organizational resources through the appropriate organizational reporting channels.

10. Application Process

Interested candidates should submit via this link: https://forms.gle/zXY5afvqicq1SB8m8

Deadline for Application is on 30^th September 2026Finance Officer (Volunteer)