Finance Officer (Projects) at Transparency International - Kenya

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Leadership

• Provide effective leadership to the staff within their docket, including mentorship, coaching, team building, on-the-job training to enhance employee performance and other leadership interventions.

Resource Mobilization & Grant Management

• Support the Resource Mobilisation Committee in fund raising efforts by developing relevant budgets during the proposal development process;
• Develop and implement an overhead cost-share matrix to cover institutional overheads and ensure 100% recovery of shared costs from existing awards;
• Ensure that all project budgets contribute towards staff time for institutional position in Admin, Finance, M&E and Management team;
• Work with Project Leads to ensure 100% recovery of own costs, and full utilization of activity budgets across multiple projects;
• Assist programme staff to prepare annual estimates of expenditure as per approved log frame/ Detailed implementation Plan, for effective and efficient programme management.

Budgeting & Costing Control

• Prepare, develop and plan budget process so as to consolidate organizational budgets for review and approval;
• Track budgetary allocations per programme, as per approved Institutional and Project budgets, before approval of mission proposals;
• Prepare project reports for donors;
• Ensure that the financial estimates and budget notes included in project budgets are comprehensive, fully supported and comply with the internal policies and procurement best practices;
• In collaboration with Project Coordinators, support in periodic review and preparation of revised project budgets by reviewing the proposed changes to project budgets and ensuring that they are in line with donor expectations;
• Ensure that budgeting guidelines imposed on TI-Kenya by donors through grant agreements are fully adhered to;
• Ensure all new approved project budgets are uploaded to the ERP before the commencement of project activities.

Record management & Receipting

• Ensure updated records are kept on all financial transactions which TI-Kenya has made both from its own resources and from project/programme specific grants;
• Track project cashflow requirements and follow up on fund disbursements as and when they fall due;
• Assist and maintain updated donor records, files and grant management matrix, in liaison with Programme Staff;
• Receipt and record all cash inflows received from donors or reimbursed by staff.

Project reporting and analysis

• Prepare monthly budget utilization reports and analysis for review by the Finance & Investments Manager to assist in decision-making;
• Compile monthly project reports as required by the Project(s) Coordinators or other project governance body, ensuring accuracy and adherence to donor requirements always;
• Ensure that adequate documentation is available for review for all project transaction listing;
• Calculate, record and provide explanatory notes for any variances of expenditures against approved project budgets;
• Respond to donor questions regarding project financials at any time and as required;
• Review project staff timesheets and ensure they are aligned to the LOE supported by respective project budgets;
• Attend project oversight programme meetings and address any financial strategic concerns or risks.

Financial Reporting & Compliance

• Ensure that accounting, budget and audit controls and systems comply with the legal rules and regulations;
• Work with line manager to close out projects within the finance system and align this closeout to final donor reporting;
• Extraction of timely financial reports for management and donor reporting;
• Ensure that a checklist for projects closure is prepared in consultation with project staff/manager;
• Plan for and lead the project audit processes as may be required;
• Ensure proper financial record-keeping and receipting is in place.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

• Minimums of a Bachelor’s Degree in any of the following Accounts, Finance, Commerce, or any other related qualification from a recognized institution;
• Relevant professional qualification like CPA or ACCA;
• At least 5 years relevant work experience in a busy finance and accounts environment - 2 of which should have been in similar position preferably in the CSO/NGO sector;
• Proven experience using computer programmes including MS Office Suite;
• Working experience with ERP systems and/or other accounting software.

COMPETENCIES AND SKILLS

• A person of high integrity that will model TI-Kenya’s core values;
• Good knowledge of TI-Kenya and the environment in which it operates;
• A strong commitment to the aims, objectives and values of TI-Kenya;
• Costing and cost control;
• Budgeting and budgetary control;
• Financial reporting;
• Cash management;
• Honest, diligent and trustworthy;
• Shown merit in work performance and results;
• Ability to work under pressure with minimum supervision;
• Strong analytical, statistical and problem-solving skills;
• Good interpersonal/ relational skills;
• A sense of urgency and prioritization of tasks.