Mercy Corps exists to alleviate
suffering, poverty and oppression by helping people build secure, productive
and just communities.
Driven by local needs, our programs
provide communities in the world’s toughest places with the tools and support
they need to turn the crises they confront into the opportunities they
deserve.
Administration and HR Officer (AgriFin Accelerate Program) – Nairobi
Program / Department Summary: The
AgriFin Accelerate program will operate in three African countries (Kenya,
Tanzania and Zambia) utilizing a market ecosystem approach, working with
carefully selected partners to build sustainable models, where farm and crop
management tools and financial services are "bundled" in affordable,
unified platforms on mobile phone channels to promote mass uptake
commercially.
The program involves three
interrelated components that seek to address low farmer productivity and
capability, and improve institutional ability to deliver appropriate products and
build ecosystems to drive scale.
We work with farmers, banks, mobile
network operators, MFIs, research institutes and other ecosystem players in
well-defined partnerships to sustainably bundle services, leveraging the offer
and outreach of all partners, while increasing the range of services, access
points and value for farmers.
The program works with partners to
identify, prototype, test and scale successful mobile-enabled services for
smallholders, with a key focus on expanding access to financial services, using
a rapid iteration approach to product development and client-centric design
techniques.
General Position Summary: The
Administration and HR Officer is responsible for facilitating the
administration (including procurement and fleet management) and HR functions at
AgriFin Accelerate Program Office in Nairobi.
Working closely with Program,
Operations and Finance, the Administration and HR Officer is instrumental in
supporting program activities through his/her services.
Essential Job Functions:
Responsible for operations functions at the field office as follows:
Administration
- Ensure proper management and coordination of
staff travel arrangements including transport and security
- Ensure good general office management
- Ensure adherence to Mercy Corps
administrative, IT, and logistics procedures and staff policies by MC
staff.
- Provide administrative guidance to MC staff
when required.
- Manage and renew office and house/apartment
rental agreements.
- Establish and maintain appropriate filing systems
for office correspondence.
- Ensure that the office is run in a
professional and responsible manner including hosting guests, cleaning,
receptionist duties and general contact and liaison with outside agencies.
- Purchase of office supplies.
- Co-ordinate any other necessary administrative
and office management details including the maintenance of the premises.
- Preparing comprehensive, accurate and timely
monthly reports.
Procurement
- Daily coordination of MC procurement
activities;
- Ensure full understanding and adherence to MC
procurement policies and formats.Assist, when required with training staff
on these policies;
- Assist staff when required with creating clear
and understandable purchase requests and other documentation;
- Collect quotations and bids from vendors for
Purchase Requests as assigned by manager – as per Mercy Corps standards
and formats;
- Interact with vendors during collection of
quotations and ensure that Mercy Corps for and explain Mercy Corps formats
and ensure that vendors will use the provided forms;
- Ensure fair competition and strict adherence
to MC procurement rules regarding vendor relations
- Maintain up to date Mercy Corps Procurement
data management system;
- Interact with contractors, in coordination
with the Program Team & Operations Manager;
- Prepare the required documentation of supplies
and transactions are completed to MC standards;
- Ensure proper asset management; maintain
proper and updated asset register with clear asset identification tags
Fleet management
- General management of AgriFin vehicles in
co-operation with the Operations Manager;
- Ensure that all vehicles are safe and
road-worthy;
- Responsible for collecting and distributing
vehicle log-sheets to drivers as well monthly compilation and submission
of log-sheets;
- Schedule vehicle use to meet programmatic and
operational needs;
- Maintain vehicle board daily;
- Oversee fuel consumption purchase and tracking
including coordination with gas station(s);
- Organize regular service schedules for
vehicles. Maintain service schedule files;
- Collect Vehicle Service Requests (VSRs) from
drivers and submit VSRs to the Operations Manager for approval;
- Ensure major repairs are done in a timely
manner;
- Ensure security measures for vehicles such as
parking, storage of keys, emergency supplies, etc.
- Ensure that security incident reports are
completed and filed (if related to vehicles).
Human Resource (HR)
- Serve under the direction of the Operations
Manager to process and properly document all daily HR activities,
efficient and timely manner;
- Ensure adherence to Mercy Corps Human Resource
procedures and policies;
- Assist in providing orientation, training and
guidance to staff, as required;
- Prepare, update and track needed changes in
staff files including timesheets, leave tracking system, and other personnel
matters as required;
- In cooperation with program management, ensure
the validity of timesheets and monthly compensations;
- Responsible for maintaining personnel files
for all staff – including recruitment documents, CVs, valid contracts,
PAFs, timesheets, employee data sheets, disciplinary papers and
performance evaluations, while ensuring confidentiality.
