Senior Financial Administrative Specialist 

Ministry of Finance

Rural Financial Inclusion Project in Palestine (RUFIPP)

Terms of Reference 

for Hiring a Full-Time Senior Financial Administrative Specialist 

Job Announcement: Senior Financial Administrative Specialist
Project: Rural Financial Inclusion Project in Palestine (RUFIPP)
Lead Executing Agency (EA): Ministry of Finance (MOF)
Implementing Agencies (IA): Ministry of Finance (MOF) and Ministry of Agriculture (MOA)
Location: Ramallah, with possible travel in West Bank areas.
Contract Duration: One-year contract with possibility of extension based on satisfactory performance. A three-month probationary period applies.

Background:

The Palestinian Authority has received financing from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the European Union (EU), and the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) towards the cost of the Rural Financial Inclusion Project in Palestine (RUFIPP). 

The Ministry of Finance is seeking a highly qualified Senior Financial Administrative Specialist to join the RUFIPP Project Management Unit (PMU) in Ramallah.
The project aims to enhance resilient economic growth and incomes of smallholder farmers and rural enterprises by increasing access to affordable financial products, raising financial literacy, and mainstreaming social inclusion. Specifically, RUFIPP focuses on reaching marginalized and vulnerable groups, including women and youth. 

RUFIPP will be implemented over a four-year period starting in the second semester of 2025. Project activities are organized into three major components: (i) Inclusive rural finance literacy and awareness raising; (ii) Providing inclusive and green rural finance products and services; (iii) Capacity development and strengthening of rural finance institutions.

Job Purpose:

The Project Senior Financial Administrative Specialist reports directly to the Project Director and is responsible for the financial management of the project. As Head of Finance, the Specialist will deputize the Project director, when required, and take charge of all matters in the project financing cycle. The project financing cycle to be overseen by the financial controller starts from financial-related inputs in AWPB preparation and budget control, committing funds, disbursements and cash flow management in an effective and efficient manner. S/he will also take charge of financial reporting to ensuring smooth audits and facilitation for supervision missions on all financial management aspects. The Financial Specialist also supports the Project director in the resource mobilization of the Project. The Financial Specialist will be responsible for expediting all grants and loan management and disbursement activities through the Ministry of Finance. Together with the Project Director, the Finance Specialist is directly responsible for ensuring the eligibility of project expenditures and for the integrity of project financial information and supporting documentation. 

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

• Lead the process of opening and maintaining project bank accounts as per financing agreements;
• Ensure that all project accounts are maintained in accordance with IFAD, EU, and government financial procedures and standards;
• Oversee the inclusion of the project in the national budget cycle and coordinate fund disbursements from all financiers by submitting accurate and timely interim financial reports and related Withdrawal Applications (WAs) within the IFAD Client Portal (ICP);
• Communicate financial procedures and responsibilities to implementing partners; 
• Support implementing partners in complying with all financial management and reporting standards and oversee the quality of their work and of their financial management arrangements;
• Review and contribute to the preparation of the Annual Work Plan and Budget (AWPB) and the Procurement Plan;
• Ensure that all project expenditures are incurred in line with the approved AWPB and accompanied by a complete set of supporting documentation;
• Provide the Project Director with periodic updates on budget execution ensuring that budget execution is progressing according to plans and that the overall project budget as per the financing agreement is being respected;
• Establish and maintain appropriate financial records and filing system;
• Establish and maintain the project fixed asset register; 
• Ensure that project activities and expenditures are carried out within the framework of a solid internal control system; 
• Lead the process of finalizing and updating the project finance and administrative manual to be submitted to the donor for non-objection;
• Ensure compliance with financial regulations, international accounting standards, and audit requirements.
• Liaise with auditors and address any concerns raised during audits;
• Complete data entry for PMU incurred expenditures in the accounting software with appropriate allocations to the different financing sources;
• Prepare financial statements, reconciliations and reports (monthly; quarterly and annually) in line with the project accounting standards and according to IFAD and EU requirements and imposed deadlines;
• Follow up and maintain an up-to-date record on government and beneficiary contributions, both in cash and in-kind;
• Participate in occasional field visit for overall oversight and according to a mission plan agreed with the project director.
• Manage financial risks, control expenditures, and report deviations from plans;
• Support all supervision missions and ensure timely availability of financial information;
• Monitor and ensure the implementation of recommendations pertaining to Financial Management from external auditors and supervision missions within the agreed deadlines;
• Prepare terms of reference for any additional finance personnel if required;
• Undertake any other duties of financial nature and pertaining to the implementation of the Project as assigned by the Project director.

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Qualifications and Experience Required:

• Advanced degree in Business Administration, Finance, Accounting, Economics, or a related field.
• Professional accounting certification such as CIMA, ACCA, or CPA is a plus.
• Minimum of 7 years of relevant experience, including at least 5 years in donor-funded projects 
• Previous experience with IFAD projects or projects financed by another Multilateral Development Bank (MDB) or by the European Union; 
• Strong knowledge and experience of government financial regulations and procedures and financial management tools and software; 
• Proficient in the use financial software (experience with the project specific accounting software will be considered a plus), spreadsheets, and reporting systems.
• Good knowledge of public financial management procedures;
• Fluent in English (written and spoken).

Interested candidates are requested to send their CVs and a cover letter to the Ministry of Finance – The International Relations and Projects Directorate, at this email address: [email protected]

The closing date for applying is June 26, 2025. Please clearly indicate the position to which you are applying in the subject line of your email.