Closing date: September 23, 2021
PRACTICAL ACTION
ABOUT US
We
are an international development organisation putting ingenious ideas to work
so people in poverty can change their world.
We help people find solutions to some of
the world’s toughest problems. Challenges made worse by catastrophic climate
change and persistent gender inequality. We work with communities to develop
ingenious, lasting and locally owned solutions for agriculture, water and waste
management, climate resilience and clean energy. And we share what works with
others, so answers that start small can grow big.
We’re a global change-making group. The group consists of a UK registered charity with community projects in Africa, Asia and Latin America, an independent development publishing company and a technical consulting service. We combine these specialisms to multiply our impact and help shape a world that works better for everyone.
OUR AIMS
We
help people find solutions to some of the world’s toughest problems, made worse
by catastrophic climate change and persistent gender inequality. Our aims are
to:
- Make agriculture work better for smallholder
farmers, many of them women, so they can adapt to climate change and
achieve a good standard of living
- Help more people harness the transformational
effects of clean affordable energy and reduce avoidable deaths caused by
smoke from indoor stoves and fires.
- Make cities in poorer countries cleaner, healthier
places to live and work.
- Build disaster resilience into the lives of people
threatened by hazards – reducing the risk of hazards and minimizing their
impact on lives and livelihoods.
HOW WE WORK
We
work on holistic solutions that change systems and have a framework to help us
achieve our aims:
- Analyze the root causes of a poverty and
vulnerability
- Define the change at scale we need to make
- Develop activities along three complementary paths:
Demonstrate, Learn and Inspire.
- Demonstrate that our solutions are sustainable in
the real world
- Learn by capturing evidence and adapting our approach
- Inspire wider support to multiply our impact.
OUR ORGANISATION
Practical Action is an unconventional,
multi-disciplinary change-making organization
- A highly innovative community development charity
operating in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Practical
Action community projects use ingenious ideas to
design, test, refine and prove new ways to overcome poverty and
disadvantage and then ‘open-source’ knowledge of what works so that it can
be implemented at a greater scale by others.
- A world-class consulting operation that helps
socially responsible business, government policy makers and other
development organizations. This draws on learnings from our own
development work as well as the combined brainpower of a roster of over
2,000 expert consultants. Practical Action Consulting helps
to extend the reach of our influence by providing the best advice to
others, whose work can make a bigger difference.
- A well respected specialist development publisher. Practical
Action Publishing brings together development
practitioners, researchers and thought leaders to create publications that
stimulate discussion, strengthen peoples’ capabilities and inspire
sustainable change.
PRACTICAL ACTION IN EAST AFRICA
In
East Africa, Practical Action has a long history of addressing systemic
barriers that prevent people from accessing energy that transforms their lives,
helping communities and government makes cities healthier and safer, making
agriculture and markets work better for small holder farmers and supporting
communities and government to become more resilient.
We use a mix of programming with
communities and consultancy services with shapers of policy and practice to
achieve our aims in Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda and Tanzania.
ABOUT THE ROLE
The
Finance & Admin Officer is responsible for managing the day-to-day finance
and administration activities for Practical Action’s field office in Kisumu,
Kenya. S/He will ensure that all financial and administrative activities are
carried out in line with Practical Action’s Group/local financial
policies/procedures and will work under the direct supervision of the Area Lead
– Lake Basin and matrix managed by the Head of Finance & Systems. The post
holder will provide support to Lake Basin project teams on compliance to donor
rules and regulations providing budgetary oversight on project activities.
SCOPE
Title: Finance
and Administration Officer – Kisumu
Reporting to: Area
Lead – Lake Basin
Matrix Management: Head of Finance and Systems, East Africa
Direct Reports: N/A
Location: Kisumu,
Kenya
Grade: 5
ACCOUNTABILITIES
Accounting,
book-keeping and financial process management (40%)
- Prepare and check financial documents and process
transactions
- Support the preparation of financial statements
- Identify process/internal controls weaknesses and
propose options on improvements.
- Implement specific approved process/internal changes
- Ensure month end processes and accounting data is
processed timely
- Ensure timely review of partner expenditure and
reports, working with the awards and delivery teams to flag any issues
that should be monitored.
- Support in the year end process including making
accruals and adjustments, and supporting the timely submissions of yearend
accounts.
