Chief Accountant Job at Caritas Nyeri

Reports To: The Director

The Chief Accountant is a full-time position at Caritas Nyeri reporting to the Director.

He/she will provide financial and administrative support, including control of day to day financial transactions and producing all financial reports as may be required within the timelines agreed upon.

He/she will also ensure that all organizational financial requirements are adhered to.

Responsibilities:

• Providing leadership and supervision on accounting to all programme staff to ensure effectiveness and efficiency as per ADN Caritas Nyeri and partner requirements.
• Reviewing the organizational financial policies and procedures from time to time and advising the management to ensure that they are in line with the current financial requirements.
• Coordinating, supervising and ensuring adherence in implementation of organizational financial policies and procedures to all Caritas programmes and projects.
• Building the capacity of Caritas staff on all matters related to financial management and compliance.
• Management, administration and monitoring of all matters related to Caritas staff medical scheme.
• Strengthening financial systems and internal controls and ensure that transactions are adequately captured and recorded accordingly in the accounting system and ensuring that reports are provided as may be required.
• Advising the management on right investment decisions and management of investment portfolio in liaison with the Director.
• Monitoring the expenditure of the projects activities to ensure they are in line with the approved budget lines.
• Monitoring of payments and liquidation of advances and imprest and ensuring adherence to the accounting timelines as per the financial policy.
• Verification of the data in Community Economic Empowerment Programme system to ensure it reconciles with the bank statements.
• Compiling monthly organizational financial statements and submitting them to the Director for presentation to the Board of Management.
• Prepare rolls and returns on human resources/personnel payouts, including payroll.
• Facilitating payments of all creditors within the agreed upon timelines.
• Facilitating follow up on all the organizational debtors to ensure that all debts are collected or paid on time.
• Handle statutory taxes/deductions and ensure reports are updated on the same.
• Liaising with external and internal auditors in the management of audits.
• Attending the PMT meetings and giving presentations as may be required on behalf of the Finance department.
• Reconciling all bank balances with cash book balances to ensure that every transaction is accounted for.
• Advising the management on how to harmonize the government and partner financial guidelines on reimbursements and allowances with those of Caritas Nyeri.
• Ensuring that Caritas Nyeri financial operations adhere to IFRS (International Financial Reporting Standards) and IAAS (International Acceptable Accounting Standards) requirements as well as ensuring that best practices are adhered in financial management at all times.
• Liaising with Programme/Project Coordinators in preparing monthly reports as well as other reports as per partner requirements.
• Submitting monthly financial reports for all programmes and projects to the Director’s office and copied to M & E Office.
• Liaising with M & E office and Coordinators in preparation of concepts and proposals budgets to ensure conformity with Caritas partnership and financial guidelines and policies.
• Liaising with the Monitoring and Evaluation (M & E) office in the following areas:
  o    Enhancing internal controls
  o    Adherence to reporting requirements and timelines.
  o    Verification of programme / project activities to ensure adherence to budget lines and timelines.
  o    Development of financial templates and tools
  o    Implementation of organizational M & E framework by Finance office.
• Facilitate M & E office with any financial information or reports when required.
• Any other duty as may be given by the Director.

Requirements:

1. Either of the following

• Degrees: Bachelor of Economics and Finance; Bachelor of Business Management (Finance and     Banking); Bachelor of Administration (Accounting & Finance option); Bachelor of Commerce  (Accounting)
• Holder of CPA (K).

2. At least 3 years’ experience working in a busy organization preferably an NGO or FBO with partner funded projects.

3. Proven ability to work with different donor partners with stringent accounting requirements.

4. Strong financial management, communication skills and report writing using sage/pastel software.

The following key competencies will give the applicant an added advantage:

• Working experience with sage/pastel for donor funded projects
• Knowledge in human resource management.