Budget and Grants Officer at African Wildlife Foundation

Key Responsibilities

Organize and disseminate key budget and grant information.

• Receive from PD and Development teams all documentation relating to new Awards and Modifications, summarize key donor conditions on a Grant Data Sheet and distribute appropriate key information to the Finance staff, the Program team, Management Systems team, and the Program Design team in a timely manner.
• Update the Grants folders with the awards information e.g. agreement, financial reports, budget, invoices, evidence of payment etc.
• Provide capacity building to Program staff, Field Finance staff and Partners on key donor contractual requirements and AWF policies.
• Proactively disseminate information about up-coming grant milestones (grants coming to an end, reports due, grants closed, etc.) to respective staff to ensure compliance with the grant conditions.
• Support PD team in cost proposal development.
• Support in budget amendment and cost modifications assigned by supervisor.

Budget Management and Analysis

• Review and perform real-time maintenance of the Grants and Budget Ledgers by ensuring the two ledgers are reconciled to harmonize Donor approved budget vis a vis AWF internal work plan budgets.
• Reconcile sub-grant General ledger ensuring the balances are current, accurate and match the Partners’ received financial reports
• Post budget adjustments in the Budget ledger on a timely basis.
• Administer Unanet timesheet system, ensuring timesheet updates and adjustments are in accordance with the most updated organizational approved operating budget and maximizing on available restricted award budgets.
• Tracking and posting monthly in-kind/matching contribution documentation for grants with matching requirements.
• Ensure that spending that does not align with approved budgets is reclassified in the accounting system promptly.
• Assist in performing cost-benefits analyses to compare operating programs and review financial requests. participate in quarterly monitoring meetings with program teams to review staffing, budgets, and program implementation with a view to track potential risks, constraints, or impediments to grant implementation.
• Provide expert recommendations to Management to mitigate risks.
• Assist with maintenance of system budget controls (Budget rules) and workflow (approval rules).

Grant financial management and Compliance

• Run and share monthly grant spending reports and analyze for correct spending pattern and compliance to donor budgets; flag them to the Senior Manager, Cost Proposal & Grants, and respective Program Implementors or donor point of contact on any key highlights requiring action.
• Run monthly grants receivables and advances to ensure accurate and timely donor invoicing, drawdowns and reconciliation is done.
• Ensure all grants` spending is on track and provide reports on any budget risks promptly.
• Support the Grants’ close-out processes to ensure that grants are closed out within budget and the established timeframes.
• Assist in completing accurate and timely monthly grants close out checklist.
• Assist in the preparation of donor reports for final review and sign off by relevant staff.
• Carry out monthly grant transactional review for compliance with donor regulations.
• Conduct continuous grant/sub grant field compliance reviews and capacity building of AWF field staff and sub grantee staff on compliance requirements.
• Assist with grant audits by preparing the required schedules, providing documents as requested by auditors and reports for review.
• Updating the Grants Folders in Box monthly.
• Maintain a schedule of grant invoicing and ensure grants are invoiced timely, invoicing documentation are shared with the Finance team and filed in the Box, Grants Folders.
• Perform reconciliation on award budget in Netsuite/Pyango as per award agreement for public awards and reconciliation of private awards as per Net asset report.
• Prepare monthly Grants receivable schedule and tracking timing of cash receipts and proactively advise Senior Manager Cost Proposal and Grants where delays in payments are anticipated.

Financial Reporting

• Run, analyze, and disseminate monthly budget management reports to all Budget Managers
• Develop and maintain a Grants Milestone of financial reporting requirements and other performance requirements with related deadlines for each grant and contract agreement and dissemination of such milestones to teams for forward planning.
• Post grants budget and expenses especially on sub-grant in the NetSuite general ledger.
• Communicate significant budget variances and trends to relevant budget managers, prompting additional action by the project management team where warranted.
• Prepare monthly cost match reports.

Other Duties

• Assist in Grants and compliance with donor rules and regulations.
• Prepare and assist in developing ad hoc reports or cost analysis.
• Any other relevant duties as assigned by supervisor.

Requirements and skills

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or related field.
• Be a holder of CPA (K) certificate.
• At least 5 years of relevant working experience, at least within a donor funded nonprofit organization.
• Solid knowledge of grant management principles, including U.S. government funding, European Union, and German donors.
• Experience communicating financial information to a non-financial audience.
• Ability to organize and present issues in a clear, concise, and logical manner.
• Ability to manage competing priorities, exercise good judgment, and quickly identify and resolve problems with minimum supervision.
• Excellent organizational skills, attention to detail and ability to multitask in a fast-paced environment.
• Ability to manage sensitive and confidential matters with the highest level of professionalism.
• Ability to provide good customer service with patience and a sense of urgency.
• Must have excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to interact professionally with staff, partners, and donors.
• Willingness to travel, sometimes to remote areas.
• Interest in learning and understanding conservation programs.
• Financial management system experience.
• Ability to speak, read and write in French is an added advantage
• Experience in using Netsuite accounting package is an added advantage
• Strong technical skills, including MS Excel, and ability to navigate within accounting systems and other databases.