Job Title: Finance Analyst
Hiring Organization: World
Bank
Location – Locality: Nairobi
Location – Region: Kenya
Industry: Banking
Job Type: Full
Time
Salary: KES
Competitive
Date Posted: 03/12/2024
The WB
Finance & Accounting (WFA) Vice Presidency is responsible for all aspects
of the financial reporting and internal control framework for IBRD and IDA, and
the extensive Trust Fund/Partnership portfolio of the WB entities. It supports
an appropriate fiduciary control framework and administering disbursements for
Bank lending and leads the client service function for the WB’s corporate
expenses.
Organizationally,
WFA is comprised of three departments: (1) Corporate Accounting and Reporting,
(2) Trust Funds and Loans, and (3) Financial Controls. In WFA, our mandate
supports both internal and external clients while we focus on delivery,
optimization, impact, and people & culture.
WFACS:
Within
WFA, WFACS – Client Services unit of the Trust Funds and Loan Operations
Department is devoted to providing “front-end” client services and related
operations to business and external clients and is organized along business
lines serving the regions and global practices. The Services within the area of
WFACS responsibilities fall under three categories: regional coordination,
country focal point assistance, and project-level fiduciary and portfolio
management.
WFACS is
currently seeking a highly motivated Finance Analyst (FN) for its team in
Nairobi, Kenya.
How your
contributions will help us achieve our goals
The Finance Analyst plays an important role in disbursement related activities
during implementation of a project. You will collaborate with Finance
Officer(s) in Nairobi and other locations to support Operations staff and
external Borrowers. You will also perform a variety of broad responsibilities
of the division, including working on diverse range of disbursement related
issues and providing solutions and working on system design.
As a
Finance Analyst, you will report to the Regional Center Team Leader.
What
you will do?
- Disbursement
transactions processing: Act as the country focal point for assigned
countries in disbursement related aspects in collaboration with the
country Finance Officer, at country level. Perform transaction processing
including release of disbursements, as appropriate. Promptly liaise with
clients to resolve any potential issues or exceptions noted in the
processing of transactions.
- Project
Restructuring and preparation of certain Trust Funds: Manage project
preparation, as assigned by the Finance Officers for low-risk Trust Funds
and review restructuring packages.
- Portfolio
management: Monitor inactive Project Designated Accounts, engage in
portfolio management activities, system updates and liaise with clients to
ensure that Designated Accounts balances are promptly documented or
refunded for orderly loan closure.
- Training
and Capacity building: Evaluate the results of both the reviews of
transactions and the portfolio management work to identify areas where
borrowers have capacity constraints and provide capacity-building to
clients.
- System
and related tasks: Provide support on planning the development of system
and enhancement tasks, upgrades to applications and new systems. Perform
testing related to enhancement tasks, upgrades to applications.
Preparation of disbursement and analytical reports and handle other tasks
that may be assigned by the WFACS Team Lead and management.
- Selection
Criteria
Education:
- Professional
accounting qualification (CA, CPA, ACCA or an equivalent professional
accounting qualification) preferred.
- A
Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, or a relevant discipline.
- Master’s
degree in a relevant discipline (for example finance, accounting etc) is a
plus.
Experience:
- Minimum
of three years of relevant work experience.
- Experience
with a financial institution or an accounting firm is a plus.
- Big
Four or equivalent public accounting experience would be advantageous.
Language:
- The
ideal candidate should have advanced fluency in both English and
Portuguese, with the ability to clearly communicate in both written and
spoken forms and to conduct meetings in these two languages. Proficiency
level in these two languages will be tested during the recruitment
process.
Knowledge
and Skills:
- Relevant
knowledge of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), internal
controls and financial management.
- Knowledge
and application of the Bank’s Operational Policies and Procedures and how
they relate to disbursements and loan portfolio management.
- Ability
to exercise professional judgment and appropriately interpret and apply
operational policies, as they relate to disbursements and loan portfolio
management.
- Willingness
to travel on mission and short-term assignments.
- Strong
quantitative skills with superior attention to detail and numerical
accuracy.
- Ability
to manage complex tasks, deal with rapidly shifting priorities, provide
professional support to senior staff and deliver against ambitious
deadlines.
- Demonstrates
good understanding of risks and internal control procedures pertaining to
various activities in own functional areas.
- Strong
client focus including good interpersonal, diplomatic and team building
skills required for building and maintaining collaborative relationships.
Abilities:
- Strong
communication skills, including the ability to explain and express
views/opinions clearly and confidently.
- Ability
to deal sensitively in a multi-cultural environment and build effective
working relations with clients and colleagues.
- Willingness
to work in different time zones – Given that the division is co-located in
multiple cities in different time zones and borrowers are in different
countries, candidates must be willing to work in different time zones
especially the US EST time zone on an ‘as-needed’ basis.