Mercy Corps Jobs in Kenya

Mercy Corps works amid disasters, conflicts, chronic poverty and instability to unleash the potential of people who can win against impossible odds. Since 1979, Mercy Corps has provided $1 billion in assistance to people in 82 nations.

Supported by headquarters offices in North America, Europe, and Asia, the agency's unified global programs employ 3,500 staff worldwide and reach 9 million people in more than 40 countries.

Over the last five years, more than 90 percent of the agency's resources have been allocated directly to programs that help people in need.

Mercy Corps has recently been awarded a 3-year program under USAID’s Yes Youth Can initiative, covering six regions in Kenya; Western, Nyanza, Rift Valley, Central, Nairobi and Coast.

The core of this program is a Youth Innovate for Change Fund (YICF), which will be a youth-owned, youth-led and youth-managed financial facility to support local solutions for community economic development as it grows in value.

This program aims to appropriately empower Kenyan youth (15-30yrs) to strengthen their socio-economic and political stakes through youth-led and managed initiatives and institutions.

The YICF will in the first three years provide sustainable financial and skills development assistance to approximately 200,000 youth through a variety of youth-identified social and economic community development projects.

We are currently recruiting for qualified internal and external candidates to fill the following positions.

1) Finance Officer

3 Positions Each Based in Mombasa, Kisumu & Kakamega

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.

The 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 Country Finance Manager, the Finance Officer will assist in the accounting and documentation of all financial transactions in timely and accurate manner.

Essential Job Functions:

• Prepare the monthly bank reconciliations
• Maintain the bank file, ensuring that all bank information is properly filed and updated
• In the absence of the cashier, finance officer will maintain custody of the office cash fund, make daily payments of the approved transactions and other duties related to office cash handling ensuring proper segregation of duties is applied
• 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
• 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 the cash/bank sub-journal
• Maintain the lease and rental agreements file and prepare monthly amortization entries of prepaid accounts
• Prepare monthly payroll based on information provided from HR and timesheets; prepare payroll accrual entry
• Maintain benefits accrual documentation and prepare monthly benefits accrual entries
• Prepare monthly expatriate payroll advance documentation
• Prepare the allocation journal entries (clearing of pool accounts)
• Assist with month end balance sheet account reconciliations
• Make sure that all supporting documentation is prepared and filed according to MC procedures.
• Conduct himself/herself both professionally and personally in such a manner as to bring credit to Mercy Corps and to not jeopardize its humanitarian mission
• Other duties as assigned.

Supervisory Responsibility: None

Accountability

Reports Directly To: YICF Finance Manager

Works Directly With: Finance staff based in Nairobi office, Program and Operations staff supporting Mercy Corps activities in Mombasa.

Knowledge and Experience:

• Two or more years of accounting or bookkeeping experience, including experience with double-entry accounting
• Experience in the Finance Department of an non-governmental organization
• Understanding of USAID roles and regulations is an advantage
• A degree in accounting or a relevant business field
• Strong computer skills in MS Office programs, particularly Excel
• Familiarity with computerized, double-entry accounting software
• Strong organizational skills as well as attention to detail
• Excellent oral and written English skills

Success Factors:

A clear understanding 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.

The ability to interact effectively with international and national staff members is required.

A demonstrated ability to work quickly and accurately, meet deadlines and process information in support of changing program activities is necessary.

2) Sub-Grants Officer

1 Position in Eldoret

General Position Summary:

Working in the Finance Department under the direction of the Finance Manager, the Sub-grant Compliance Officer is responsible for monitoring sub-grants and sub-grantees to ensure compliance with the terms and conditions of the sub-grant agreement.

The Sub-grant Compliance Officer is also responsible for tracking sub-grants and sub-grantee requirements and for maintaining all sub-grant financial files.

Essential Job Functions:

• Conduct sub-grantee pre-award assessments and recommend modifications to the sub-grant agreement and/or monitoring plan to lessen financial and compliance risks.
• Assist in the preparation and review of sub-grant agreements.
• 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.
• Review sub-grantee financial reports for correctness and completeness and ensure that reports are submitted on time.
• Assist in sub-grantee site audits and prepare site visit reports.
• Follow up on all sub-grant compliance issues and audits and document resolutions.
• 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 close-outs ensuring that all requirements of the sub-grant agreement have been met and that sub-grant funds have been properly settled.
• Conduct himself/herself both professionally and personally in such a manner as to bring credit to Mercy Corps and to not jeopardize its humanitarian mission.
• Other duties as assigned.

Supervisory Responsibility: None

Accountability

Reports Directly To: Country Finance Manager

Works Directly With: Finance Manager, Finance officers, Program Managers and other program and support staff in Eldoret office

Knowledge and Experience:

• Two or more years of finance experience, including budgeting and grant management or auditing
• A university degree in finance, accounting or a related business field is required.
• Two years experience in the 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:

The ability to interact effectively with international and national personnel is required.

A demonstrated ability to multi-task, meet deadlines and process information in support of changing program activities is necessary.

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.

The ability to effectively monitor sub-grantee compliance as well as to provide support and training for sub-grantee personnel is critical. The Sub-grant Compliance Officer must be willing to travel to Mercy Corps field offices, sub-grantee offices and project sites.

Organizational Learning

As part of Mercy Corps’ agency-wide Organizational Learning Initiative, all team members are responsible for spending 5% of their work time in formal and/or non-formal professional learning activities.

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.

Interested candidates who meet the above required qualifications and experience should submit a cover letter, a three (3) pager detailed Curriculum Vitae (CV) listing three professional references (including a current or/and previous supervisor) to hr@ke.mercycorps.org on or before August 8, 2011 4.00 p.m.

Applicants must clearly indicate on the email subject the position that she/he is applying for i.e. “Application for the position of Finance Officer, Mombasa/Kisumu/Kakamega or Sub Grant Officer, Eldoret”.

Applications without a subject heading will be disqualified.

Please do not attach any certificates.

Only qualified short-listed candidates will be contacted