Finance Officer

Job overview

The Finance Officer will have responsibility for carrying out all aspects of Development Initiatives (DI) Africa Hub’s financial management. The post holder will be based at our office in Nairobi, Kenya and will work in collaboration with the Regional Director and Office Manager as well as the Finance and HR Department based at DI’s Head Office in the UK.

 Key tasks include:

•         Producing up-to-date books of accounts

•         Financial and cost analysis

•         Financial management and budgetary control

•         Incremental and cost summaries

•         Contracts for supplies and services, as needed

•         Knowledge and documentation of legal requirements and government reporting regulations affecting Finance functions

Due to the demanding nature of the job, the post holder must be highly numerate and literate and have the ability to work in a fast paced work environment.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Education/Qualification

·         bachelors degree in Business Administration or Commerce

·         full/part accountancy qualification with a recognised professional body such as CPA or ACCA

·         relevant work experience; experience in budget oversight for programs and grants from varied Embassies, foundations,  or other donors would be advantageous

·         evidence of recent continuing professional development

Knowledge/Technical Skills

·            knowledge of relevant legislation and legal requirements

·            knowledge of accounting software; e.g. SAGE highly advantageous

·            good technical accounting skills and knowledge of VAT and relevant taxation requirements

·            confident and clear communication skills, with good verbal and visual presentation and the ability to present financial information in a clear and concise manner to non finance personnel

·            good written and clear spoken English

·            good skills in MS Office, including excel

Personal Skills/Qualities

·         good interpersonal skills

·         a  self-starter who can work independently with minimal support but can also work in a team environment

·         ability to multi task, work under pressure yet deliver on time

·         can recognize, create and seize opportunities to put ideas into practice

·         confident in questioning the validity of information, recognize anomalies and errors and be able to offer ideas and solutions

·         ability to work remotely, liaising and reporting to the UK Finance team while maintaining all necessary confidentiality

·         good time management and organisational skills

·         adaptable and flexible working style

·         ability to work under pressure yet deliver on time with attention to detail and accuracy

DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES

Technical

·         Manage programme budgets

·         Hold regular meetings with the programme leader/co-ordinators to review performance against budget and cash-flow

·         Attending monthly finance meetings with the Regional Director to update on programme performance against budget

·         Prepare monthly payroll and process supplier invoices, sales invoices and compensation and benefits payments/claims where necessary

·         In conjunction with the Central Finance team, consider improvements that could be made to accounting software, budget and financial processes in order to improve systems and financial reporting mechanisms within the organization as a whole

·         Develop annual and monthly operating budgets, follow-up on financial transactions and prepare monthly financial reports

·         Prepare expense reports, record and reconcile all payments and receipts

·         Prepare requests for funds/claims for submission to the UK office

·         Prepare periodic and final financial reports for expenditure of donor funds

·         Support the Office Manager and Programmes staff to prepare budgets and estimates for fundraising proposals

·         Oversee office compliance with legal and administrative requirements including regular liaison with auditors and legal advisors

·         Oversee Africa office’s adherence to DI administrative and financial policies

·         Perform other duties as necessary and required

Personal Development

·         Develop individual capacity plan

·         Prepare for and engage in 1:1 meetings and performance management appraisals

·         Maintain personal professional development and maintain personal development plans

·         Input into own objectives, linking to organisational strategy

General responsibilities

·         Take personal responsibility for any health and safety issues and obligations

·         Be aware of and comply with relevant legislation and policies

·         Uphold all aspects of Company policies and procedures and legal requirements in relation to personal conduct

  

Contactual details

Start date:          ASAP

Location:            Nairobi, Kenya

Holiday:              25 days per year plus Kenya public holidays

Hours:                35 hours per week

Contract:            Fixed term to December 2013 (with possibility of extension)

Probation:         3 months

APPLICATION DETAILS

Your CV (not more than 3 pages) and covering letter which should detail your skills and experiences and how they relate to the job description, should be emailed to: Mariam Ibrahim, Office Manager at hr.africa@devinit.org, quoting ref: FO-NAI in the email subject line. Your letter should also include your salary expectations and notice period/available start date.

Closing date:  15 February 2013

other

Employing an individual who is not allowed to work in East Africa is illegal and we have a duty to prevent illegal working by checking potential employees' documents, before employing them, to ensure they have the right to work in the East Africa.   It is highly unlikely that we will be able offer sponsorship to a worker from outside the EA.

Due to the volume of applicants that we receive, I regret to say that we will be unable to acknowledge receipt of your application and if you do not hear from us within 4 weeks of the closing date, please assume that your application has been unsuccessful.

Development Initiatives is an equal opportunities employer and in line with our policies, we aim to ensure that no job applicant receives less favourable treatment on the grounds of race, colour, nationality, religion, ethnic or national origin, age, gender, marital status, sexual orientation or disability.