WE ARE HIRING! Finance Officer position

Job Description

Finance Officer

JOB TITLE:	Finance Officer
FT / PT:	Full-time, 40 hours per week
LOCATION:	Nairobi Office
PROGRAM:	ziziAfrique (all programs) including PAL Network
REPORTS TO:	Director
SUPERVISES:	Finance Assistant, Interns

ziziAfrique is currently seeking a competent and energetic Finance Officer to be responsible for the overall financial administration of ziziAfrique in accordance with the legal requirements, highest ethical standards and internationally recognized financial reporting practices (IFRS). The Finance Officer will ensure that all financial management practices, reports and documentation are well organized and conform to policies and the highest standards. Reporting to the Director, the Finance Officer will be responsible for the following functions:

Specific Responsibilities

1. Ensure the smooth operation of all finance matters within set policies and procedures, with high quality controls adhering to regulatory and legislative practice;
2. Maintain consistent, accurate and efficient processing, inputting, coding, and reconciliation of transactions into financial software (including invoices, salaries, direct debit, cash, etc);
3. Initiate payment processes by preparing appropriate documentation for review and approval by the budget holder and Director;
4. Manage banking accounts and balances effectively and efficiently including undertaking monthly bank account reconciliations, foreign exchange management and cash flow management in a timely manner;
5. Prepare and analyze monthly budgets and forecasts and prepare the annual financial statement (for the organization, departments or projects, as required);
6. Ensure that staff payroll administration is verified for accuracy, properly processed and that all statutory payments such as PAYE are made on a timely basis;
7. Support management of donor funding and disbursements, ensure acknowledgement of receipts and financial reporting is accurate, professional and timely;
8. Ensure that ziziAfrique is compliant with all legal requirements regarding taxation, returns, fees and other statutory requirements;
9. Maintain well organized physical and electronic archive of financial documentation, ensuring that all financial records are filed appropriately and can easily be retrieved by other staff for review and reporting, as well as for audit purposes;
10. Ensure accurate and safe management of sensitive and confidential data;
11. Support the development and updating of financial policies, procedures and standards, including keeping abreast of new financial and tax laws in accordance to legal requirements and the best financial practices, and ensure that all staff are well informed in their use;
12. Prepare for and collaborate with internal and external auditors to ensure successful audit;

General Responsibilities

1. Contribute to the continuous improvement of financial management at ziziAfrique and provide support to colleagues to help achieve this;
2. Successfully implement above responsibilities and assigned activities (and associated budgets) in workplans consistent with the policies of ziziAfrique;
3. Contribute effectively to planning, monitoring and reporting of ziziAfrique work;
4. Comply with and foster adherence to the established ziziAfrique policies, regulations, guidelines, and procedures;
5. Participate actively in organization-wide learning, development and other joint activities;
6. Undertake any other lawful tasks as may be assigned by the Supervisor, including assisting and supporting other projects and departments as requested.
   

Person Specification

Evidence that applications meet the essential criteria will be assessed by the following methods: Application (A), Interview (I), Test (T) and References (R), as indicated below:

Qualifications

1. Certified CPA or equivalent professional accounting qualification (A)
2. Four or more years of experience working in finance with at least two years in a management role (A&I)
3. University graduate with a relevant degree in finance, accountancy or business administration (A)
4. Demonstrable experience in the use of complex financial management systems (such as Xero, QuickBooks or others) with competence for MS Office (Excel (high level) plus Word, PowerPoint, etc) (A, I & R)
5. Knowledge of financial regulations for profit Vs non-profit sector organizations (eg restricted / unrestricted income, grant funding, VAT and legal requirements)
6. Native or full professional competency in English (I)

Skills and Competencies

• Demonstrable recent successful experience in a role(s) with similar responsibilities (A&I)
• In-depth, articulate understanding of accounting policies and concepts (I)
• Impeccable, corruption-free reputation and integrity (I&R)
• Discretion and a proven ability to handle confidential and sensitive information (I&R)
• Motivated performer and forward planner with strong attention to detail ability to meet strict deadlines (I)
• Excellent administrative and planning skills (T)
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to take initiative and deliver results on short notice and with minimum supervision; (I&R)

Terms and Conditions

• This post is offered as a 12-month contract starting January 4^th 2016, including a 3-month probation period. The contract may be renewable provided funding is secured for the post and satisfactory progress is made.
• The standard working week is 37.5 hours per week. However, the demands of the job are likely to be such that a willingness to work longer hours as sometimes required is necessary.

Application Procedure

To apply for this position, please send the following documents to info@palnetwork.org by the close of business on Wednesday November 11^th 2015:

1. Cover letter (maximum of 1 page)
2. CV (maximum of 2 pages)

Applications should be a maximum of 3 pages in length, as specified in the instructions above.