Finance Manager, Contracts and Grants at African Management Initiative (AMI)

Job Description

AMI is expanding rapidly. With support from international social impact investors, we have established offices in Nairobi, Johannesburg, Kigali and Dakar, and worked for an impressive portfolio of clients in East, West and Southern Africa. We have trained over 42,000 individuals in 39 African countries to date.

AMI is now looking for a Finance Manager, Contracts and Grants to be based in Nairobi to oversee contracts and grants across the company. This requires an accountant to work as part of multi-disciplined team in a fast-paced environment.

Reporting to the Chief Finance Officer, the role requires a well-organised team player, with a desire to do things right the first time and will liaise with external and internal stakeholders.

Responsibilities:

Managing Contracts and Grants

• Collaborate with the Partnerships Team in preparing budgets and costings for client proposals aligned with organizational priorities, reviewing allocations & requirements, considering tax implications and ensuring target margins are achievable.
• Accurately set up proposals and projects in the system (NetSuite).
• Ensure costs are correctly allocated to projects, and all-time writing, purchase orders, staff expenses, etc., are properly approved by project budget holders.
• Monitor project costs against the budget, highlighting adverse trends and variances for timely action.
• Manage and monitor income recognition and prepare project profitability reports.
• Ensure accurate and timely project billings with adequate supporting documentation.
• Provide timely and accurate grant/contract financial reports collaborating with the program manager to explain and resolve any variances to clients.
• Review projects and grant reports with the CFO.

Contract Compliance

• Attend and/or initiate contract reviews with the Partnerships/Implementation Team to ensure understanding and acceptance of contract financial conditions.
• Ensure compliance with contract conditions, such as providing supporting documentation, maintaining required insurance levels, obtaining signed contract documents, and adhering to tax laws.
• Follow and implement group accounting procedures, internal controls, and pricing/costing guidelines.
• Ensure AMI staff and budget holders spend in line with project budgets.

Accounting Function and Internal Controls

• Track all incoming agreements for their financial requirements to provide advice on their application, feasibility, and practical implementation
• Work with the team on audits and agreed-upon-procedures as needed, providing documentation and drafting responses to audit questions
• Maintain financial documents for funding agreements and strong internal processes which intersect with the various teams
• Support decision-making on expenses in coordination with the various teams, interpreting whether the expense is appropriate and allowable within the framework, budget, goals, and general conditions
•  Assist the CFO, Partnerships and Implementation team as required.

Requirements

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor’s Degree in business administration, finance, accounting, or a related field from a recognized university
• Qualified Accountant (ACCA, CPA)
• At least six (6) years’ experience in finance, three (3) of which should be in grant and/or contract financial management.
• Experience working with ERP systems or recognized accounting software, preferably NetSuite.
• Experience working for fast-growth, rapidly-scaling companies is an added advantage

Skills & attributes

• Ability to develop and follow project plans, coordinate projects, and complete them on time.
• Strong ability to pay attention to detail, solve problems, and deliver within tight deadlines.
• Excellent interpersonal, oral, written, and visual communication skills. Able to work independently and as part of a team.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently, take initiative in problem-solving, proactively address issues, and follow tasks through to completion.
• Self-motivated, independent worker and self-starter.
• Proficient in MS Excel and excellent report writing ability.
• Highest level of personal and professional integrity
• Able to thrive in a fast-paced and commercial environment.