Senior Finance and Grants Officer Job in Kenya

Mercy Corps is looking for committed and dynamic individual to take up the following position.
 
Position: Senior Finance and Grants Officer
Location:
 Mombasa

About Us: Mercy Corps is a leading global relief and development agency saving and improving lives in the world’s toughest places. 

In more than 40 countries, we partner with local people to put bold ideas into action, help them overcome adversity and build stronger communities. 

We help communities survive and move beyond emergencies. When natural disasters strike, economies collapse or conflict flares, Mercy Corps is there. 

Working with communities, we leverage local logic to help people transform their lives to grow more food, earn higher incomes and ultimately advocate for their needs. We see global challenges as an invitation to pioneer innovative, sustainable solutions. 

Program / Department Summary: The Mercy Corps Finance Department is responsible for all financial functions in, including accounting, payments and banking, payroll, budgeting, financial reporting, 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 Country Finance Manager, the Senior Finance and Grants Officer is responsible for the accounting and documentation of all financial transactions in a timely and accurate manner for the Mombasa office. 

S/he will also be responsible for reporting, file maintaining, tracking and monitoring sub grantees and ensuring compliance with the terms and conditions of the sub grant agreement.  

Essential Job Functions: 
 
Financial Management:
1.    Prepare the monthly bank reconciliations;
2.    Maintain the bank file, ensuring that all bank information is properly filed and updated;
3.    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;
4.    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;
5.    Prepare payment vouchers and ensure that all transactions are properly and fully documented and recorded in the cash/bank sub journal and in this process proper segregation of duties is applied;
6.    Record payment vouchers daily in the cash/bank sub journal;
7.    Assist with month end balance sheet account reconciliations;
8.    Providing support to the finance officers in field offices;
9.    Make sure that all supporting documentation is prepared and filed according to MC procedures;
10.  Assist the Finance Manager in responding to audit inquiries;
Sub Grant Management:

1.    Conduct sub grantee pre-award assessments and recommend modifications to the sub grant agreement and/or monitoring plan to lessen financial and compliance risks;
2.    Assist in the preparation and review of sub grant agreements;
3.    Responding to requirements of sub-grant monitoring and trainings in respective areas as required;
4.    Provide on-going training and support to sub grantees in Mercy Corps sub grant financial procedures and assist in conducting formal sub grantee training workshops;
5.    Review sub grantee financial reports for correctness and completeness and ensure that reports are submitted on time;
6.    Assist in sub grantee site audits and prepare site visit reports;
7.    Follow up on all sub grant compliance issues and audits and document resolutions;
8.    Maintain sub grant tracking as well as financial files in accordance with the Field Finance Manual;
9.    Process sub grantee payments and reconcile sub grant financial tracking to general ledger reports;
10.  1Assist in sub grant close-outs ensuring that all requirements of the sub grant agreement have been met and that sub grant funds have been properly settled;
11.  Responsible for ensuring  that all sub-grant records in country are in order and completed;
Other:
1.    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;
2.    Other duties as assigned.
Organizational Learning: As part of Mercy Corps’ agency-wide Organizational Learning Initiative, all team members are responsible for spending 5% of their work time in formal and/or non-formal professional learning that benefit Mercy Corps as well as themselves. 

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.

Supervisory Responsibility: None

Reports Directly To: 
Country Finance Manager
 
Works Directly With: Finance team members in Nairobi, All Program staff in Mombasa and support staff in Mombasa and Nairobi offices. 

Knowledge and Experience:
  • A minimum of four years of finance experience, including budgeting and grant management or auditing;
  • A university degree in finance, accounting or a related business field is required and certification CPA, ACCA is an added advantage;
  • Two years work experience in the Finance Department and working with sub grantees in an International 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 sub grantee compliance as well as to provide support and training for sub grantee personnel is critical. 
  • The Senior Finance and Grant Officer must be willing to travel to Mercy Corps field offices, sub grantee’s offices and project sites.
How to Apply

Interested candidates who meet the above required qualifications and experience should submit a cover letter and detailed Curriculum Vitae (CV) listing three professional references (including a recent supervisor) to ke-hrkenya@mercycorps.org  on or before Wednesday 28th December, 2016 by 4.00pm. 

The email subject line must clearly indicate the job title and location being applied for.

Applications without an appropriate subject heading will be automatically disqualified.  

Please do not attach any certificates. 

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.  
  
NB: Mercy Corps does not charge any fee at any stage of the recruitment process.