Job Openings at Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA)

Job Reference: EO/AGRF/10/2020

To support this transformation, AGRA is seeking to recruit an experienced and exceptional individual to the position of Executive Officer, AGRF.

The role will be based in Nairobi, Kenya.

Position Summary

The Executive Officer is required to provide administrative and logistical support for the AGRF Secretariat and its workings throughout the year. S/He will be responsible for supporting the development of appropriate themes for each annual Forum and supporting the relevant resource-persons to resource various dialogues, coordinate a range of national/ regional events to outline key advocacy messages and influence key policy makers and supporting the documentation of success stories coming out of AGRF.

This position works closely with the program, administrative and finance teams on all issues. Under the guidance of the Managing Director, AGRF, the  Executive Officer  will play a key role in supporting and coordinating AGRF as a leading forum in the African agriculture development space by aggregating, packaging, and tailoring information gathered through the AGRF Forum and activities and disseminating it to stakeholders for the purposes of convening actors for partnership, scaling models, and mobilizing resources.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

• Oversees all office operational and administrative activities of the AGRF
• Verifies that service-providers are contracted, supported and paid according to AGRA policies and procedures within the timeframes agreed.
• Reviews the AGRF registration and maintains an effective team filing on the archiving and record keeping systems, both paper and electronic.
• Verifies and tracks the unit’s expenditure and budget.
• Acts as the main liaison person with other offices in AGRA
• Guides all business processes and relations between the partners and AGRA, as well as maintain an in-depth knowledge of AGRF, respond and/or re-route general requests for information.
• Organizes for the MD of AGRF’s special assignments, unit’s travel, annual partners’ meetings, visitors travel, and events administration not limited to the thematic working group meetings and the main Forum (minimum of four meetings a year) as initiated by AGRF Secretariat.
• Documents and manages the MD of AGRF’s diary, activities and work-plan for the unit.
• Processes the preparatory work required for procurement, contracting, administration, and validation & review systems of sub-contractors that oversee AGRA’s projects as well as make follow-ups to confirm service delivery.
• Consolidates and maintains records of technical working groups, consultants and service-providers for AGRF.
• Organizes for the setting up of Africa Food Prize (AFP) nominations and the review and selection process.

Key Qualifications & Experience

• A Bachelor’s degree in Management, Public Administration or any business-related area
• Minimum of 6 years managing a busy, high profile office, with at least 3 years of post-qualification experience in managing complex conferences and events similar to AGRF.
• Experience working on teams and managing process that are dependent on multiple actors.
• Experience working with a large multinational development agency in a management and coordination role is an advantage. Minimum of 6 years managing a busy, high profile office, with at least 3 years of post-qualification experience in managing complex conferences and events similar to AGRF.
• Experience working on teams and managing process that are dependent on multiple actors.
• Experience working with a large multinational development agency in a management and coordination role is an advantage.
• A working knowledge of French will be an advantage.

An attractive remuneration package commensurate with this position’s responsibility will be negotiated with the successful candidate.

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Job Reference: AFOA/OPS/10/2020

To support the successful delivery from a country perspective, AGRA is seeking to recruit an experienced and exceptional individual to the role of Associate Finance Officer, Financial Accounting.

The roles will be based in Nairobi, Kenya.

Role Summary:

The Associate Finance Officer – Financial Accounting is responsible for maintaining financial records for by analyzing balance sheets and general ledger accounts. S/he reconciles general and subsidiary accounts by gathering and balancing information. The role also provides financial status information by preparing special reports as well as completing special projects and is the main liaison person for activities within the Financial Accounting unit.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

