Associate Finance Officer, Financial Accounting (Nairobi) at Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA)

Job Reference: AFOA/OPS/10/2020

To support the successful delivery from a country perspective, AGRA is seeking to recruit an experienced and exceptional individual to the role of Associate Finance Officer, Financial Accounting.

The roles will be based in Nairobi, Kenya.

Role Summary:

The Associate Finance Officer – Financial Accounting is responsible for maintaining financial records for by analyzing balance sheets and general ledger accounts. S/he reconciles general and subsidiary accounts by gathering and balancing information. The role also provides financial status information by preparing special reports as well as completing special projects and is the main liaison person for activities within the Financial Accounting unit.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

• Receive supplier’s invoices, staff claims and grants via the designated channels. Check for completeness and accuracy and ensure all necessary support documents are attached. Code, analyze, input accurately in the system and circulate for approval.
• Tracking of invoices by logging into invoices status tracker. Circulate the same tracker by 10AM every Monday.
• Ensure that vendor invoices are scanned and attached to the accruals in Oracle after processing in the system.
• Processes payments and wire transfers and ensure they are complete and accurate and that funds have reached the designated recipients.
• Verifies that all payments have adequate supporting documents and that all necessary authorizations have been obtained for all payments.
• Compiles and ensures that all paid invoices and grants are stamped with the “PAID” Stamp to avoid multiple payments.
• Enters and maintains all payment transactions into Oracle in a timely/accurate manner and ensure all approved and processed payments are posted within 24 hours.
• Reviews all bank balances and foreign exchange rates regularly and collaborates with bankers for optimal benefit for AGRA to ensure upcoming payments are not delayed due to account funding
• Informs the vendors, grants unit and staff of the bank’s remittance advice and providing response to any queries that may arise
• Providing support to Finance Officers and Senior Finance Officers within the Financial Accounting unit with various tasks as assigned, such as invoice management, travel management, reconciliation process, payment scheduling, fixed assets management and LPO management.
• Undertake monthly supplier reconciliation. Draw out an action plan for reconciling differences.
• Ensure grants liability and commitment balances are reconciled on a monthly basis against downstream systems (e.g. AMIS).
• Processes interbank transfers and/or foreign currency sale in a timely manner and in accordance with the established standards and policies
• Organizes for external audits and review of various account balances
• Delivers all relevant information to the auditors in a timely and accurate manner in support of external financial audit process
• Liaises with country finance officers to ensure that intercompany balances are reconciled every month and necessary adjustments passed to ensure parity of counterparty balances.

Academic, Professional Qualifications and Relevant experience:

• At least 6 years of professional experience in accounting, finance, or financial monitoring
• Knowledge of global, country/government accounting standards
• A Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance or related.
• Accounting certification (CPA, ACCA, CIMA,CA)
• Strong analytical, data mining ability.
• Knowledge of basic accounting procedures.
• In-depth understanding of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP)
• Familiarity with financial accounting statements.
• Experience with general ledger functions and the month-end/year-end close process.
• Hands-on experience with accounting software/ERP like SAP & Navision. Current experience in using Oracle will be an added advantage.
• Excellent proficiency in spreadsheets (Excel). Must demonstrate practical use of intermediate functions.
• Experience in working with similar organizations or institutions will be an added advantage.
• Experience in working with finance regulations and reporting standards and requirements.
• Evidence of practice of a high level of confidentiality and trustworthiness.
• Influencing skills and ability to lead a small team. Very confident and able to engage at all levels for impact and outcome.
• Highly organized, results and detail orientated with a hands-on approach. Sensitive to timelines and deadlines.
• Excellent planning and organizing as well as problem solving/decision making ability.