Senior Finance and Grants Officer (Maralal – Samburu) 

Job category: Finance & Compliance

Requisition number: SENIO003880

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Posting details

• Posted: 5 July 2023

Job details

Description

About Mercy Corps

Mercy Corps is a leading global organization powered by the belief that a better world is possible. In disaster, in hardship, in more than 40 countries around the world, we partner to put bold solutions into action — helping people triumph over adversity and build stronger communities from within. Now, and for the future.

Program / Department Summary

The Mercy Corps Finance Department is responsible for all financial functions including accounting, payments and banking, payroll, budgeting, financial reporting, and grant financial management and compliance. 

he Mercy Corps Finance Department ensures compliance with donor regulations as well as Mercy Corps’ internal policies and procedures.  In its role as a support to the Program Department, the Finance Department provides timely reports and assistance to the Country Director and the Program team to ensure that financial resources are used efficiently and effectively.

General Position Summary

Working in the Finance Department under the direction of the Finance Director, the Senior Finance and Grants Officer will be responsible for accounting and documentation of all financial transactions in a timely and accurate manner.  S/he will also be responsible for reporting, file maintaining, tracking, and monitoring of sub grantees ensuring compliance with the terms and conditions of the sub grant agreements for the USAID Nawiri program.

Essential Job Responsibilities

FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT

• Maintain custody of the office cash fund and make daily payments of approved transactions.
• Prepare cash payment vouchers and ensure that all cash transactions are fully and properly documented.
• Review expense reports (travel expense reports and operational expense reports) for accuracy and completeness and ensure that expense reports have been fully approved and documented before payment.
• Perform weekly cash count as per FFM.
• Review of payments as per AAM
• Responsible for updating of Maralal office bank file
• Ensure all receivable accounts in Lodwar offices are cleared at the end of the month.
• Ensure monthly submission of Cash count and bank statement to Nairobi office and at the same time ensure all transactions are captured in the system on weekly basis by Finance Officer and Finance Assistant.
• Responsible for training of all new staff in Maralal office on Finance.
• Support other Field offices in the absence of Finance Staff
• Prepare payment vouchers and ensure that all transactions are properly and fully documented and recorded in the cash/bank sub journal and in this process proper segregation of duties is applied.
• Record payment vouchers daily in Navigator Accounting System for the cash/bank sub journal.
• Maintain field advance tracker file and prepare past due advance tracker for the Finance and Compliance Manager
• File all cash and bank batch vouchers and maintain voucher-filing system such that files are updated, complete and safeguarded according to MC procedures.
• Assist with month end cash account reconciliations.
• Providing support to the finance officers in field offices;
• Make sure that all supporting documentation is prepared and filed according to MC procedures.

SUB GRANTS

• Conduct pre-award assessments of potential subgrantees, including financial capacity assessments and due diligence checks.
• Conduct regular site visits to subgrantee offices and project sites to assess financial management systems and provide technical support as needed.
• Review subgrantee budget proposals, financial reports and provide feedback on cost realism and alignment with project objectives.
• Coordinate with the local partners to ensure timely and accurate cashflow projections for efficient disbursement of subgrant funds.
• Collaborate with the Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning team to track and report on subgrantee performance indicators and targets.
• Support the partners in preparation of financial reports for subgrant activities, ensuring accuracy and compliance with donor guidelines.
• Assist in conducting internal and external audits of subgrant activities and ensure proper documentation of audit findings and recommendations.
• Stay updated on relevant donor regulations, compliance requirements, and industry best practices related to subgrants management.
• Provide on-going training and support to sub grantees in Mercy Corps sub grant financial procedures and assist in conducting formal sub grantee training workshops.
• Maintain sub grant tracking as well as financial files in accordance with the Field Finance Manual.
• Process sub grantee payments and reconcile sub grant financial tracking to general ledger reports.
• Assist in sub grant closeouts ensuring that all requirements of the sub grant agreement have been met and that sub grant funds have been properly settled.

Accountability to Beneficiaries

• Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts towards accountability, specifically to our beneficiaries and to international standards guiding international relief and development work, while actively engaging beneficiary communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring, and evaluation of our field projects.
• Team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and MC’s policies, procedures, and values always and in all in-country venues.

Supervisory Responsibility

Finance Officer

Accountability

Reports Directly To: Finance and Grants Coordinator

Works Directly With: Chief of Party, Finance Officer, Program Manager and other program, finance and support staff in Nairobi office.

Minimum Qualifications & Transferable Skills

• A university degree in finance, accounting or a related business field is required
• Two or more years of finance experience, including budgeting and grant management or auditing
• Two years’ experience in Finance Department of an non-governmental organization
• Good understanding of major international donor rules and non-profit accounting
• Prior experience with computerized general ledger software
• Advanced computer skills in MS Office programs, particularly Excel and Access. 
• Strong analytical skills coupled with a solid understanding of financial and procurement systems; Prior auditing experience is considered a plus
• Excellent oral and written English skills 

Success Factors

A successful Finance and Sub Grants Officer will have the ability to interact effectively with team members with a high professional standard of finance and procurement ethics as well as the willingness and ability to enforce compliance with Mercy Corps and donor policies and procedures is essential.  S/he will have the ability to multi-task, meet deadlines and process information in support of changing program activities.

The ability to effectively monitor sub grantee compliance as well as to provide support and training for sub grantee personnel is critical as well as willingness to travel to Mercy Corps field offices, sub grantee offices and project sites.

Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions

This role is based in Maralal – Samburu County.

Ongoing Learning

In support of our belief that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities we serve, we empower all team members to dedicate 5% of their time to learning activities that further their personal and/or professional growth and development

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Achieving our mission begins with how we build our team and work together. Through our commitment to enriching our organization with people of different origins, beliefs, backgrounds, and ways of thinking, we are better able to leverage the collective power of our teams and solve the world’s most complex challenges.

We strive for a culture of trust and respect, where everyone contributes their perspectives and authentic selves, reaches their potential as individuals and teams, and collaborates to do the best work of their lives. We recognize that diversity and inclusion is a journey, and we are committed to learning, listening and evolving to become more diverse, equitable and inclusive than we are today.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Mercy Corps is an equal opportunity employer that does not tolerate discrimination on any basis. We actively seek out diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be collectively stronger and have sustained global impact.

We are committed to providing an environment of respect and psychological safety where equal employment opportunities are available to all. We do not engage in or tolerate discrimination on the basis of race, color, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, disability (including HIV/AIDS status), marital status, military veteran status or any other protected group in the locations where we work.

Safeguarding & Ethics

Mercy Corps is committed to ensuring that all individuals we come into contact with through our work, whether team members, community members, program participants or others, are treated with respect and dignity. We are committed to the core principles regarding prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse laid out by the UN Secretary General and IASC and have signed on to the Interagency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. 

We will not tolerate child abuse, sexual exploitation, abuse, or harassment by or of our team members. As part of our commitment to a safe and inclusive work environment, team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner, respect local laws and customs, and to adhere to Mercy Corps Code of Conduct Policies and values at all times. Team members are required to complete mandatory Code of Conduct elearning courses upon hire and on an annual basis.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. 

Mercy Corps does not charge any fees at any stage of the recruitment process.