• Receive supplier’s invoices, staff claims and grants via the designated channels. Check for completeness and accuracy and ensure all necessary support documents are attached. Code, analyze, input accurately in the system and circulate for approval.
• Tracking of invoices by logging into invoices status tracker. Circulate the same tracker by 10AM every Monday.
• Ensure that vendor invoices are scanned and attached to the accruals in Oracle after processing in the system.
• Processes payments and wire transfers and ensure they are complete and accurate and that funds have reached the designated recipients.
• Verifies that all payments have adequate supporting documents and that all necessary authorizations have been obtained for all payments.
• Compiles and ensures that all paid invoices and grants are stamped with the “PAID” Stamp to avoid multiple payments.
• Enters and maintains all payment transactions into Oracle in a timely/accurate manner and ensure all approved and processed payments are posted within 24 hours.
• Reviews all bank balances and foreign exchange rates regularly and collaborates with bankers for optimal benefit for AGRA to ensure upcoming payments are not delayed due to account funding
• Informs the vendors, grants unit and staff of the bank’s remittance advice and providing response to any queries that may arise
• Providing support to Finance Officers and Senior Finance Officers within the Financial Accounting unit with various tasks as assigned, such as invoice management, travel management, reconciliation process, payment scheduling, fixed assets management and LPO management.
• Undertake monthly supplier reconciliation. Draw out an action plan for reconciling differences.
• Ensure grants liability and commitment balances are reconciled on a monthly basis against downstream systems (e.g. AMIS).
• Processes interbank transfers and/or foreign currency sale in a timely manner and in accordance with the established standards and policies
• Organizes for external audits and review of various account balances
• Delivers all relevant information to the auditors in a timely and accurate manner in support of external financial audit process
• Liaises with country finance officers to ensure that intercompany balances are reconciled every month and necessary adjustments passed to ensure parity of counterparty balances.

Academic, Professional Qualifications and Relevant experience:

• At least 6 years of professional experience in accounting, finance, or financial monitoring
• Knowledge of global, country/government accounting standards
• A Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance or related.
• Accounting certification (CPA, ACCA, CIMA,CA)
• Strong analytical, data mining ability.
• Knowledge of basic accounting procedures.
• In-depth understanding of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP)
• Familiarity with financial accounting statements.
• Experience with general ledger functions and the month-end/year-end close process.
• Hands-on experience with accounting software/ERP like SAP & Navision. Current experience in using Oracle will be an added advantage.
• Excellent proficiency in spreadsheets (Excel). Must demonstrate practical use of intermediate functions.
• Experience in working with similar organizations or institutions will be an added advantage.
• Experience in working with finance regulations and reporting standards and requirements.
• Evidence of practice of a high level of confidentiality and trustworthiness.
• Influencing skills and ability to lead a small team. Very confident and able to engage at all levels for impact and outcome.
• Highly organized, results and detail orientated with a hands-on approach. Sensitive to timelines and deadlines.
• Excellent planning and organizing as well as problem solving/decision making ability.

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Reference: ERC/KE/OPS/10/2020

 AGRA is seeking an intern to be attached to the Enterprise Risk and Compliance Unit.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

The Enterprise Risk and Compliance (ERC) Intern will work under the guidance of the Senior Advisor, Enterprise Risk and Compliance Unit on the following;

• Support the ERC team in the implementation of the annual risk and compliance plans
• Ensure complete online filling of all AGRA awards donor information
• Update and filling of the institutions the risk registers
• Assist in filling of the Compliance Awards Checklist.
• Assist in quality assurance reviews of donor awards implementation
• Support close out procedures of Donor Awards
• Research on content for to ensure compliance to polices, processes and procedures as needed
• Assist in the preparation of meetings and other events.

Academic, Professional Qualifications and Relevant experience:

• Fourth year or a completed Degree in either Business Administration, International.
• Business Administration, Finance, Accounting, Law or a Social Sciences related field.

• Interest in understanding Compliance and Enterprise Risk Management.
• Interest in International development sector work with a bias to Grants, Contracts, Sub-awards, Finance and Compliance.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• No work experience required but a demonstration of experience in extra-curricular or non-academic activities of value will be an added advantage.
• Ability to take initiative, “roll-up one’s sleeves” and flexible, adaptable, and able to execute a range of job duties and changing priorities.

Terms of Employment

This is an internship position based in Nairobi, Kenya with Virtual working expectation. The initial contract will be for a period of three (3) months and the successful candidate shall receive a monthly stipend during this period.