WITNESS

Finance Coordinator

ABOUT WITNESS 

We are a global human rights organization, comprised of a team of passionate human rights activists with remote staff based across 5 continents. WITNESS’ mission is to help people use video and technology to protect and defend human rights. While we’re legally a non-profit that is registered as a 501(c)3 in the U.S, our multi-disciplinary team of 55 staff members (as well as consultants, interns, fellows and a vast community of partners and collaborators) are based around the world and reflect a group of activists with diverse skills and backgrounds. 

WHAT WE DO

WITNESS pairs grassroots community support with advocacy at a systems level. Our team works holistically on a global scale to understand how communities are using and want to use video and technology for human rights.  With a cellphone camera, anyone can become a human rights defender and expose injustice, making it harder for perpetrators to hide or for systems of oppression to remain invisible.  But using video for community organizing, justice and accountability can be dangerous – videos can put defenders (or those they film) at risk, can be used against communities in court or deceitfully discredited by tired old power narratives.  Filming is almost never enough – for videos to make a difference they need to work alongside strong advocacy or legal strategies; they also need to be created, preserved and shared in ways that avoid creating more harm or trauma.

New threats to human rights are emerging at the intersection of artificial intelligence, misinformation and disinformation and a global wave of rising authoritarianism.

When it comes to systemic challenges we are on the watch for both existing problems – like how large amounts of critical human rights footage are lost because of the arbitrary decisions of platforms – but also emerging threats and opportunities, such as those posed by ‘deepfakes’, new ways to manipulate media to make it look like someone said or did something they never did.

THE TEAM

Committed to the organization’s mission and vision, you will be part of a dynamic, global team of activists who work across the world and in different time zones. The Finance Team currently consists of a Director of Finance, Senior Accounting and Finance Manager, and Staff Accountant.  

THE ROLE 

The Finance Coordinator is responsible for several finance and administration tasks relating to accounts payable and revenue management including; accounts payable, accounts receivable, recording incoming grants, and monthly cash flows. They are responsible for ensuring the proper maintenance of WITNESS’ electronic paperwork relating to vendor payments for the organizational audit. They will serve as a liaison between finance and the WITNESS staff and be the first point of contact for training on finance functions.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Entering the account receivable and account payable transactions in the accounting system
• Review and file all payment requests ensuring compliance, prior to submitting for processing
• Record monthly cash receipts data in the accounting system and ensure all relevant paperwork is filed
• Enter all in-kind donation details in the accounting system, in coordination with the Philanthropy Coordinator
• Generate accounts receivable invoices and liaise with assistants to ensure follow up
• Update monthly organizational cash flows and prepare cash flow statements for Funders, when required
• Create and implement staff training resources and assist with troubleshooting, in coordination with the regional admins
• Filing of finance paperwork and carry out monthly bank reconciliations for all accounts
• Update Fixed assets register – month-end depreciation, monitor and add new assets in accounting system
• Entering grant release in accounting system on a monthly basis 
• Record interest and investment income details 
• Prepare relevant schedules for annual audit and assisting with completion of Form 990, as required.
• Streamline and find solutions for process improvements 
• Assist in other finance administrative and revenue related tasks, as they arise.

POSITION REQUIREMENTS

• Education & Experience:
• Required:
  • Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting or Finance
  • 2-3 years of work experience in Accounting, Finance, or general administration with a strong overlap with Financial processes.
  • Experience with financial accounting software
  • Strong computer literacy and comfort with digital communication and collaboration tools, including proficiency in Google Workspace, Zoom, and Slack.
  • High level of proficiency with Excel or Google Sheets
• Preferred:   
  • Direct experience with Accounts Payable and Receivable strongly preferred.
  • Knowledge of US GAAP
  • Additional experience with non-finance systems including project management tools, work flow systems etc. Familiarity with Notion is a plus. 
  • Background in and/or passion for human rights, a strong commitment to social justice and alignment with WITNESS’ values and mission.  
• Languages: 
  • Excellent written and spoken English; proficiency in additional languages is a plus. Native English is not required.
  • Other Skills and Characteristics: 
    • Comfortable with numbers, have strong data-entry and data auditing skills
    • Meticulous attention to detail. 
    • Strong organizational skills, and ability to prioritize tasks and meet deadlines.
    • Strong interpersonal skills and aptitude for cross-cultural communication. 
    • A self-starter and doer  that is able to work independently and as part of a larger team.

From time to time the role will require the completion of additional duties commensurate with the level of this position as needed and requested by your manager.