- Ensure timely posting of finance data into sun system
- Participate in the organizational/project budget
formulation and ensure correct coding of expenditure in line with the
existing coding structure
- Process supplier payments in a timely and accurate
manner to ensure good supplier relations
Financial
Planning, Management Reporting, Analysis and proposal development (30%)
- Processes field office transfers, reviews their
returns and upload them when issues are resolved
- Provide costing information as requested for
planning process
- Upload indirect cost, overheads, support cost
coverage journals and staff time reallocations on receipt of time sheets
from budget holders
- Provides costing information for proposal budgets
and trend analysis
- Supports the development and implementation of
finance projects. Participates in working groups.
Treasury,
risk management and tax (20%)
- Monitor bank and cash balances to ensure funds are
available when needed and prepare monthly bank and cash reconciliations
- Reports risks identified or materialised in the
process of day to day business
- Manage and monitor petty cash balances
- Ensure sufficient cash for the field office and
prepare fund request in good time.
- Oversee daily expenditure and ensure all claims for
any payments follow internal procedure, are approved and settled on time
including staff advances and office expenditure.
- Conduct capacity building support to staff and
partners in the field office in relation to internal systems and templates.
- Ensure the preparation of monthly cash and bank
reconciliations.
- Ensure the operational mandates for the field office
bank accounts are up to date.
Donor
audits and reporting (5%)
- Respond to audit requests for information and supply
appropriate audit evidence
- Prepare and send budget holder reports to budget
holders every month
- Prepare various donor financial reports as required
by donor grants and contracts.
- Support award management by maintaining up to date
award details at the field office for those implemented in the Lake Basin
region.
- Ensure all project expenditures are compliant with
specific donor contract guidelines and conditions.
Assets
management and Administrative functions (5%)
- Work closely with the Area Lead, Lake Basin, to
ensure prudent utilization, management and accountability for Practical
Action resources and compliance to all applicable Group policies and
procedures.
- Working with the Finance Coordinator, ensure fixed
asset registers are maintained, updated and reconciled to SUN.
- In coordination with the Procurement and logistics
Officer ensure all field offices Assets in the lake basin region are
Tagged, insured and updated in the master Asset register
- Strengthen internal controls around asset management
ensuring Practical Action’s assets are safeguarded at all times.
- Ensure field Asset disposals are conducted as per
Practical action procurement policies
- In coordination with the Logistics and procurement
officer, support the Kisumu office in procurement and logistical functions.
- In consultation with the security focal person
continuously monitor and share any security incidences in the field
offices within the lake region.
- Perform other relevant duties as and when assigned.
PERSON PROFILE
To
be successful in the role, the ideal candidate will be able to demonstrate:
Experience & Knowledge
- Bachelor’s Degree in Commerce (accounting option) or
related field
- Post graduate degree in relevant discipline will be
an added advantage
- CPA (K) or equivalent
Essential
- At least five (5) years relevant experience and at
least three (3) years of which should have included financial budgeting,
implementation and accounting responsibility up to final accounts and
reporting to donors.
- Strong verbal and written communication skills in
both English and Kiswahili
- Able to work independently, under pressure, able to
maintain accuracy, paying attention to details, meeting deadlines and
working with minimal supervision.
- Strong interpersonal and intercultural skills with
proven ability to work effectively and harmoniously with a team of
colleagues
- Knowledge of Computer accounting packages with
particular emphasis on Excel, Word and SUN Accounting System
- Strong analytical skills
- Demonstrated ability to maintain integrity in
performing responsibilities assigned
- Proven experience in auditing, planning and
organizing skills
- Experience working remotely in a field office
Desirable
- Sound knowledge of IT will be an added advantage
Interested applicants should submit their applications, including an updated CV with a cover letter via email to: recruitment@practicalaction.or.ke not later than 23rd September 2021 indicating Finance & Admin Officer – Kisumu on the email subject line.
At Practical Action, we treat all
applications for employment on their merits and do not take into consideration
any factors that are not relevant to the job such as disability, race, age,
religion, gender, gender reassignment or sexual orientation.
We are committed to safeguarding and
protecting children and vulnerable adults and as such candidates will be
subject to pre-employment checks.
The successful applicant must have the
pre-existing right to both live and work in Kenya.
