Finance Assistant Job in Kenya

BUILD PROJECT

A.) Position Information

Job Title: Finance Assistant

Employment: Full time

Working hours: Monday to Friday reporting in the office from 8.30 a.m. to 5.00 p.m.

Supervisor: Senior Finance Officer

Repotees; None

Duration of Contract; 1 year fixed term renewable subject satisfactory performance

Duty station: PACJA Secretariat, Nairobi Kenya

About PACJA
PACJA (Pan African Climate Justice Alliance) is a consortium of more than 2000 organizations from 48 African countries, and brings together a diverse membership drawn from Faith-based Organizations, Community-based organizations, Non-Governmental organizations, Trusts, Foundations, Indigenous Communities, Farmers, and Pastoralist Groups with a shared vision to advance a people-centred, rights-based, equitable, just and inclusive approach to climate response. The tremendous growth of the Alliance membership and mandate has necessitated a rethink of its governance, which seeks to accord more role to its base at the sub-national/national level by establishing National Platforms that will henceforth serve as Pillars of mobilization in countries and sub-national levels. This is consistent with the Paris Agreement and Agenda 2030, which underscores people and local communities’ role in achieving their stated goals.

PACJA’s Programme mirrors three thematic areas, namely Resilient People Societies and Economies (ReSPE), Just Transition and Energy Access (JTEA), and Climate Finance (CF). PACJA works with people at the frontline of climate change, especially women in rural settings, and believes that environmental and climate justice will be achieved only if governments recognize the right to justice and respond with policies, resources, and actions to meet the needs and aspirations of their citizens and that vulnerable groups such as women, indigenous peoples (IPs), youth, people living with disabilities (PWDs), must be included in all aspects of decision-making processes especially in climate financing and in climate information and services (CIS)

Communication for PACJA is key to sharing our best practices internally across the network and externally with partners within and beyond the continent. To this effect, PACJA strives to build staff and partners’ communication capacities to strengthen the impact of PACJA’s work. PACJA incorporates a variety of approaches to its communication work. A key focus of our communication is targeted advocacy; in essence, we believe that advocacy means communicating to convince people to change. This means that advocacy must persuade people that there is a problem, it can be solved, and they, themselves, should take action in a big way to contribute to the solution.

The “BUILD” project

The African Institute for Development Policy (AFIDEP) and its partners: PATH Foundation Philippines, Inc (PFPI), Leadership for Environment and Development (LEAD), Pan African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA) and FHI360, are implementing a project titled Building Capacity for Integrated FP/RH and PED Action (BUILD) with funding from USAID. BUILD brings together southern leadership and organizations from Africa, Asia, and the USA that, together, have proven technical expertise in promoting cross-sectoral interventions in Population-Environment-Development (PED) and in advocating for voluntary family planning (FP) and capacity strengthening. The BUILD program will strengthen individual and institutional capacity in advocacy, policy communications, and negotiations and increase commitment for cross-sectoral approaches to integrate population, the environment and climate change, food security and livelihoods, and governance. In this regard, PACJA is recruiting a competent finance assistant to help execute the PACJA’s role in the project

Finance Assistant job Profile

Under the strategic direction from the Senior Finance Officer, the incumbent will be responsible for supporting the Finance Team in implementing the ’’BUILD’’ project and other projects as directed.

B. Duties and Responsibilities

Payments Processing
• Ensure that all payments to the vendors are processed on time for approval by SFO/HOFA as per organizational policies
• Ensure that signatories on releasing the online payments also sign on the payment documents
• Ensure that all commitments are updated on the online system immediately after payment is done;
• Working with the SFO/HOFA/Program staff to ensure cash flow forecasts are updated in line with the finance and operations manuals.
• Performing initial Review of purchase requisitions to confirm availability of funds/budgets
• Ensuring that General Ledger is updated for all payments made.

Training & Support

• Assist the SFO/HOFA in guiding staff on accounting procedures and requirements, and assist the program staff in finance-related issues and activities.
• Assist SFO/HOFA in training non-finance staff on budget tracking, burn rates and provide advice & guidance on improvement of budget utilization.

Bank & Cash Management

• Petty cash management including the disbursement as per our manuals.
• Performing cash count and ensure that documentary evidence of the same is duly signed off.
• Preparation of the cash and bank reconciliations as per guidelines and GAAP’S.
• Working with program staff to help them develop more accurate cash forecasts.
• Prepare and share cashbooks for review and approval by the supervisor.

Internal Control and Compliance

• Ensure that statutory deductions such as PAYE and other payroll deductions are remitted on time.
• Ensuring internal control procedures are followed for all cash disbursements, receipts and transfers.
• Identifying key issues and weakness in areas of operation provide recommendations for improving control processes or procedures.
• Ensuring that the internal controls are adhered to in all areas of operation.
• Review all cash advance liquidations to ensure correct coding and adequate supporting documentation is attached.

Reporting and records management

• Assist in the review of the General ledger as well as generating report different reports.
• Assisting in the Analyzing, interpreting and presentation financial information, general ledger
• Assisting with the end of the month closing procedures as necessary.
• Ensuring documents and other records are properly filed and marked for archiving.

C.Required Competencies

a) An agile and strategic and critical thinker, with the ability of setting process, performance, and outcome goals.
b) excellent communication skills both verbal and written, Ability to speak French will be an added advantage
c) Attention to details
d) Proficiency in analysis and problem solving
e) Good knowledge of financial controlling
f) Generally Accepted Accounting Practices and Kenya Government Regulations and Processes Know how to use budgetary tools
g) Knowledge of financial management frameworks
h) Understanding and/or knowledge of audit preparation
i) Strong Project Management skills (planning, budget, steering, capitalization)

D.Qualifications and Experience

a) At least 5years of work experience in a similar position preferably with an INGO
b) Bachelors degree in Accounting, Finance or Business Administration and certified public Accountant (K) or equivalent

E. Terms of Appointment

This is a full-time position with a 1-year renewal contract (renewable) and the successful candidate being based at the PACJA secretariat in Nairobi-Kenya.

How to apply:

Send your application to hr@pacja.org copying info@pacja.org by 11th /06/2021, with a resume a cover letter.