Finance Officer at Hivos East Africa

Job Context

• Hivos is looking an experienced Finance Officer who can be a valuable member for the VOICE Program to support in delivery of results on programs. The FO is also part of the Hub EA finance community to ensure finance processes and procedures are rolled out at regional level in a consistent and standardized manner.
• The candidate we’re looking for must also be able and willing to support partners in strengthening their financial administrative knowledge and capacities. She/he/they ensures contracts with partners are signed, progress and deliverables are met, concerns and challenges are raised, and payments are made on a timely basis.
• The FO works closely with program colleagues in maintaining open channels of communication with contracted partners to ensure program delivery and support. Close collaboration and direction can be expected from several finance colleagues, both within and out of Hub EA region. The FO is responsible for upholding Hivos’ values and principles and translating them into practice.

Your responsibilities

Budget design:

• Prepares Hivos’ own activity and implementation budgets.
• Supports partners in developing financial plans as needed.
• Provides input and ideas to the overarching management team on financial formats and reporting schemes

Participatory assessment

• Assesses financial-administrative aspects of organizational level and joint plans, in line with requirements and procedures, and prepares feedback and advice for improvements
• Participates in participatory assessment teams, bringing in their specific financial-administrative knowledge.
• Share and Review partner assessment with RFM and discuss a capacity building plan if needed. 

Capacity strengthening

• Conduct start up/inception sessions with partners to ensure contractual responsibilities are understood, and develop capacity building plan as required.
• Supports, guides and coaches partners in strengthening their financial-administrative capacities.
• In regular communication with partners to respond to questions relevant to funded programs.

Partner contract management & financial monitoring

• Prepares contracts with partners, in coordination with the project officer and in line with agreed plans
• Administers funding-streams, and monitors implementation of budgets contracts in terms of ‘rights and obligations’ to comply with.
• Follows-up on reporting cycles and prepares internal and external financial program and project statements.
• Assesses financial reports and supporting documentation of partners, and ensures compliance with donor guidelines and requirements
• Holds regular meetings with partners to ensure financial requirements and other risk-based grant management procedures are being met, and any project-affected issues are discussed and resolved.

Income statements

• Reviews and administers revenue and expenditure and income statements for individual implementation contracts assigned to Hivos, according to donor and Hivos regulations and procedures

Quality improvement

• Advises and supports the overarching management team about the improvement of formats and ways of working, in order to enhance accounting and reporting methods and capabilities on both the organization and the individual level.
• Participates or leads queries or investigations related to identified cases of irregularities or fraud.

Donor Reporting & Audit Support

• Prepares financial reports for external auditors and donors and coordinates project audits from start to finish, including being available to answer questions and communicate directly with partners on requests.

Local Compliance

• Liaise with relevant authorities and financial institutions to ensure Hivos is compliant with local tax and legal regulations.

Systems support (All Solutions)

• Enters all relevant financial data into the project administration system

Office management & other support

• Support office set-up, oversee cash management and liaise with relevant authorities and financial institutions to ensure Hivos is compliant with local tax and legal regulations.
• Supports/leads on other programs when there is work overload and covers absences for other finance staff within Hub EA as needed.
• Supports non-program related tasks as may be requested by Hub EA Finance if required.
• Financial administration duties including supplier payments and reconciliations; staff advances management; Posting transactions on the All Solutions finance system and bank & other balance sheet monthly reconciliations
• Other tasks as requested by RFM and project FM.

Your profile

• Degree in finance, accounting, business economics or related / similar field.
• A holder of CPA, ACCA or related certification.
• Affinity with finances and administration: accounting, business economics and project/ program finance management.
• Excellent critical analysis skills.
• Minimum of five years working experience.
• Extensive experience working with partner grant-management, project financial monitoring & management and compliance experience.
• Previous experience with supporting or leading an audit required.
• Work experience in complex operational environments and with a range of external stakeholders.
• Previous/current work experience in an international environment, with an international organization is a must.
• Able to work with colleagues and stakeholders from a diverse background, and cultures.
• Job skills: collaborative & communicative, proactive, structured and organized, flexible, can work independently & remotely with teams, able to meet deadlines, able to multi-task, strong team player & culturally sensitive.