COMPENSATION 

WITNESS operates a salary localization policy using a combination of regularly reviewed foreign exchange rates and location adjustment multipliers. 

Based on current rates, gross salaries for some of our current locations are given as an example: 

• Brazil – BRL 199,900
• Colombia – USD 37,600
• Mexico – MXN 782,200
• Nigeria – USD 41,850
• UK – 45,900
• USA  – USD 63,150

BENEFITS

• Health: WITNESS offers competitive and robust medical benefits that cover an individual’s and their dependants’ medical, dental and vision at 100%.
• Life Insurance & AD & D: WITNESS provides life insurance and AD&D payable at one time (1x) the employee’s salary, to the beneficiary, in the event an employee were to expire while employed by the organization.
• Remote Work Stipend: WITNESS recognizes that flexible working arrangements are key to equity and inclusion in the workplace and we currently provide a monthly remote work allowance, we are happy to talk about the type of flexible arrangements that might work best for you. This remote work stipend is provided to all staff members to pay for extra equipment, electricity, stationery, internet, wellness,  or whatever an employee deems necessary in order to work remotely. Please note that a computer and basic accessories are provided to all employees at the time of hire.
• Pension Contributions: After 1 year of service at the organization, WITNESS will contribute 3% of an individual’s gross baseline salary towards a global retirement fund.
• Paid Time Off: WITNESS has a range of paid time off types that support our staff.
  • Vacation leave: that meets local statutory levels or 15 days whichever is higher, in addition to staff’s local public holidays. The vacation allowance increases by 5 after 3 years of service.
  • Personal / Wellness leave: 5 days staff can use at any time to recharge in recognition of the importance of supporting positive mental well being.
  • End of Year closure: this usually is equivalent to a minimum of 5 days leave in addition to any public holidays across the last week of December and early January.
  • Sick Leave: follows local statutory guidance however; WITNESS ensures a minimum of 10 days paid time off for occasional sickness and health related absences. A minimum of 6 weeks of full pay in instances of longer-term absence.
  • Sabbatical Leave: At the 10 year mark we offer staff 10 weeks of paid time off in order to take a break, gain new insights and expand their horizons.
• Work/ Life Balance : WITNESS believes in creating a healthy work environment in which  flexible schedules are available, we also understand that sometimes an employee may just require a few hours to take care of personal issues in which case they can adjust their hours to make up for the time instead of taking a full day of leave. Both are allowable once agreed upon with the departmental supervisors.
• Mental Health Policy: WITNESS feels that all employees should feel supported both physically as well as mentally while they are at work and realizes that many times the issues that we deal with, the materials that we watch and the events surrounding some of the work that we do, can lead to feeling “unwell” and not in a “good space”. Should a situation arise in which an Employee requests support on mental health, WITNESS will award  (10) days of “WITNESS” paid leave.
• Professional Development: In support of the growth and development of our staff, WITNESS regularly seeks opportunities for professional development, exposure to new skills and supports a culture of learning. 
• Reading Days: As part of this we offer staff 1 day per month where staff can take a day to read, study and connect more deeply with peers, partners and colleagues to further functional knowledge relevant to their role or deepen their general understanding and ability to support human rights work. 

HOW TO APPLY

If you are interested in joining the WITNESS team, please apply through BambooHR: https://witness.bamboohr.com/careers. You will need to attach your CV/resume and answer several application questions. 

Please note that if you are seeing this post in a 3rd party system (Indeed, Glassdoor, LinkedIn, Zip Recruiter etc), be sure that you are submitting an application via WITNESS’ application link above in BambooHR.

APPLICATION DEADLINE: Applications must be submitted by end of day December 15th, 2024  to be considered in the first round of application screening. Depending on the outcome of this first round of applications, later applications may be considered. Please note that due to the volume of anticipated applications, we will not be able to respond individually to each applicant. We kindly ask that you do not send duplicate applications via mail or email, and no phone calls. No recruiters please.

WITNESS is a global human rights organization and aims to build an inclusive workforce that is reflective of the communities we work with. We are interested in building a talented team that brings their true selves with diverse backgrounds, cultures and perspectives. We are interested in receiving applications from those who are marginalized and underrepresented. 

WITNESS is an equal opportunity employer. People of all ages, races, ethnicities, national origins, religions, genders, gender identities and expressions, sexual orientations, and individuals protected by any other statuses under international federal, state or local laws, including but not limited to, disability, marital, domestic partnership, familial, caregiver, transgender, military or veteran statuses, are encouraged to apply. 

http://www.witness.org