- Assist with recruitment process
The Administration and HR Officer
will conduct himself/herself both professionally and personally in such a
manner as to bring credit to Mercy Corps and AgriFin Program and to not
jeopardize its humanitarian mission.
Supervisory Responsibility: The
Administration and HR Officer will oversee/manage the AgriFin Driver and
ensuring that all technical, administrative and management systems and
standards agreed upon for the agency is adhered to.
Accountability
Accountable for following Mercy Corps
Field Procurement Manual, Administration manual, Fleet Policies and Human
Resource Manual/Handbook and Policies.
Reports Directly To: Operations Manager
Works Directly With: Program, Logistics and Finance team
Knowledge and Experience:
- Degree in a relevant business field is
desired.
- Minimum 2-3years’ experience in Office
administration, supply chain management, Human Resource or experience in
related field.
- Strong organizational and interpersonal
skills.
- Excellent oral and written English skills.
- Advanced computer skills on MS Office
programs, especially in MS Excel.
- A demonstrated ability to multi-task and
process information into action as to not to delay program activities.
- A clear understanding of procurement and
administration ethics and donor compliance is essential.
Success Factors:
- Conscientious with an excellent sense of
judgment
- Ability to work simultaneously on multiple
tasks
- Willingness and ability to work effectively
with a wide variety of people
- Excellent interpersonal skills
- Ability to work as part of a team and
coordinate with project personnel
- Attention to details.
- Excellent spoken and written English
- Strong computer and organizational skills.
Country Finance Manager – Nairobi
General Position Summary:
The Finance Manager is a member of
the senior management team and part of the Mercy Corps Finance Department, and
as such is responsible for all aspects of financial management of the country
programs, working collaboratively to ensure compliance with Mercy Corps
internal policies and procedures as well as donor regulations.
S/he works under the
direction of the Country Director and is responsible for all financial
functions in Kenya, including accounting, payments and banking, payroll,
budgeting, financial reporting and grant financial management and
compliance.
The Finance Manager, in support of
the Program Department, provides timely reports and assistance to the Country
Director and the Program team to ensure that financial resources are used
efficiently and effectively.
Program / Department Summary: Mercy
Corps has been present in Kenya since 2009, focusing on conflict management,
youth empowerment and building resilience for families in Kenya’s arid lands to
better withstand shocks.
With funding from a diversity of
donors, Mercy Corps has been able to work together with Kenyan communities to
respond to pressing and emerging needs that bring benefit to more than
1,500,000 individuals.
Essential Job Functions:
Strategy and Vision
- Recognize opportunities for innovative action
and create an environment of empowerment.
- Set direction by prioritizing and organizing
actions and resources to achieve objectives and contribute to country-wide
strategy development.
Personal Leadership
- Consistently demonstrate flexibility,
resilience and ability to maintain positive relationships and composure,
even under difficult circumstances.
- Maintain high ethical standards and treat
people with respect and dignity.
- Demonstrate an awareness of his/her own
strengths and development needs.
Representation
- Interface with donor representatives to convey
information about programs accurately and as appropriate.
- Communicate with our donors and partners to
verify their systems and that they understand and follow all appropriate
procedures and archiving.
- Participate in sharing best practices with
NGOs and governmental agencies.
Team Management
- Create a sustainable work environment of mutual
respect that attracts motivated, skilled and effective team members and
enables them individually and collectively to strive to achieve
excellence.
- Supervise and lead a diverse team of direct
and indirect reports in field offices.
- Contribute to country team-building efforts;
build constructive internal relationships; help team members identify
problem solving options and ensure integration of all team members into
relevant decision-making processes.
Operations – Financial
- Ensure effective, transparent use of financial
resources in compliance with Mercy Corps and donor policies and
procedures.
- Oversee and manage daily country-wide
accounting and finance functions including the timely recording of
transactions, cash management, banking, payroll, inventory, receivables,
and payables.
- Perform internal audits and reviews as
required to ensure compliance with Mercy Corps, donor and local law
requirements.
- Maintain banking relations and plan and
monitor country cash flow requirements to ensure the smooth implementation
of Mercy Corps programs.
