Finance Officer, Programme Budgeting (JG8) at TradeMark East Africa (TMEA)

Job summary

The Finance Budgeting Officer backstops the budget preparation and reporting process for assigned programmes and works in collaboration with other budgeting officers, budgeting managers and the head of programme budgeting to ensure sound budget setting, expenditure forecasting and reporting in line with TMA guidelines.

Roles and responsibilities

Programme budgeting support responsibilities:

• Prepares and monitors budgets for projects and programmes across TMA’s portfolio.
• Develops master budgets for assigned programmes in collaboration with programme teams.
• Supports budget management, allocation, reallocation and reviews in line with TMA and donor guidelines.
• Prepares staff and running costs master budget for each assigned programme and ensure these costs are allocated to projects accurately.
• Aligns available budgets with project outputs in collaboration with programme teams.
• Supports cashflow management in collaboration with the central finance unit and programme teams.
• Supports regular expenditure review for assigned programmes liaising with programme and other support services to ensure alignment with donor agreements and approved project work plans.
• Prepare budget vs actual reports at output and project level and liaise with programme teams on review of forecasts to remedy the variances.
• Collaborates with auditors and programme teams for efficient audit management and follows up on post audit actions and recommendations.
• Utilise financial systems to facilitate the continuous streamlining of budgeting and reporting functions.
• Liaises with finance operations units to provide seamless services to TMA projects and programmes.
• Supports preparation of contribution requests on a timely basis ensuring accuracy and completeness of documents to support expenditure claims and contribution requests submitted to donors.
• Supports preparation of donor and management reports.
• Participates in special projects related to financial planning, budgeting, forecasting and reporting.
• Maintains minutes of actions from finance budgeting team meetings.

TMA’s corporate level responsibilities

• Applies the highest standards of controls and risk management practices and behaviours and embeds a positive risk and control culture.
• Demonstrates prudence, sound judgement and appropriate and timely escalations in managing all types of risk (including fraud risk).
• Understands and complies with the relevant end-to-end processes including applicable risks and controls.
• Seeks to identify, understand and escalate risk events/incidents/ issues on a timely basis focusing on fixing
• root-causes and taking ownership of identified mitigating actions.
• Promotes and adheres to TMA’s core values and ensure compliance with organisational policies and procedures.
• Maintains zero tolerance to bribery, fraud and corruption, and ensure the immediate reporting of any corruption or suspect behaviour that threatens TMA’s reputation.
• Adheres to the safeguarding policies and procedures and immediately report any safeguarding concerns.
• Any other related responsibilities that may be assigned by the line manager from time to time.
• Collaborates with the communication unit to shape and monitor the programmes communication plan in line with TMA’s corporate communication strategy and visibility commitments to funding agencies.
• Effectively communicates programme progress and results to internal and external stakeholders and supports in the delivery of high-quality outputs to ensure that TMA’s mission and vision are well communicated to investors and stakeholders, and that TMA’s work motivates and inspires donors, implementing partners and other stakeholders.
• Works closely with other functions including the Corporate Affairs and Fundraising, CEO’s office, outcome areas to ensure that external communications are developed with maximum impact and delivered against the results calendar and corporate strategy.
• Any other related responsibilities that may be assigned by the line manager from time to time
• The job holder may from time to time be required to provide support to TradeMark Africa's wholly owned subsidiary, Trade Catalyst Africa, as would be communicated by your line manager. When this happens, the specific task(s) will be reflected in your OKR and assigned to a relevant task(s) manager.

Academic and professional qualifications

• An undergraduate degree preferably a Bachelor of Commerce in accounting or finance or economics plus three years’ experience or Diploma in Accounting, Finance or Economics plus five years’ experience; and
• CPA (K) or equivalent qualification from other accounting bodies e.g., CIMA and ACCA).

Technical skills and behavioural competencies

• Sound analytical skills, attention to detail, knowledge of an accounting software, MS Office proficiency especially MS Excel. Advanced excel is an added advantage.
• Deep comfort in excel.