Tangaza College
The Catholic University of Eastern
Africa
Job Title: Finance Manager
Reports To: Principal
Department: Finance
General Description: The overall objective of the Finance Manager is
to provide strategic and operational leadership to the Finance Department so as
to offer effective, professional and customer-oriented service to Tangaza
University College (TUC) and related stakeholders.
The Finance Manager is responsible
for ethical and responsible financial stewardship of TUC, the development of
the financial strategy and working with all departments to foster its
implementation in decisions and actions with a view to ensuring overall
financial viability and compliance with statutory regulations and practices in
the higher education sector and adherence to internal policies and practices.
Strategic Financial Planning and
Management
- Ensure the financial health of TUC by
developing, gaining approval for and implementing, a financial strategy
which underpins the financial aspects of the strategic plan and optimizes
the use of the assets of TUC;
- Monitor and evaluate the budgets, financial
performance and financial risks of Institutes and Service Departments in
line with the strategic plan in conjunction with the management.
- In collaboration with the Development Office,
assist in supporting TUC to identify new income sources, opportunities to
increase existing income lines and identify ways of improving operating
efficiencies;
- To provide financial input in the assessment
of different cases and to ensure that proposals are fully evaluated,
taking into account future commitments, i.e. investment appraisal, risk
assessment, cash flow and financial forecasts;
- To produce financial and management accounts
and accompanying narrative reports with explanations and interpretation
aimed at common understanding among the users and soliciting consensus in
consequent decisions and actions.
Role in University Management
- As a member TUC’s management, play a full role
in the corporate leadership and management and assist in the determination
of strategic direction;
- Support the Directors, Dean of Schools and
other managers to understand the financial implications of their decisions
and actions and thereby increase their proactive participation in
financial management and ownership of the outcomes;
- Promote the development of targets and
benchmarks and agreed key financial performance indicators (KPIs) for all
Institutes, departments and other strategic units and monitor performance
by ensuring that data is effectively reported and appropriate action
taken;
- Provide effective leadership and management of
the Financial Department, ensuring high quality customer focused services
that support and enable the delivery of priorities on the College.
Key Management Accounting Roles
- To oversee the co-ordination of the
preparation of the annual operational plans and budgets and ensure that
they are presented at the different levels for consideration and final
approval by the Board of Trustees;
- Preparation of accurate and timely financial
information and monitoring of monthly results and reports, including
comparison against budget and prior months, to provide accurate
information on financial performance for Finance Committee to enable
effective strategic decision making;
- To encourage dialogue with all budget managers
to explain the reasons for variances in their respective budget reports
and ensure that sound remedial actions are presented to the Management
Board and Finance Committee, approved and implemented;
- To manage the investment of short-term funds
and to advise the Principal and the Board of Trustees on longer-term
investments and investment strategy;
Financial Accounting and Reporting
- Supervise the Financial Accountant and other
staff in ensuring the maintenance of accounting records and their timely
completion and the reconciliation of the bank, cash accounts and general
ledger control accounts;
- Ensuring appropriate authorization, timing and
dispatch of payments (electronic and cheque);
- Taking responsibility for the high standards
of financial reporting in order that the Management Board, Finance
Committee, Governing Council and Board of Trustees are fully informed
about financial performance;
- Assist Directors and managers of TUC in the
discharge of their financial responsibilities and in the effective
management of resources through the provision of timely and accurate
financial information,
Internal Controls, Regulatory
Compliance and Auditing
- Provide advice to the BOT through the
Principal on all matters of financial compliance and ensure that systems
are in place which provide that compliance and underpin the highest
standards of financial integrity across the College;
- To continuously develop, disseminate and
maintain the financial policies and procedures and ensuring full
compliance at all levels so as to foster integrity in financial, systems,
processes, controls and the overall financial reporting environment;
- To give oversight to the preparation of the
financial statements for TUC, including liaising with the external auditor
and preparing analysis to enable the financial statements to be audited;
- To work closely with the internal and external
audit and other specific studies that may be commissioned by the
university so to ensure that they have full support to report on the
systems within the university and that their relevant recommendations are
implemented;
- To advise the Board of Trustees through the
Principal on matters which relate to the compliance with statutory
requirements drawn from the respective laws affecting diverse aspects of
the TUC;
- To be responsible for the formulation and
delivery of policy in the areas of borrowing, banking, credit control,
insurance and for all aspects of taxation.
Leadership of the Finance Department
- To provide inspiring and innovative leadership
to the staff in the finance department, oversee their individual and team
performance with the agreed standards and timelines;
- To ensure that the staff in the department are
fully skilled to handle the equipment and technology provided for their
responsibilities and organize upgrading and refresher courses;
- To encourage professional development and
ensure that the team are highly motivated to perform to the best of their
abilities;
- To liaise with internal and external clients
so as get feedback on level of satisfaction so as to promptly address
challenges and implement continuous improvement of customer relations.
Qualifications, Knowledge and
Experience Requirements
- Qualified accountant in good standing with
professional board (CPA, ACCA, CA, CIMA);
- Bachelors degree in commerce, business
administration or economics;
- MBA or other masters level qualification with
specialization in finance, accounting or strategic management;
- Proven track record of working in the Finance
Department in a complex organization, preferably an institution of higher
learning or business organization (3-5 years);
- Strategic capability with experience in
operating at a senior strategic financial management level (3-5 years);
- Demonstrate portfolio of solid achievements in
previous roles;
- Ability to devise, drive and deliver a clear
vision of change and take people along with them on the journey;
- Working knowledge of a range of accounting
softwares and ability to interface management information systems;
Personal Attributes
- Person with high integrity, moral probity and
embracing the values of TUC;
- Financial management professional able to have
a bird’s eye view of the affairs of an organization;
- High motivation and commitment to driving
change in a complex and diverse organization;
- Ability to create and sustain work
partnerships and engage effectively with a strong senior team and work
across boundaries internally and externally;
- Sound emotional health and ability to manage
self and others when under pressure;
- Open to owning up to personal challenges and
continuous learning.
Apply by or on 25th February 2015 and
enclose copies of relevant certificates, testimonials, curriculum vitae and
names of three referees to:
The Principal,
Tangaza University College,
P.O. Box 15055-00509,
Langata, Nairobi
Langata, Nairobi
OR eMail vacancies@tangaza.org
