Chief Operating Officer at Kenya Medical Research Institute

The Research Care and Training Program (RCTP) is collaboration between the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), University of Washington (UW), and University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), University of Colorado Denver (UCD), Indiana University (IU), Duke University and other affiliated institutions.

RCTP leads the Family AIDS Care and Education Services (FACES) program, a comprehensive HIV prevention and Treatment program in Kisumu County and several other research programs including but not limited to SEARCH (Sustainable East African Research for Health), ECHO (Evidence for Contraceptive Options) , PSUP (Partners Scale up Pre exposure prophylaxis), POWER (Prevention Options for Women Evaluation Research ), MPYA (Monitoring Pre-exposure Prophylaxis for Young Adult women), CSSP (Evaluating a Community Driven Cervical Cancer Prevention Strategy in Western Kenya, (MOTIVATE ) Maximizing adherence and retention for women living with HIV and their infants in Kenya, and training programs including the GloCal Health Fellowship, etc.

Vacancy No. FN-09/067/2017

Duration: 1 year Renewable Contract as per KEMRI Scheme of Service. The first 3 months is a probation period

Position Summary: The Chief Operating Officer will support the country program in grant management and work closely with program/project management staff in the development of project proposals and preparation of proposal budgets.

S/he will manage internal controls to ensure full adherence to approved budgets and compliance with donor policies and procedures ensuring proper utilization of funds. S/he will mentor the operations team in their assigned roles and carry out capacity building on donor rules and regulations

Duties and Responsibilities

• Work closely with program/project management staff in the development of project proposals and preparation of proposal budgets as well as any budget revisions as necessary, ensuring all the necessary costs are included in grant budgets.
• Develop/maintain all donor compliance checklists with key compliance regulations, requirements and specific time lines and assist in ensuring strict compliance with donor guidelines and requirements.
• Mentoring the operations team in their assigned roles and carry out capacity building on donor rules and regulations
• Manage internal controls to ensure full adherence to approved budgets and compliance with donor policies and procedures ensuring proper utilization of funds
• Maintain the reporting schedule and grants management system, ensuring timely and accurate reporting both internally and to donors.
• Working closely with the Finance Team, regularly track expenditure and monitor variances on Program budget/expenditure reports, raising any issues that require attention by the Program Director in a timely manner.
• Manages the grants support staff, ensuring staff have sufficient training to perform required compliance and reporting duties.
• Coordinate management responses to institutional and project financial audits, and follow up on implementation of audit findings and determine what support is needed to ensure complete implementation of all audit findings.
• Develop and implement efficient and effective internal control systems including, policies and procedures that provide appropriate levels of security and control over organizational assets, resources and operations.
• Improve the operational systems, processes and policies, specifically, support better management reporting.
• Play a significant role in long-term planning, including an initiative geared towards operational excellence.
• Prepare annual detailed core office management support/administrative/overhead budget; ensuring that project budgets incorporate Shared services costs
• Coordinate professional and personal development of operations staff through adequate orientation, on-the-job training, identification of learning, training needs and opportunities
• Actively participate in the operations management team meetings.
• Manages and supervises the operations team.
• Undertake quarterly support supervision visits for the administration team working under her/him in other stations.

Qualifications

• Internationally recognized professional accounting qualification (CPA, ACCA)
• A degree in finance and/or accounting from a recognized university. An advanced degree in accounting / finance / business administration will be an added advantage.

Required Experience

• At least seven (7) years of experience working on cooperative agreements or grants from international agencies such as EDCTP, EU, CDC, other USG agencies as well as bilateral or multilateral donors including governments.

Other Required Skills

• Good understanding of the full sub award management cycle and experience in evaluating and managing budgets and contracts.
• Proven experience and knowledge of US Government regulations, policies and procedures relating to award management and monitoring.

Desirable Qualities

• Excellent analytical and financial management skills and demonstrated ability to facilitate budget development.
• Good communication skills and demonstrated ability to work with a participative style within teams.
• Proactive and able to take initiative in addressing work related challenges.
• Good organizational and planning skills
• Pragmatic, self-motivated, composed under pressure, with professional acumen, good judgment, and a highly developed sense of responsibility.
• Attention to detail and ability to multi-task, set priorities, and organize time efficiently.
• Ability to manage a team and demonstrate leadership