Title: Finance Assistant
Reports to: Senior Accountant
Location: Nairobi, Kenya
Grade: 5
TechnoServe Background:
Everyone deserves the opportunity to build a better future. This simple idea has been at the heart of TechnoServe’s work around the world for over 50 years. TechnoServe is a pioneer in leveraging the power of business and markets to create sustainable pathways out of poverty.
The low-income communities in which we work are full of enterprising people. Their small-scale farms and businesses are the keys to economic development. But they face many challenges: low literacy, lack of access to jobs and markets, unpredictable political dynamics and, increasingly, the effects of climate change. For many women and young people, the challenges are even more daunting. Working with TechnoServe staff, people around the world are lifting themselves out of poverty. The results are amazing…when incomes increase and living conditions for families get better, they are able to access health care and education previously out of reach. Communities and even whole countries are better off.
Program Description: Administration Function
Position Description: The main purpose of this position is to provide support to Finance Department in managing Accounts Payable Functions and ensuring compliance to regulatory requirements.
DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Review supplier invoices for accuracy and relevance before keying in the invoice to the financial system;
- Review supplier invoices for accuracy and relevance before making payments;
- Posting and suggesting of approved transactions.
- Process M-pesa payments
- Make payments to suppliers (M-pesa) in a timely manner.
- Reconcile supplier statements and resolve supplier issues.
- Code payments to appropriate Funds Code
- Capture payments/transactions in the Financial system.
- Manage staff travel advances and review expense reports for accuracy, relevance of supporting documents and proper coding.
- Work with Field staff guiding them on how to do proper expense reports.
- Prepare petty cash reconciliations and other Balance sheet reconciliations at the end of every month or periodically as the case maybe.
- Assist in maintaining books of account to trial Balance level- Cash books, Accounts payables eceivables, general ledgers and other sub ledgers.
- Manage statutory deductions and remit them to the relevant authorities within deadlines (PAYE, NSSF, NHIF, WHT etc)
- Assist in timesheets managements and training – conduct preliminary review of time portal entries to ensure all timesheets are in and that are free of general errors before a final review by program managers
- Work with HR to ensure time portal vacation entries reconcile with physical records and analysis maintained by Hr.
- Assist to review of Motor Vehicles mileage logs ensuring proper operation of the logs.
- Assist during Audits and other reviews in pulling out documents required by internal/external Auditors.
- Work with procurement to develop a supplier database.
- Work with procurement to ensure all supplier agreements are in place.
- Work with finance to develop various analyses as may be guided from time to time.
- Work with Finance on fixed assets management.
- Ensure documents are maintained well and easily accessible.
- Other responsibilities assigned by the Senior Accountant/ Financial Controller.
Required Skills, Knowledge, Experience and Abilities:
- University degree (Bcom- Finance or Accounting)
- ACCA/CPA finalist and undertaking the degree course
- Proficiency in MS Office (especially Excel)
- At least 2 years’ experience working in a busy accounts department
- Familiar with computerized accounting programs – NAV/Syologist added advantage
- Accurate, thorough, able to meet deadlines
- Maintain high levels of confidentiality in relation to sensitive and confidential financial information and decisions.
Success Factors
Competency is a combination of knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) directly related to successful performance on the job.
Core Competencies include:
- Integrity and honesty: Is widely trusted; seen as a direct, truthful individual; presents truthful information in an appropriate and helpful manner; keeps confidences; admits mistakes; does not misrepresent himself or herself for personal gain.
- Team Work/ Relationships: Works co-operatively and flexibly with other members of the team with a full understanding of the role to be played as a team member and/or leader, to achieve a common goal. Ability to build and maintain effective relationships and networks.
- Learning attitude: Proactively takes advantage of opportunities to learn. Actively identifies new areas for learning; applies and shares new knowledge and skill appropriately.
- Diversity/Inclusiveness: Demonstrates an understanding and appreciation for diversity and supports diversity efforts. Interacts effectively with and inclusively with people of all races, cultures, ethnicities, backgrounds, religions, ages, and genders.
- Communication: Expresses ideas effectively in individual and group situations. Listens effectively; shares information, ideas and arguments; adjusts terminology, language and communication modes to the needs of the audience; ensures accurate understanding; acts in a way that facilitates open exchange of ideas and information; uses appropriate non-verbal communication.
- Decision making/Problem Solving: Is able to analyse situations, diagnose problems, identify the key issues, establish and evaluate alternative courses of action and produce a logical, practical and acceptable solution. Is able to make effective decisions on a day-to-day basis, taking ownership of decisions, demonstrating sound judgement in escalating issues where necessary.
- Results Oriented/ High Quality Deliverables: Stays focused on the efforts necessary to achieve quality results consistent with programmatic or departmental goals. Demonstrates the ability to achieve effective results; works persistently to overcome obstacles to goal achievement. Accomplishes tasks by considering all areas involved, no matter how small; showing concern for all aspects of the job; accurately checking processes and tasks.
- Planning & Time Management: Establishes a course of action for self and/or others to accomplish a specific goal. Effectively plans, schedules, prioritizes and controls activities; identifies, integrates and orchestrates resources (people, material, information, budget, and/or time) to accomplish goals. Prioritizes work according to the program or department’s goals, not just own job responsibilities; manages own time effectively.
- Business Acumen: The ability to use information, ask the right questions and take decisions that make an impact on the overall business performance.
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.