- Maintain appropriate local insurance coverage
in coordination with the Admin. Department, to protect Mercy Corps.
- Provide monthly standard accounting
submissions to Mercy Corps Headquarters, including general ledger files,
account reconciliations, expenditures by cost center/project, required sub
grantee reporting, as well as other financial information in a timely and
accurate manner.
- Ensure effective subgrant management,
monitoring and capacity building for all MC Kenya subgrantees/partners
- Provide monthly management reports to the
Country Director and Program Managers, including expenditures by cost
center/project, subgrantee reporting and other financial information, in a
timely and accurate manner.
- Develop annual fiscal year budgets with the
Country Director and develop and implement grant budgeting and forecasting
systems with Program Managers.
Training to Finance Team Members
- Analyze training needs of finance team members
to develop and enhance their technical skills.
- Conduct or arrange for ongoing technical
training and personal development training for finance staff members.
- Plan, develop, and provide training and staff
development programs, using knowledge of the effectiveness of methods such
as demonstrations, on-the-job training, meetings, conferences, and
workshops.
- Conduct orientation sessions and arrange
on-the-job training for new hires.
Accountability: Mercy
Corps team members are expected to support all efforts towards accountability,
specifically to our beneficiaries and to international standards guiding
international relief and development work while actively engaging beneficiary
communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our
field projects.
Organizational Learning: As part of our commitment to organizational learning and in support of our understanding that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities they serve - we expect all team members to commit 5% of their time to learning activities that benefit
Mercy Corps as well as themselves.
Supervisory Responsibility: Supervise
BRACED Program Finance and Sub-grants Manager, Sr. Finance Officers and Field
Subgrant and Finance Officers based in Nairobi and four field offices (Wajir,
Thika, Eldoret and Lodwar).
Accountability
Reports Directly To: Country Director
Works Directly With: HQ Regional
Finance Officer (with authority for technical financial matters); members of
Operations, Program Managers, TSU team members, and others.
Knowledge and Experience:
- A BA/S or equivalent in accounting or finance
required; advanced degree preferred.
- At least 5 years of progressive financial
management experience, including supervisory experience required.
- At least 4 years’ experience in grants management
is required.
- Understanding of diverse donors regulations
(e.g. USAID, EC, DFID) is strongly preferred
- At least 3 years’ international experience
required; international NGO/PVO field office experience is preferred.
- Demonstrated experience and skill with budget
preparation and analysis, financial reporting preparation and presentation
and the proven ability to translate technical financial data into
informative reports.
- Strong accounting skills and experience,
including management of the general ledger, journal entries, payroll,
payables and balance sheet.
- Demonstrated training skills and interest in
grooming national staff to take on additional supervisory skills is
required.
- Prior management experience and strong
organizational skills.
- Advanced computer skills in MS Office
programs, particularly Excel.
- Effective verbal and written communication,
multi-tasking, organizational and prioritization skills.
- Excellent oral and written English skills
required.
- Ability to work effectively with an ethnically
diverse team in a sensitive environment.
- Interest and ability to travel to remote and
sometime insecure environment is required.
Success Factors: The
successful candidate will have an ability to interact effectively across
international and national program and finance teams successfully, both in a
managerial as well as training capacity.
S/he has strong training skills and
interest in grooming finance staff to take on additional
responsibilities.
S/he will be able to support
programmatic objectives with timely and meaningful financial information, have
a demonstrated ability to multi-task, meet deadlines and process information in
support of changing program activities.
An impeccable professional standard
of finance and procurement ethics and the willingness and ability to enforce
compliance with Mercy Corps and donor policies and procedures is
essential.
The Finance Manager must be willing
to travel regularly to Mercy Corps field offices and project sites.
The most successful Mercy Corps staff
members have a strong commitment to teamwork and accountability, thrive in
evolving and changing environments and make effective written and verbal
communication a priority in all situations.
Interested candidates who meet the above required qualifications and experience should submit a cover letter, detailed Curriculum Vitae (CV) listing three professional references (including a recent supervisor) to hrkenya@ke.mercycorps.org on or before Thursday 12th March by 4.00pm.
The email subject line must clearly
show the job title and location they are applying for.
Applications without the right
subject heading will be automatically disqualified.
Please do not attach any
certificates.
(Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.
We will only get in touch with
shortlisted candidates.)
NB: Mercy Corps does not charge any fee at any stage of the recruitment process.