Finance & Administration Manager at Kenyatta University

Main Purpose of Job

• Under the direct supervision of the Chief of Party (CoP), the Finance and Administration Manager shall support the CoP in the general administration of the program, overseeing the financial management of the award, budgets, transformation fund grants, financial planning & management of the USAID-YALI RLC EA program in Kenya and ultimately achieving program goals. S/He will ensure compliance with University and USAID policies and sound management of YALI RLC EA resources to accomplish the project mission.

Key Responsibilities

The Finance Manager’s key roles and responsibilities will include but not limited to the following:

Budgeting:

• Lead the annual budgeting and periodic forecasting process for the YALI RLC EA project.
• Assist the CoP and program staff with work plan budget development, technical budget estimates, and scenario-based forecasts for program spending.
• Work closely with the University Finance Unit and the CoP to identify priorities and target funding sources for cost share.

Reporting:

• Provide timely financial reporting with detailed budget vs. actuals and by component to the Chief of Party (CoP) and the Program management team. Provide CoP with necessary financial reports (including analysis) for regular meetings.
• Work with the University and the program leadership to prepare required quarterly, annual, and ad hoc financial reports.
• Prepare quarterly expenditure reports and burn rate projections by component for the YALI RLC EA management team and the program's leadership team.

Financial Management:

• Monitor overall expenses and revenues to ensure that projections are accurate, the program does not overspend with available revenue, and restricted funds are used according to donor requirements.
• Maintain and update the overall program budget against the approved budget, including work plan budgets, the chunk budget, and budgets by components.
• Oversee the program's financial management and operations, including setting up and overseeing financial procedures in accordance with USAID and KU requirements and setting up and maintaining financial accounts.
• Work with the University finance focal point of the program to ensure day-to-day financial processes and procedures are implemented and working correctly, with the appropriate checks and balances in place.
• Lead the program's financial activities, including, but not limited to, reviewing and submitting approved milestones for payment and reviewing and approving program accounting reports and supporting documentation.
• Manage time and expense reporting, finance& accounting procedures in alignment with the policies and procedures.
• Maintain effective timelines and quality control processes for financial and operational deliverables and financial management processes.
• Ensure contract terms with Donors are being met and help the program team closely follow the projected annual budget and work plan.
• Coordination with Kenyatta University Key Departments
• Be the primary contact point for the YALI RLC EA project for all financial matters relating to the program implementation.
• Coordinate with the University to ensure all financial activities meet program needs, e.g., accurate and timely production of invoices, spending plan tools, other financial trackers, and responding to USAID inquiries.
• Work closely with the finance analyst on tracking VAT

Minimum Qualifications

• A Masters degree in Business Administration, Accounting, Finance or a relevant field.
• Possession of relevant professional certifications, specifically, CPA-K or ACCA.
• Eight (8) years of relevant and progressively increasing responsibility in finance, accounting, and administration, including four (4) years in a supervisory role managing finance and administration of a donor-funded activity.
• Demonstrated experience administering and managing complex grant funding.
• Experience developing and/or maintaining budget tracking tools.
• Demonstrated experience managing a team and supervising office and field staff.
• Ability to implement effective workflow processes and procedures to monitor, evaluate, and report on grant implementation and expenditures.
• Ability to work with community stakeholders and build capacity of nascent youth organizations and networks.
• Proficiency in MS Office applications and experience working with several different accounting software packages.
• Strong Communication skills – both oral and written.

Key Performance areas

• Delivery excellence
• Analytical thinking and problem-solving
• Business Technology Acumen
• Technical competencies
• Demonstrated leadership and management skills.
• Excellent strategic planning skills.
• Strong judgement and decision-making skills.
• Excellent verbal communication skills.
• Excellent report writing skills.
• Good research capacity, data analysis and information management skills; and
• Ability to work in a team.

Your role as a leader

• At Kenyatta University, we believe in the importance of leadership at all levels.  We expect our people to embrace and live our purpose by challenging themselves to identify issues that are most important for our clients, our people, and for society and make an impact that matters.

Leadership / Behavioural Capabilities

• Living our Purpose - Acts as a role model, embracing and living our purpose and values, and recognizing others for the impact they make.
• Influence—Positively influences clients, teams, and individuals, leading by example and establishing confident relationships with increasingly senior people.
• Performance drive – Delivers exceptional client service, maximizes results, and drives high performance from people while fostering collaboration across businesses and borders.
• Strategic direction - Translates broader strategy into a compelling team vision and goals; aligns the team and sets priorities to achieve objectives.
• Talent development - Develops high-performing people and teams through challenging and meaningful opportunities