Job Opportunities at Mercy Corps - 2 Positions

Job Details

The four objectives serve to increase community resilience to drought and other shocks and stresses, and to decrease fragility with a particular focus on Kenya’s Arid Lands. Mercy Corps’ vision for change requires the private sector, government and civil society to work together to create meaningful and sustainable change.

The Mercy Corps Finance Department is responsible for all financial functions in Kenya, including accounting, payments and banking, payroll, budgeting, financial reporting, and grant financial management and compliance.

The Mercy Corps Finance Department ensures compliance with donor regulations as well as Mercy Corps’ internal policies and procedures. In its role as a support to the Program Department, the Finance Department provides timely reports and assistance to the Country Director and the Program team to ensure that financial resources are used efficiently and effectively.

General Position Summary: Working in the Finance Department under the direction of the Senior Finance and Compliance Officer, the Finance and Administration Officer will assist in the accounting and documentation of all financial transactions in timely and accurate manner.

Job Responsibilities

• Support in preparation of monthly bank reconciliations
• Maintain custody of the office cash fund and make daily payments of approved transactions
• Prepare cash payment vouchers and ensure that all cash transactions are fully and properly documented
• Review expense reports (travel expense reports and operational expense reports) for accuracy and completeness and ensure that expense reports have been fully approved before payment
• Perform weekly cash count as per FFM
• Record payment vouchers daily in the Field Connection Accounting System
• Maintain field advance tracker file and prepare past due advance tracker for the Senior Finance Officer
• Preparing cheques based on fully approved & reviewed documents and present for signing
• File all cash and bank batch vouchers and maintain voucher filing system such that files are updated, complete and safeguarded
• Maintain the bank file, ensuring that all bank information is properly filed and updated
• Assist with month end balance sheet account reconciliations
• Make sure that all supporting documentation is prepared and filed according to MC procedures.
• Assists in sub grants management & compliance at field office
• Conduct himself/herself both professionally and personally in such a manner as to bring credit to Mercy Corps and to not jeopardize its humanitarian mission
• Other duties as assigned.

Supervisory Responsibility: None

Accountability

Reports Directly To: Senior Finance and Compliance Officer

Directly With: Nairobi Finance Team, Program Team & Operations Team

Knowledge and Experience:

• Three or more years of accounting or bookkeeping experience, including experience with double-entry accounting
• A degree in accounting or a relevant business field
• Strong computer skills in MS Office programs, particularly Excel
• Familiarity with computerized, double-entry accounting software
• Strong organizational skills as well as attention to detail
• Excellent oral and written English skills

Success Factors: A clear understanding of finance and procurement ethics as well as the willingness and ability to enforce compliance with Mercy Corps and donor policies and procedures is essential.

The ability to interact effectively with international and national staff members is required. A demonstrated ability to work quickly, accurately, meet deadlines, and process information in support of changing program activities is necessary.

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General Position Summary: Working in the Finance Department under the direction of the Finance Director, the Finance/Subgrants Officer is will assist in the accounting and documentation of all financial transactions in timely and accurate manner.

He/she will be also responsible for reporting, file maintaining, tracking and monitoring of subgrantees ensuring compliance with the terms and conditions of the subgrant agreement.

Job Responsibilities

• Prepare the monthly bank reconciliations
• Maintain the bank file, ensuring that all bank information is properly filed and updated
• In the absence of the cashier, finance officer will maintain custody of the office cash fund, make daily payments of the approved transactions and other duties related to office cash handling ensuring proper segregation of duties is applied
• Review expense reports (travel expense reports and operational expense reports) for accuracy and completeness and ensure that expense reports have been fully approved and documented before payment
• Prepare payment vouchers and ensure that all transactions are properly and fully documented and recorded in the cash/bank subjournal and in this process proper segregation of duties is applied
• Record payment vouchers daily in the cash/bank subjournal
• Assist with month end balance sheet account reconciliations
• Make sure that all supporting documentation is prepared and filed according to MC procedures.
• Conduct subgrantee pre-award assessments and recommend modifications to the subgrant agreement and/or monitoring plan to lessen financial and compliance risks.
• Assist in the preparation and review of subgrant agreements.
• Provide on-going training and support to subgrantees in Mercy Corps subgrant financial procedures and assist in conducting formal subgrantee training workshops.
• Review subgrantee financial reports for correctness and completeness and ensure that reports are submitted on time.
• Assist in subgrantee site audits and prepare site visit reports.
• Follow up on all subgrant compliance issues and audits and document resolutions.
• Maintain subgrant tracking as well as financial files in accordance with the Field Finance Manual.
• Process subgrantee payments and reconcile subgrant financial tracking to general ledger reports.
• Assist in subgrant close-outs ensuring that all requirements of the subgrant agreement have been met and that subgrant funds have been properly settled.
• Conduct himself/herself both professionally and personally in such a manner as to bring credit to Mercy Corps and to not jeopardize its humanitarian mission.
• Other duties as assigned.

Supervisory Responsibility: None

Works Directly With: Finance Manager, Finance Officers, Program Managers and other program and support staff in Nairobi Office

Knowledge and Experience:

• Two or more years of finance experience, including budgeting and grant management or auditing
• A university degree in finance, accounting or a related business field is required.
• Two years’ experience in the Finance Department of an non-governmental organization
• Good understanding of major international donor rules and non-profit accounting
• Prior experience with computerized general ledger software
• Advanced computer skills in MS Office programs, particularly Excel and Access.
• Strong analytical skills coupled with a solid understanding of financial and procurement systems; Prior auditing experience is considered a plus
• Excellent oral and written English skills

Success Factors: The ability to interact effectively with international and national personnel is required. A demonstrated ability to multi-task, meet deadlines and process information in support of changing program activities is necessary.

A high professional standard of finance and procurement ethics as well as the willingness and ability to enforce compliance with Mercy Corps and donor policies and procedures is essential.

The ability to effectively monitor subgrantee compliance as well as to provide support and training for subgrantee personnel is critical. The Finance and Subgrants Officer must be willing to travel to Mercy Corps field offices, subgrantee offices and project sites.