Finance and Grants Compliance Coordinator – USAID STAWI Mashinani at Millennium Water Alliance

Job Summary

• MWA seeks an experienced Finance and Grants Compliance Coordinator who will coordinate all the financial management tasks under STAWI Mashinani Activity and ensure accuracy, timeliness, and documentation in line with donor guidelines. The coordinator will also support the staff and institutional capacity strengthening of eight local partners under the Activity. He/she will report to and deputize the Finance and Operations Manager, MWA Kenya, and will supervise two Finance Officers.

Roles and Responsibilities

• Oversee accounting processes, policies, and service delivery and maintain accounting controls to ensure accurate, complete, and timely recording and management of financial transactions and internal controls in compliance with MWA financial management policies and procedures, Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), donors’ rules and regulations, and legal requirements.
• Develop a targeted, risk-based, compliance review and monitoring plan for sub-grantees, disseminate the plan to the project leadership and ensure adherence/implementation of the plan within the stipulated timelines.
• Determine capacity building needs for sub-recipient and work with various stakeholders including project leadership to design customized training packages, including post-training follow up and associated documentation.
• Provide proactive advice, support, and capacity building to subrecipients to ensure compliance with standards and proper records of financial transactions, as well as to support strengthening of internal control.
• Key custodian of all essential subaward documentation (e.g., pre-award assessments, selection and negotiation memos, reports, site visits reports, monitoring plans, financial report review checklists, management letters, important email communications, pre-closeout letters, modifications, etc.) and update subaward trackers.
• Support in the preparation of and analysis of donor reports and other financial reports for various internal and external stakeholders ensuring their timely submission and attend regular meetings when required.
• Support in the preparation of the monthly Budget Comparison Reports (BCR) and Inception to date reports (ITD) and respond to any queries relating to the reports.
• Prepare finance indicator reports on monthly basis, alert management on any exceptions and make recommendations as appropriate.
• Participate in subrecipient monitoring visits, and update risk-based subrecipient monitoring and capacity building plans, on a regular basis.
• Provide support in fundraising activities and be actively involved in the budget preparation, writing of budget notes, review of project proposals for internal and external submission.
• Serve as the key point person on all issues related to financial transaction records for STAWI Mashinani Activity.
• Ensure financial reports are generated accurately and disseminated timely as per established reporting schedules and assist staff and subrecipients with financial reports analysis.
• Oversee maintenance of a good filing system of required supporting documentation to ensure easy access and retrieval, and a reliable and easy to follow audit trail.
• Ensure efficient management of cash flows and availability of sufficient and optimal cash to the sub recipient through monitoring cash balances.
• Support both MWA and sub-recipient audit process and take action to resolve findings contained in audit reports, such as cost items questioned or unresolved.
• Timely preparation, accurate review and consolidation of finance and donor reports from all partners and submission to donors/ Head Office.
• Deputize the Finance and Operations Manager and perform any other duties as may be assigned.

Required Qualifications and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, Finance, Economics, Business Administration. A master’s degree in any of this discipline is an added advantage.
• Qualifications in accounting, CPA/ACCA - Part 3 or equivalent is mandatory.
• Minimum of at least Seven years’ experience in a position with similar responsibilities, preferably with an International NGO with at least three years in management.
• Staff supervision experience is required.
• Experience in USAID funded programs is mandatory.
• Substantial budgeting, budget/expense analysis, and accounting experience is desired.
• Knowledge of local law in the area of taxation and local regulatory reporting procedures is preferred.
• Proficient in MS Office packages (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Visio), Web Conferencing Applications. Knowledge of wide financial accounting software package preferred and an additional advantage.

Personal Skills & Abilities

• Excellent analytical skills with ability to make sound judgment and decisions.
• Strong communications and presentation skills.
• Capable of working in a dynamic, results oriented environment; ability to multi-task across various work streams/priorities.
• Ability to build relationships and influence.
• Accuracy and completeness with a strong eye for detail.
• Ethical conduct in accordance with recognized professional and organizational codes of ethics.
• Proactive, resourceful, solutions oriented and results oriented.
• Ability to work collaboratively and transfer knowledge to others.