KickStart is
an award-winning, global nonprofit social enterprise that develops and
mass-markets low-cost irrigation solutions that are bought by thousands of
small-holder farmers in developing countries and used to increase their income
by up to a factor of ten, enabling them to lift themselves sustainably out of
poverty.
Using an entrepreneurial business model, KickStart has proven its cost- effective solution to poverty in Kenya, Tanzania, Mali and Burkina Faso, as well as in a dozen of other African countries.
KickStart plans to enhance its Budget and Grants Management and as a result it is seeking to recruit the Manager to take on this role.
Job Title: Budget and Grants Finance Manager
Function: Finance & Admin
Location: KickStart HQ Office - Nairobi
Grade:
3
Type of
Contract: Open Ended
Role
Purpose:
The Budget,
Grants Finance Manager plans, directs and coordinates all grant management and
budget activities for KickStart’s headquarters and field locations.
The purpose
of this role is to strengthen the grant and budget management capacities of
KickStart to meet anticipated growth in restricted funding and ensure full cost
recovery by the organization and compliance with donor reporting requirements.
The Budget and Grants Finance Manager takes lead responsibility for all aspects of grant management and reporting.
The Budget and Grants Finance Manager takes lead responsibility for all aspects of grant management and reporting.
He/She
coordinates pre-grant award budget development, monitors grant implementation
and financial performance, reports on outcomes and ensures compliance with all
regulatory, donor and policy requirements.
This position interacts with Country Managers and functional heads to oversee monthly variance analysis and reporting, quarterly rolling forecasts, and budget modifications.
Scope of Role:
Reports to: Finance & Admin Director
Staff directly reporting to this post: None
Works with: Development Team and Program Staff responsible for managing the programmatic aspects of the organization and of large grants.
Key Areas of Accountability:
Budget planning, monitoring and control
This position interacts with Country Managers and functional heads to oversee monthly variance analysis and reporting, quarterly rolling forecasts, and budget modifications.
Scope of Role:
Reports to: Finance & Admin Director
Staff directly reporting to this post: None
Works with: Development Team and Program Staff responsible for managing the programmatic aspects of the organization and of large grants.
Key Areas of Accountability:
Budget planning, monitoring and control
- Working closely with the
Director of Finance & Administration and senior management, helps with
the preparation of annual budget calendar and working documents. Updates
all base salary and benefit information, makes year-end projections based
on actual expenditures, and inputs the approved new budget information
into the ERP. Assists with the preparation of the budget and annual
Consolidated Fiscal Report. Ensures that senior staff and project managers
are kept informed of budget changes;
- Prepares monthly expenditure
analysis including accrual projections to determine where budgets are over
and/or underspent. Coordinates quarterly meetings with senior management
and Director of Finance & Administration to review analysis, program
changes impacting the budget, contract issues, etc.;
- Updates internal budget
documents as necessary, prepares budget modification forms as needed,
inputs changes into the ERP, and communicates all changes to relevant
staff. Working closely with program staff, prepares budget modification
forms and no costs extension requests for government contracts as needed;
- Keeps CFO, COO and Director of
Finance informed of significant variances from budget or other donor
compliance issues that should be addressed.
- Helps the Director of Finance
to initiate budget re-forecasts and amendments.
- Other duties as may be required
by the Director of Finance.
Grant
management and Reporting; including reviewing of key grant terms
- Oversees all grants and
contracts – the policies, procedures, and compliance issues related to
grants and contracts management and reporting, internally as well as for
subcontractors and sub-awards. Creates a reliable review system for
assessing grants and contracts with staff. Understand all contract regulations
and train program staff to ensure compliance;
- Create templates for contracts,
sub contracts, letters of agreement, and reports;
- Supervises Accountants to
ensure timely and accurate preparation of all monthly, quarterly and
annual invoices/requests to funding sources, and reconciliations with
general ledger;
- Working with Development staff,
prepares or reviews budgets and budget narratives for submission in our
responses to donor requests for proposals (RFPs) and grant proposals;
- Reviews monthly budget variance
reports and general ledger reports to insure that items are being charged
to the correct programs and grants/contracts. Prepares correcting journal
entries as required.
