Finance and Grants Officer at Mercy Corps

Program / Department Summary: USAID’s Office of Food For Peace (FFP) awarded a Mercy Corps-led consortium of Kenyan and international partners with a five-year Development Food Security Activity (DFSA) in Turkana and Samburu Counties.

The Mercy Corps’ NAWIRI consortium brings together the global leadership, research capacity, technical expertise, and implementation experience necessary to partner with local institutions to test, adapt, and scale evidence-based solutions.

The program requires a robust county-centered design with government leadership, active engagement from communities, the private sector, and civil society. Together we will sustainably reduce persistent acute malnutrition for vulnerable populations in Turkana and Samburu counties.

The Mercy Corps Finance Department is responsible for all financial functions in Nairobi and Maralal. This includes, but is not limited to, accounting, payments and banking, payroll, budgeting, financial reporting, and grant financial management and compliance.

The Mercy Corps Finance Department ensures compliance with donor regulations as well as Mercy Corps’ internal policies and procedures. In its role as a support to the Program Department, the Finance Department provides timely reports and assistance to the Chief of Party and the Field Team to ensure that financial resources are utilized appropriately, efficiently, and effectively.

General Position Summary: The Finance & Grants Officer will work under the direction of the Finance Manager and have oversight of the Finance Assistant to ensure processing and recording of payment transactions are done in timely and accurate manner.

The Finance & Grants Officer is a supervisory position and the expectation is for strong collaboration with all team members (including program and operations departments), resolute fiduciary responsibility of all financial resources and high professional standards with a willingness and ability to enforce compliance with Mercy Corps and donor policies and procedures.

Essential Job Responsibilities

Financial management

• Work with Finance Manager and Field Director to plan and implement systems for financial operations in accordance with the Mercy Corps Field Finance Manual and donor regulations. This includes systems for Cash Flow management, consolidation of accounting information, internal controls, financial reporting, financial record keeping, grant management and compliance.
• Perform financial review of purchase requests, purchase orders, and payment requests to ensure compliance with MC policies and procedures and donors grants and contracts requirements.
• Provide guidance, training, and consultation on compliance with Mercy Corps policies and procedures as well as donor compliance requirements to all staff and partners.
• Support the Finance Manager to improve and enhance the efficiency of existing control systems and develop Standard Operating Procedures for accounting.
• Supports field connection transaction entry with the assigned batch
• Maintain the un-cleared cash advance file and prepare past due advance reports
• Assist with audit related requirements (timely documents retrieval, filing after audit completion, proving additional assistance as necessary)
• Work with the program teams with field cash reimbursements
• Perform regular and spot cash counts for the Maralal Field office
• Ensure all finance documents are properly labelled, filed and stored in a clear and easily accessible manner following Field Finance Manual
• Submission of all original vatable invoices to Nairobi for VAT claim on timely basis for VAT claim
• Ensure quality control of financial documents for completeness and proper referencing before archiving
• Responsible for cash and bank vouchers filing, statutory audit reports and other financial documents filing and maintenance of filing system (Hard copy and electronic) according to MC Procedures; manage finance archives and ensure monthly update of the Finance archiving index
• Create and sustain a work environment of mutual respect where team members strive to achieve excellence.
• Support an environment of cooperation and collaboration that instills a high level of Team Spirit.
• Promote accountability, communicate expectations and provide constructive feedback via regular feedback.
• Contribute to country team-building efforts, help team members identify problem-solving options, take ownership and be accountable.
• Any other duty as may be assigned

Grants Management

• Assist with follow up on subaward compliance issues and audits and document resolutions.
• Ensure proper organization of subaward files
• Assist in sub award site audits and prepare site visit reports

Organizational Learning: As part of our commitment to organizational learning and in support of our understanding that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities they serve, we expect all team members to commit 5% of their time to learning activities that benefit Mercy Corps as well as themselves.

Accountability to Beneficiaries: Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our beneficiaries and to international standards guiding international relief and development work, while actively engaging beneficiary communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.

Team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and MC’s policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues.

Knowledge and Experience

• A degree in accounting or a relevant business field.
• Minimum CPA 3 or other relevant accounting qualification.
• At least four years, experience in accounting, bookkeeping or cashiering, including experience with double-entry accounting preferably in an international NGO.
• Familiarity with major international donor rules and non-profit accounting.
• Familiarity with computerized, double-entry accounting software.
• Strong computer skills in MS Office programs, particularly Excel
• Accuracy in the processing of cash transactions, mathematical aptitude and attention to detail.
• Excellent oral and written English skills.