Programme Accountant – Finance Training & Capacity Strengthening at The Science for Africa Foundation

Job Summary

• The Programme Accountant – Finance Training & Capacity Strengthening contributes to strengthening the financial management, grant governance and institutional capacity of SFA Foundation’s partner organisations. The role translates the Section’s capacity-strengthening priorities into well-coordinated, technically sound and practical learning and institutional improvement interventions. It applies strong financial management and grant-compliance expertise to help partner institutions strengthen their systems, controls and practices, including alignment with Good Financial Grant Practice (GFGP) standards. Under the overall guidance of the Manager, the role is accountable for the quality and timely delivery of assigned workstreams and for generating evidence and insights that inform programme improvement. The SFA Foundation is committed to fostering a culture grounded in Respect, Accountability, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&I), and Excellence. We seek individuals who embody these values in their work and interactions.

Job Details

Principal Duties and Responsibilities

Finance Capacity Building and Training

• Coordinate the development, adaptation and delivery of financial management, grant governance and GFGP learning activities for partner institutions.
• Facilitate training sessions, workshops, webinars and practical learning activities, applying adult-learning approaches tailored to relevant institutional and country contexts.
• Develop, review and maintain technically accurate training materials, case studies, exercises, facilitator guides and reference tools.
• Coordinate Training of Trainers (ToT) activities and provide structured coaching and follow-up to participants to support the application of learning.
• Evaluate the relevance and effectiveness of learning interventions and recommend improvements to content and delivery.

Financial Governance Assessments and Institutional Improvement

• Conduct or coordinate assigned financial governance reviews, gap analyses and institutional capacity assessments.
• Analyse partner policies, procedures and financial management practices against GFGP standards, donor requirements and recognised good practice.
• Prepare assessment reports that clearly set out findings, risk areas, practical recommendations and prioritised improvement actions.
• Provide technical guidance to partner institutions on implementing agreed actions relating to financial management, grant compliance, cost recovery and internal controls.
• Track institutional improvement plans, assess progress and escalate material implementation barriers or risks to the Manager.

Technical Advisory and Partner Capacity Strengthening

• Provide practical technical guidance to finance and grants personnel in partner institutions on financial management, grant requirements and internal control practices.
• Respond to technical queries, explain financial concepts to non-finance audiences, and refer complex or policy-level matters to the Manager as appropriate.
• Monitor partner capacity-strengthening needs and progress, identifying areas requiring targeted support or additional intervention.
• Promote the practical application of learning and good financial grant practices within partner institutions.

Programme Coordination, Monitoring and Reporting

• Translate assigned programme activities into workplans, schedules, milestones and follow-up actions, and coordinate implementation with relevant stakeholders.
• Maintain accurate programme records, participant information, attendance registers, activity documentation and training databases.
• Collect, validate and analyse training feedback, assessment findings and capacity-strengthening data against agreed indicators.
• Prepare timely programme updates, analytical reports, dashboards, presentations and documented lessons learned for management and programme stakeholders.
• Use monitoring and evaluation findings to identify implementation trends and recommend improvements to programme design and delivery.

Learning Management System (LMS) Administration

• Act as the day-to-day focal point for the administration and operational management of the GFGP Learning Management System.
• Coordinate partner registration, onboarding, user access and orientation, and provide first-line guidance on platform navigation and use.
• Maintain current learning content and user information, and coordinate the resolution of technical issues with LMS administrators.
• Monitor institutional and participant engagement, course progress, completion, usage patterns and reported challenges through the LMS.
• Generate and analyse periodic LMS reports and dashboards, highlighting progress, gaps and institutions requiring follow-up.

Stakeholder Engagement, Compliance and Quality Assurance

• Build effective working relationships with partner institutions, trainers, consultants and other programme stakeholders to support the delivery of assigned activities.
• Coordinate engagement and information sharing with the Finance, Grants Operations, MEAL and Programme teams.
• Represent the Section in technical meetings, partner engagements and training events as delegated.
• Apply relevant donor requirements, organisational policies and quality standards in the planning and delivery of programme activities.
• Review training outputs and programme documentation for accuracy, relevance and consistency; identify and escalate risks, emerging needs and delivery challenges.

Academic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Commerce, Business Administration or a related field.

Professional Qualifications

• CPA(K), ACCA, CIMA or an equivalent professional accounting qualification.
• Knowledge of training, capacity building and GFGP will be an added advantage.
• Working knowledge of French will be an added advantage.

Experience

• A minimum of five to seven (5–7) years’ experience in finance, accounting, grants management or financial capacity strengthening.
• Experience working with donor-funded programmes and grant management processes.
• Experience developing or delivering training, workshops or capacity-building initiatives.
• Experience supporting financial governance, internal controls and compliance reviews.
• Experience working with research institutions, NGOs, universities or development organisations is desirable.

Knowledge, Skills and Attributes

• Strong understanding of accounting principles, financial management and grant financial management.
• Knowledge of donor compliance requirements, financial governance and internal control frameworks.
• Ability to assess financial management practices, interpret findings and develop practical recommendations.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving and report-writing skills.
• Strong facilitation, presentation and communication skills, including the ability to explain financial concepts to non-finance audiences.
• Good planning, coordination and organisational skills, with the ability to manage multiple assignments and meet deadlines.
• Strong stakeholder engagement, interpersonal and relationship-management skills.
• High integrity, professionalism, attention to detail and commitment to quality.
• Ability to work effectively in multicultural and cross-functional environments.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint and relevant financial or learning management systems.

Technical Competencies

• Financial management, accounting principles and grant financial management.
• Good Financial Grant Practice (GFGP) standards and financial governance frameworks.
• Financial analysis, budget monitoring and financial reporting.
• Internal controls, compliance assessment and risk identification.
• Training design, facilitation and adult-learning techniques.
• Capacity assessment, institutional improvement planning and technical advisory.
• Monitoring, evaluation, learning and data analysis.
• Learning management system administration and reporting.
• Stakeholder engagement, documentation and knowledge management.

Leadership Competencies

• Ownership and accountability for assigned workstreams and deliverables.
• Collaborative working and effective coordination across teams and institutions.
• Influencing and supporting change through technical guidance and constructive engagement.
• Sound judgement, initiative and timely escalation of risks and issues.

Organisational Values

All SFA Foundation staff are expected to uphold and demonstrate the organisation’s core values in the execution of their duties:

• Respect: Demonstrates cultural sensitivity and professionalism in all interactions.
• Accountability: Takes ownership of responsibilities and follows through on commitments.
• Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity (DIE): Committed to inclusive practices and equitable decision-making.
• Excellence: Strives for continuous improvement and consistently delivers high-quality outputs