- Assists the Director of Finance
in determining appropriate allocation methodology for those items
requiring allocation among different sources. Ensures that allocations are
made correctly and reviews methodologies with program and administrative
staff;
- Maintains ongoing communication
with program staff regarding needs and budget status;
- Monitors spending/run rate
against grants and awards on a monthly basis and provide information to
program leads to adjust spending accordingly
- Monitors work flows and helps
develop and implement systems to provide sound management control over
compliance with award terms and conditions
- Establishes and maintains
financial record keeping and procedures for tracking and reporting on
grants and awards
- Coordinates with finance,
fundraising and program staff to apportion use of unrestricted funds and
ensure the fully-funding of KickStart operations.
- Monitors cash flow of field
offices and manages advance request approval
- Manage program results
reporting (as required by grants and contracts).
- Work with various teams to
ensure coordinated efforts in grant development and management. Assists
program managers and other coordinators with daily implementation of the
grant program.
- Monitor/tracks the status of
each program through its program life cycle.
- Works with Development &
Program teams to send notification to Grant Awarding Agencies of
significant events required for changes in grant programs.
- Operates as the liaison between
the Accountants, Budget Managers, Program Managers and Awarding Agency in
relation to program compliance.
- Provides regular status reports
on grant implementation in conjunction with accountants’ reports.
- Performs site visits to verify
compliance with staffing guidelines related to grant award agreements.
- Prepare &/or coordinate
program reports for submission to the granting authority according to
grant guideline schedules.
- Assist the Accountants in
assuring that expenditures support program objectives and that budgets
submitted are consistent with original grant application.
- Prepare &/or help
coordinate all applicable program reports for sponsored programs and
ensure the timely submission thereof.
- Responsible for grant closeout,
which includes assisting with assurance that all purchase orders will be
paid &/or liquidated within 90 days of grant ending period and
assurance that all expenditures (services &/or goods) were received
within the grant award period.
Qualifications
and Experience
- University degree in
administration, finance or related field. Advanced degree preferred;
- Minimum 5-7 years of budget
analysis experience necessary;
- Minimum 3-5 years of
progressive experience in pre- and post-award Grant and Contract
management;
- Highly proficient in word
processing and spreadsheet applications;
- Excellent analytical, verbal
and written communication skills required;
- Extremely detail oriented;
- Familiarity financial
management information systems, Microsoft Navision’s suites such as Donor
Vision, Award Vision, ERP and grant accounting preferred.
- Previous grant and contract
experience required.
- Knowledge of government,
non-government, foundational and corporate donor contract guidelines;
- Must have the ability to work
in a fast paced environment with strict deadlines and be able to manage
multiple priorities;
Skills and
Behaviours
- Demonstrable experience of
managing a substantial grants scheme for community activities. Experience
of scheme administration, managing assessment teams and selection panels,
complex budget control and regularly reporting against spend and targets.
Confidence and experience to meet the expectations of national funders.
- An understanding of how to
effectively engage with groups and organizations working with people from
a wide range of communities, including BOP communities.
- Experience of effectively line
managing staff and supervising interns and the ability to lead a team to
deliver to ambitious targets.
- Excellent influencing,
negotiation and communication skills to establish strong working
partnerships with grantee organisations and groups and support them to
meet specific targets and outcomes.
- Substantial experience of
supporting organisations and groups to develop and deliver new projects,
including a strong understanding of the issues they may face.
- Solid experience of monitoring
and evaluating a large programme of work.
- Experience of prioritising,
working under pressure and meeting tight deadlines.
- Excellent problem solving
skills and ability to be flexible and respond and adapt to changing
circumstances.
- Understanding of and commitment
to KickStart’s work, aims and objectives. Deep commitment to eradicating
poverty and KickStart’s mission
- Experience of administering
government, foundational and other corporate-funded projects.
- Ability and skill to drive and
achieve quality results within complex, time constrained goals.
- Communication skills (both
interpersonal and written), including superior presentation skills.
- Previous grant and contract
experience required. Experience with multiple large grants preferred.
- Experience building and
managing budgets and work-plans.
- Meticulous and attentive to
details with deep experience in developing and monitoring complex budgets
- Ability to perform
sophisticated financial allocations and analysis.
- Knowledge of and direct
responsibility managing large restricted grants.
If you
posses the above skills and believe you are the right candidate for this
position, e-mail your application and CV stating the position title on the
subject line to our HR Director at: hr@kickstart.org no later than COB Friday,
11th July 2013.
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
For more information about KickStart visit our website: www.kickstart.org
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
For more information about KickStart visit our website: www.kickstart.org