Senior Accountant at TechnoServe Kenya

Position Description:

• The Senior Accountant will be responsible for supporting the Financial Controller in provision of efficient and sound Financial Management, Accounting, Financial Reporting and in Compliance with donor requirements and guidelines. He/She will report to the Financial Controller and collaboratively work with all Program teams.

Key Roles & Responsibilities:

• Review invoices and payments for accuracy, relevance and authorization as well as timely capturing of payments in the financial system in line with donor requirements.
• Performs Accounts Payable Functions.
• Responsible for Payroll Processing.
• Maintain general ledgers, cash books, debtors and creditors ledgers.
• Review coding of invoices, maintenance of records and reconciliation of statements for suppliers and debtors.
• Performs monthly bank reconciliation.
• Prepare and file statutory returns including withholding tax and PAYE returns.
• Assist in generating the relevant source documents during internal and external audits.
• Review staff timesheets to ensure accuracy and correct charging and time allocation per organization and donor guidelines.
• Assist in working with the team on annual budget reviews.
• Coordinate month end closure by the stipulated deadlines.
• He/she will ensure effective resource utilization and safeguarding TechnoServe's Assets whilst maintaining the Fixed Asset Register.
• Work with the procurement team in line with procurement policy to ensure adherence to TechnoServe and Donor Policies.
• Assist in training of field staff on the TechnoServe policies, guidelines and donor requirements
• Reviewing financial system codes allocated to costs in line with Donor Budget requirements for completeness, correctness and accuracy
• Manage and tracking of staff travel advances and reconciliations
• Maintain high levels of confidentiality in relation to sensitive and confidential financial information and decisions
• Programmatic Support
• Establish and ensure compliance with budget codes.
• Ensure that all financial data recorded in the financial management system across the countries have mandatory accounting dimensions (where applicable).
• Review accounting transactions and work with in-country controllers to fix any errors as well as ensuring timely completion of month-end procedures.
• Lead on any project audit
• Ensure all accounting program data is updated in the system, reconciled and fully supported in accordance with the donor rules and regulations.
• Ensure timely and accurate preparation of quarterly and annual financial reporting to the donors.
• Work with program and administrative staff to ensure donor regulations are strictly adhered to during project implementation.
• Any other responsibility as assigned by the Financial Controller

Required skills and experience;

• A bachelor's degree + 5 years experience, master's degree + 3 years experience in Business related courses e.g Accounting, Business Administration, Economics etc.
• Professional Qualification in CPA, ACCA, CMA is a MUST.
• 3-5 years financial accounting experience preferably in an NGO environment
• Excellent IT skills with experience of operating computer-based financial management systems Competent to advanced level in Microsoft Excel
• Experience and knowledge of Sylogist highly preferred
• Ability to work under pressure with minimum supervision
• Experience in working with projects funded by international donors
• Working knowledge of donor compliance rules and regulations
• Willingness and ability to take the initiative in identifying problems, suggesting solutions, and implementing agreed solutions.

Success Factors:

• Competency is a combination of knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) directly related to successful performance on the job.

Core Competencies include:

• Integrity and honesty: Is widely trusted; seen as a direct, truthful individual; presents truthful information in an appropriate and helpful manner; keeps confidence; admits mistakes; does not misrepresent himself or herself for personal gain.
• Teamwork/ Relationships: Works cooperatively and flexibly with other members of the team with a full understanding of the role to be played as a team member and/or leader, to achieve a common goal. Ability to build and maintain effective relationships and networks.
• Learning attitude: Proactively takes advantage of opportunities to learn. Actively identifies new areas for learning; applies and shares new knowledge and skill appropriately.
• Diversity//nc/usiveness: Demonstrates an understanding and appreciation for diversity and supports diversity efforts. Interacts effectively with and inclusively with people of all races, cultures, ethnicities, backgrounds, religions, ages, and genders.
• Communication: Expresses ideas effectively in individual and group situations. Listens effectively; shares information, ideas and arguments; adjusts terminology, language and communication modes to the needs of the audience; ensures accurate understanding; acts in a way that facilitates open exchange of ideas and information; uses appropriate non-verbal communication.
• Decision making/Problem Solving: Is able to analyze situations, diagnose problems, identify the key issues, establish and evaluate alternative courses of action and produce a logical, practical and acceptable solution. Is able to make effective decisions on a day-to-day basis, taking ownership of decisions, demonstrating sound judgment in escalating issues where necessary.
• Results Oriented/ High Quality Deliverables: Stays focused on the efforts necessary to achieve quality results consistent with programmatic or departmental goals. Demonstrates the ability to achieve effective results; works persistently to overcome obstacles to goal achievement. Accomplishes tasks by considering all areas involved, no matter how small; showing concern for all aspects of the job; accurately checking processes and tasks.
• Planning & Time Management: Establishes a course of action for self and/or others to accomplish a specific goal. Effectively plans, schedules, prioritizes and controls activities; identifies, integrates and orchestrates resources (people, material, information, budget, and/or time) to accomplish goals. Prioritizes work according to the program or department's goals, not just own job responsibilities; manages own time effectively.
• Business Acumen: The ability to use information, ask the right questions and make decisions that make an impact on the overall business performance.

Job Specific/Technical Competencies include:

• Financial & Resource Management: The ability to estimate, justify, and manage appropriate funding levels to support goal accomplishment. Managing Resources is about understanding human, financial, and operational resource issues to make decisions aimed at building and planning efficient project workflows, and at improving overall organizational performance.
• Computer Literacy: Demonstrates knowledge and ability to use specific computer programs or applications for their own functional area. Has the ability to improve performance by integrating new and existing technology into the workplace.
• Donor/Partnership Management: Identifying opportunities and taking action to build strategic relationships between one's area and other areas, teams, departments, or organizations to help achieve business goals.
• Analysis, Research, Report Writing: Experience in business planning and analysis, modeling for feasibility and execution. Able to analyze and express oneself clearly in business writing.
• Innovative Mindset: Curious inquiries, asks questions and seeks out information from multiple sources, learns from mistakes, sees change as an opportunity.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

• It is envisaged that this position will be managing one more position