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Term of Reference (TOR)

This position description is the basis of the position holder’s employment contract with the Mekong Institute (MI). It sets out the employee’s roles and responsibilities, and what s/he is expected to deliver to contribute to MI’s work. The Supervisor will use the position description to guide the employee in his or her work and as the basis for the annual performance evaluation process.

Mekong Institute

MI is an intergovernmental organization that contributes to regional cooperation and integration through capacity development, dialogue, and advocacy for the acceleration of sustainable socioeconomic development and poverty alleviation in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS). Founded and represented by Cambodia, China, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand, and Viet Nam, MI’s strategies are aligned with the core tenets of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the ASEAN Community Building, the GMS Cooperation Program Strategic Framework 2030, and other relevant international, regional and subregional cooperation mechanisms. 

MI supports these frameworks through the implementation of projects across the areas of Agricultural Development and Commercialization, Trade and Investment Facilitation, and Sustainable Energy and Environment while addressing issues of social inclusion and vulnerability, digital economy and innovation, and labor mobility to cement holistic and sustainable development impacts in the subregion and beyond.

Role of Finance and Operations Department (Finance Unit)

The Finance and Operations Department provides four core services for MI - finance, administration, procurement, and human resources (HR) management, plus the provision of IT services.

The Finance Unit manages and reports on all of MI’s financial resources and expenditures through accurate and timely accounting procedures that are compliant with both international standards and donor requirements. The Unit also supports the Executive Director (ED) and program departments to ensure that the annual financial performance will be healthy such as developing the budget proposal template, monitoring and recommending the expenditures against to budget in the appropriate ways, preparing the quarterly cash forecast, minimizing the unnecessary expense and analyzing the staff cost compared with projects’ budget before allowing to recruit the new staff.

Position description

Reporting to the Finance Manager, the Finance Analyst provides the financial oversight of all MI financial transactions and activities, particularly, this position will ensure that the Sun System will be installed and implemented smoothly and functionally. 

Key deliverables

• Ensure that the program accounting of the Sun System is operating smoothly
• Accurate & Compliant Financial Records and Timely Transaction Processing
• Ensure the High-Quality Financial Reports to the developments donors and MI concerned budget holders
• High level of compliance with GAAP and international standards through systematic and accurate recording and reporting of financial transactions.
• Make the Financial Analysis & Management Support

Main responsibilities and tasks

1. Transformation of Transactions from the Current Accounting System to Sun System

• Map and validate all transaction codes from the existing accounting system to their corresponding codes in Sun System.
• Review, verify, and post all migrated transactions into Sun System.
• Reconcile balance sheet accounts, expenditures, and revenue to ensure accuracy and consistency between the old and new systems.
• Work with the Sun System company to ensure that everything is going smoothly until Go-Live and continuously.

2. Transaction Review & Verification (Pre-Booking in SunSystems)

• Review all financial transactions (payments, receipts, journals) for accuracy, completeness, and compliance with MI financial policies, donor agreements, and approved budgets.
• Verify supporting documents (contracts, invoices, payment requests, approvals) before posting in SunSystems.
• Ensure the correct chart of accounts, cost centers, project codes, program code, donor codes, and activity lines are used.
• Ensure segregation of duties is respected and approvals are obtained before booking.
• Ensure that the backup and restore functions are well organized.
• Weekly scan all financial documents recorded in SunSystems and upload them to the designated SharePoint folder, ensuring files are complete, properly labelled, and accessible for audit and reporting purposes

3. Data Entry Oversight & System Control (SunSystems)

• Oversee and validate entries made in SunSystems to ensure compliance with MI accounting standards and procedures.
• Review journal vouchers and adjustment entries prior to final posting.
• Monitor system integrity by ensuring transactions are recorded in the correct accounting period.
• Maintain proper audit trails and documentation in the system for internal and external audit

4. Financial Report Review & Analysis (Pre-Submission)

• Review detailed financial reports generated from SunSystems (budget vs. actual, expenditure summaries, project financial statements).
• Validate accuracy, consistency, and completeness of figures.
• Analyze variances between budget and actual expenditures and flag significant deviations.
• Ensure expenditures are aligned with approved workplans, contracts, and donor requirements.

5. Reporting Support to Program Director

• Prepare clear financial explanations, notes, and justifications to accompany reports submitted to the Program Director.
• Highlight financial risks, underspending/overspending issues, and cash flow concerns in advance.
• Support the Program Director in understanding financial data for decision-making and donor communication.

6. Any other reasonable task requested by the Director of Finance and Operations through Finance Manager.

Required Qualifications, Skills, Expertise, Experience and Competency

• Bachelor's degree in finance, accounting, or Certified Public Accountant (CPA).
• Master's degree in finance and accounting is considered an advantage
• Experience in accounting, with a strong understanding of fund accounting, restricted and unrestricted funds, revenue, and expense recognition.
• Minimum of 5 years of relevant experience in managing finance, accounting, and/or auditing, preferably in an international organization and inter-governmental organization.
• Financial Management: Ability to prepare and manage budgets, financial reports, and forecasts.
• Accounting Software Proficiency: Experience with accounting software such as Sun-System, QuickBooks, or financial tools.
• Grant Management: Experience managing restricted funds, tracking grant expenditures, and ensuring compliance with grant reporting.
• Internal Controls: Implementing and monitoring internal financial controls to safeguard assets.
• Computer fluency: Microsoft Office (advanced Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Access, OneNote, Microsoft 365, AI and Relevant).
• Language: very good written and spoken English.
• Attention to Detail: Accuracy in financial reporting and compliance.
• Strong Communication Skills: Ability to explain financial data to non-financial managers, particularly the program departments.
• Organizational Skills: Ability to manage multiple tasks and deadlines efficiently.
• Integrity and Ethics: A strong commitment to transparency and ethical financial practices.

Desirable

• Foster and promote a positive work environment throughout the organization.
• Proficiency in at least one national language of a GMS country.

Salary and Benefits

Salary

The salary shall be commensurate with qualifications and experience, and in accordance with the approved budget allocation for this position in the range between USD 2,000 – USD 2,500. The salary amount shall be as specified in the employment contract.According to the status of an inter governmental organization, income tax exemption applies only to non-Thai staff.

Benefits

The following benefits are provided subject to the availability of the approved project budget, in accordance with MI’s Human Resources Policies:

Apply

If you have the skills and experience to exceed in this position and are passionate about
equitable and inclusive economic growth in GMS, Submit your CV and the letter cover
via the link https://forms.office.com/r/MFwBQJEZWE within February 28, 2025, by
select the position “Finance Analyst”  Please note that the closing date is midnight Bangkok, Thailand time and only  applications successful in progressing to the next stage will be responded to.