Finance / Bookkeeping Officer Job in Nairobi Kenya


Oxfam works for a just world, without poverty. 

We support poor and marginalised people to stand up for their fundamental rights and we hold the powerful, governments and businesses, to account. 

Since 2010, Oxfam has an inter-affiliate Pan Africa programme working to enable, strengthen and accompany regional and pan-African coalitions, alliances and social movements to realize fundamental freedoms and basic human rights in four primary areas: democratic governance, gender justice, economic justice and financing for development. 

We do so by supporting active citizenship and the popularization and national implementation of key international and African policy standards, pledges and human rights instruments.

Finance / Bookkeeping Officer - Pan Africa Program
 
National Position

Duty Station: Nairobi-Kenya
 
Purpose of the function
 
To provide for the financial aspects of the country portfolios, the implementation and monitoring of the financial aspects of the assigned Special Projects, the management of the financial risks and opportunities, and to provide for the appraisal and analysis of the necessary financial aspects of proposals and reports for back-donors.
 
To maintain the financial and administration aspects of the field office in such a way that the office running costs are efficiently and effectively administered and accounted for according to the standards and procedures set.
 
The time distribution is foreseen as follows: 30% South Sudan; 70% Pan Africa Programme. Combined, bookkeeping functions for these two teams will take up 30-50% of the time, whereas the majority of time will be dedicated to programme-matters related to Oxfam’s Pan Africa work.
 
Main tasks of the function
 
Finance (Programmes)
  • Checks and appraises the financial aspects of funding proposals on internal and external risks and opportunities; communicates on the findings with the programme officer and counterparts, and makes proposal on the (method of) financing.
  • Checks and appraises the financial reports and audits of counterparts; communicates on the findings with the programme officer and counterparts, and makes proposals for follow-up.
  • Checks and appraises together with the programme officer the organisational structure, the (financial administrative) capacity and the used management systems of the counterparts. If necessary, makes proposals to counterparts and/or works out ideas for their improvement and strengthening.
  • Contributes to the drawing up and implementation of the annual operational plan, and makes proposals in this regard for approval and spending targets. 
  • Monitors periodically the approvals, spending and performance at country level and revises the (financial) planning where necessary. 
  • Records this in the management information systems.
  • Signals national developments and contributes to financial management/policy (such as the quality of audits, opportunities for getting advice in the financial area and the quality of financial traffic).
  • Draws up the budget for (externally funded) project proposals on the basis of the intended project activities. When a project is approved: prepares the financial management reports in line with the standards of the back-donor(s), including a (first) analysis, and submits them to the project leader for his/her approval.
Finance (Bookkeeping)
  • To register and process procurement invoices and declarations, including the coding of invoices of the mail dispatch companies, and to arrange their initialing and payment.
  • To prepare the monthly payroll.
  • To carry out the administrative organisation of all data on payments and receipts of the office running costs, keeping records of all financial mutations. 
  • To manage cash transactions in the office and maintain contact with the bank and HQ regarding financial transactions. 
  • To calculate currency conversions and record cash movements.
  • To assist in the preparation of financial reports and to inform the manager when spending is not according the (financial) planning.
  • To maintain financial records through filing, retrieval, retention, storage, compilation, coding, updating and purging.
  • To compile various financial documents, verify their accuracy, and ensure compliance with established procedures.
  • To arrange the entry or change of creditors’ basic data.
  • To perform any other relevant duty at the request of the line manager.
Required knowledge:
  • A degree in finance management on a bachelor level
  • 5 years of relevant work experience in financial position including financial management, planning, administration and budgeting & auditing.
  • Several years of working experience related to international/local development organisations
  • Experience in making independent financial analyses of development programmes, ability to evaluate these within the political and socio-economic context where they are carried out.
  • Experience and knowledge of relevant financial IT-systems, pref. Excel, Pastel and/or SAP-Adobe.
  • Excellent social skills and you are a team player
  • Extensive knowledge of financial and administrative systems
  • Excellent communications skills in English and French which is strongly desired.
This position is offered for one year with a possibility for further renewal.
 
Application procedure
 
Applications (full curriculum vitae and motivation letter) to: vacancy.Heca@oxfamnovib.nl
 
Application deadline is on Friday 8th March 2013 at 5:00PM. 

ONLY short listed candidates will be contacted.