Grants Accountant at Kenya Red Cross Society

Overall Purpose

Reporting to the Grants Manager, the Grants Accountant will be responsible for effective planning, budgeting, implementing and evaluating accounting operations including management of the GF funds and monitoring the income against budget to ensure that all income variances are identified and investigated in a timely way and management of creditors. S/He will manage bank reconciliations, updating and producing cash flow forecasts, according to income received and expenditure committed and reporting the monthly cash flow position, maintaining an updated billing system, handling credit balances as well as creating a cost-effective recovery system.

Core Duties and Responsibilities

• Contribute to the development, implementation and review of the Sub recipient’s budgets and other contractual documents
• Ensure timely disbursements of funds to sub-recipients/Sub partners.
• Conduct monthly reviews of Sub recipients/sub partners financial reports and provide appropriately feedback on time to sub-recipients.
• Ensure that all receipts from the donor and appropriately accounted for as Income in the system.
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge on the organization's funding sources, grants and contracts, ensure implementation of best practices
• Improve financial processes by working with IT to ensure the accounting system adapts to emerging program needs e.g. issues to do with new codes, automation of processes.
• Ensuring that invoices are recorded and vendors paid in a timely manner
• Manage staff advances ensuring they are done on time and accounted for as per company policy.
• Monitor bank balances on a weekly basis & Prepare bank reconciliations on a monthly basis
• Produce cash flow forecasts according to income received and expenditure committed, to ensure funds are available for smooth operation of the unit.
• Generating monthly, quarterly and bi-annual financial and management reports
•  Ensure adherence to guidelines and policies
• Provide various financial reports on an ad-hoc basis by extracting, compiling, analyzing, and formatting financial data
• Assist in interpreting report parameters, results, and data to line management, programme officers, project managers and other management personnel
• Coordinate safekeeping, control & update the assets and securities for the unit.
• Coordinate external  audit and ensure all requested information is supplied in a timely manner and that all relevant audit recommendations are implemented
• Document & update standard operating procedures of a grant accountant.
• Build capacities of Regional Grant Officers through monthly feed backs, follow up of management letters and one on one training.
• Contribute to multidisciplinary work teams to develop, implement and evaluate strategic management plans and budgets in order to improve performance standards and organisational effectiveness

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting and finance plus CPA (K) or equivalent qualifications    
• Over three (3) years experience in accounting including skills in computerized accounting systems.

Key Competencies

• Considerable knowledge of  accounting, financial modelling and cash flow forecasting
• Considerable knowledge and ability to perform professional accounting work in accordance with the international “Generally Accepted Accounting and Auditing Principles” (GAAP), procedures, standards and controls, including financial forecasting and monitoring of budgets as well as donor accounting procedures
• Effective communication skills ability to present ideas clearly, both orally and in writing and to prepare comprehensive reports
• Effective interpersonal skills to establish cooperative working relationships in the course of performing assigned duties
• Ability to identify and resolve problems in a timely manner, gather and analyse information skilfully, develop alternative solutions, work well in group problem solving situations and use reason even when dealing with emotional topics
• Considerable knowledge of management information and financial management systems, proficiency in database systems, spreadsheet and flow chart applications, computerized accounting, budgeting and human resources systems
• Ability and willingness to make consultative decisions, exhibit sound and accurate judgment, support and explain reasoning for decisions, include appropriate people in decision-making process and makes timely decisions
• Demonstrated ability to meet deadlines, analyse financial and operational data and information, think analytically and critically
• Ability to maintains high level of confidentiality, remain open to new ideas and experiment with improved systems and proven methods