Job Title: Regional Field Accountant
Hiring Organization: Famine
Early Warning Systems Network
Location – Locality: Nairobi
Location – Region: Kenya
Industry: Non
Profit Organisation
Job Type: Full
Time
Salary: KES
Competitive
Date Posted: 03/22/2024
The Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET) is an integrated set of activities funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and is intended to provide timely, accurate, evidence-based, and transparent food security early warning information and analysis. Created in 1985 in response to famines in East and West Africa, FEWS NET provides global coverage through a mix of presence and remote monitoring. FEWS NET’s work is implemented across several pillars by a team of partners that includes the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the United States Department of Agriculture, the United States Geological Survey, the University of California-Santa Barbara’s Climate Hazards Center, American Institutes for Research, and Chemonics International (Chemonics). Chemonics houses FEWS NET’s Early Warning Team (EWT), a team charged with integrated emergency food insecurity analysis through a Washington-based technical office and more than 20 FEWS NET offices.
Based on
an in-depth understanding of local livelihoods, the EWT monitors information
and data on factors that affect food security, such as weather conditions and
climate, crops, pasture, markets and trade, and nutrition. The FEWS NET EWT
produces regular reports, including Food Security Outlooks and Outlook Updates,
emergency alerts, market and price updates, and global weather hazards
analyses. FEWS NET makes reports available at www.fews.net and distributes them
globally to governments, relief agencies, and other organizations engaged in
humanitarian response and development programs.
The
seventh phase of FEWS NET began in 2019. The work of FEWS NET EWT relies on
close collaboration with international, regional, and national partners on food
security data and information gathering and analysis. Major activities include
joint monitoring and assessments, data exchanges, collaborative analysis and
reporting, and technical capacity strengthening. FEWS NET supports local and
regional food security networks to contribute to achieving the global objective
of food security for all.
Position
Description
Under the
direction of the home-office designated field accounting support team (FAST)
manager, the regional field accountant (RFA) will establish and maintain
uniformity and accuracy in field accounting procedures and ensure that all
field accounting practices adhere to USAID and Chemonics International Inc.
regulations and policies. The RFA will advise field offices on financial
compliance matters, review and analyze local account submission, and helps
projects devise approaches for asset and liability management. They will travel
to field offices, install accounting software and tracking mechanisms and train
appropriate field personnel in the use of these systems. The RFA will also
perform other related duties as required to ensure the success of the department
Responsibilities
The main
responsibilities of the RFA include, but are not limited to:
- Providing
support and training to local FEWS accountants/bookkeepers and office
staff on USAID and Chemonics International policies and procedures.
- Traveling
to each regional FEWS NET offices annually, and/or as needed, to conduct
field financial/operational reviews with focus on the following areas:
- Providing
continual training on Chemonics accounting system- ABACUS.
- Reviewing
field accounts and provide training to ensure compliance with USAID/DCAA
regulations and Chemonics’ policies, procedures. The field review involves
a thorough revision of field office processes and procedures including a
sampling of financial records for compliance with:
- Timesheet
management and approvals;
- Travel
authorizations and travel advance requests;
- Expense
report processing and approvals;
- Petty
cash management;
- Procurement
policies and vehicle controls;
- Annual
leave and sick time tracking, and medical allowance and reimbursements.
- Reviewing
and reporting on a monthly basis to the HO-designated FAST Manager
expenses and transactions incurred by the regional FEWS NET offices
including:
- Tracking
outstanding staff receivables;
- Tracking
project withholdings and payables.
- Compiling
and reviewing bank reconciliations from regional offices.
- Tracking
and reviewing, on a monthly basis, expenses incurred by regional FEWS
offices.
- Reviewing
proper transaction codes.
- Reviewing
proper usage of project subaccount codes.
- Reviewing
field asset and liability account balances.
- Producing,
on a monthly basis, a financial report addressed to the HO-designated FAST
Manager. This report summarizes the region’s accounting activities and
regional field visit findings.
- Working
with regional FEWS NET offices in optimizing financial and cash flow
management.
- Evaluating
results of the annual Desk Audit and the Field Office Floor Check with the
PMU to discuss areas of non-compliance or deficiencies, and work with the
PMUs to bring project files into compliance.
- Assisting
with field office closures during project close-out. The close-out review
involves final reconciliation of home office and field office accounts, as
well as the closure and reconciliation of petty cash and local bank
accounts.
- Other
duties as assigned by the PMU, HO-designated FAST Manager or Country
Representative.
Qualifications
- Proficiency
in written and spoken English [and secondary language] is required; other
local language skills are highly desirable.
- At
least six years of relevant experience with a Bachelor’s degree in
accounting or related field is required; advanced university degree
(Master’s degree or higher) is highly desirable.
- Prior
knowledge of accounting systems (ABACUS, QuickBooks) highly desirable
- Experience
performing accounting audits or reviews
- Knowledge
of USAID and its operations preferred.
- Location
and Reporting