Finance Associate

Position Description :

The main purpose of this position is to provide support to the Finance Department in managing Accounts Payable Functions and ensuring compliance to regulatory requirements.

Key Roles & Responsibilities:

• Review supplier invoices for accuracy and relevance before keying in the invoice to the financial system.
• Review supplier invoices for accuracy and relevance before making payments.
• Make payments to suppliers on time.
• Reconcile supplier statements and resolve supplier issues.
• Code payments to the appropriate Funds Code
• Capture payments/transactions in the Financial system.
• Manage staff travel advances and review expense reports for accuracy, relevance of supporting documents and proper coding.
• Work with Field staff, guiding them on how to do proper expense reports.
• Prepare petty cash reconciliations and other Balance sheet reconciliations at the end of every month or periodically as the case may be.
• Maintain books of account to trial Balance level- Cash books, Accounts payables\receivables, general ledgers and other sub-ledgers.
• Manage statutory deductions and remit them to the relevant authorities within deadlines (PAYE, NSSF, NHIF, WHT etc)
• Timesheet management – conduct preliminary review of time portal entries to ensure all timesheets are in and are free of general errors before a final review by program managers
• Work with HR to ensure time portal vacation entries reconcile with physical records and analysis maintained by Hr.
• Review of Motor Vehicles mileage logs ensuring proper operation of the logs.
• Assist during Audits and other reviews in pulling out documents required by internal/external Auditors.
• Process M-pesa payments
• Work with procurement to develop a supplier database.
• Work with procurement to ensure all supplier agreements are in place.
• Work with finance to develop various analyses as may be guided from time to time.
• Work with Finance on fixed assets.
• Label Files and documents in a sequential order.
• Other responsibilities assigned by the Senior Accountant.

Required Skills, Knowledge, Experience and Abilities:

• University degree (BCom/Finance) and CPA II or
• CPA finalist and undertaking the degree course
• At least 2 years’ experience working in a busy accounts department
• Familiar with computerized accounting programs, Knowledge of NAV or Dynamics Business Central would be an added advantage
• Accurate, thorough, able to meet deadlines
• Maintain high levels of confidentiality in relation to sensitive and confidential financial information and decisions.

Success Factors

• Competency is a combination of knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) directly related to successful performance on the job

Core Competencies include:

• Integrity and honesty: Is widely trusted; seen as a direct, truthful individual; presents truthful information in an appropriate and helpful manner; keeps confidences; admits mistakes; does not misrepresent himself or herself for personal gain.
• Team Work/ Relationships: Works co-operatively and flexibly with other members of the team with a full understanding of the role to be played as a team member and/or leader, to achieve a common goal. Ability to build and maintain effective relationships and networks.
• Learning attitude: Proactively takes advantage of opportunities to learn. Actively identifies new areas for learning; applies and shares new knowledge and skill appropriately.
• Diversity/Inclusiveness: Demonstrates an understanding and appreciation for diversity and supports diversity efforts. Interacts effectively with and inclusively with people of all races, cultures, ethnicities, backgrounds, religions, ages, and genders.
• Communication: Expresses ideas effectively in individual and group situations. Listens effectively; shares information, ideas and arguments; adjusts terminology, language and communication modes to the needs of the audience; ensures accurate understanding; acts in a way that facilitates open exchange of ideas and information; uses appropriate non-verbal communication.
• Decision making/Problem Solving: Can analyse situations, diagnose problems, identify the key issues, establish and evaluate alternative courses of action and produce a logical, practical and acceptable solution. Can make effective decisions on a day-to-day basis, taking ownership of decisions, demonstrating sound judgement in escalating issues where necessary.
• Results-Oriented/High-Quality Deliverables: Stays focused on the efforts necessary to achieve quality results consistent with programmatic or departmental goals. Demonstrates the ability to achieve effective results; works persistently to overcome obstacles to goal achievement. Accomplishes tasks by considering all areas involved, no matter how small; showing concern for all aspects of the job; and accurately checking processes and tasks.
• Planning & Time Management: Establishes a course of action for self and/or others to accomplish a specific goal. Effectively plans, schedules, prioritizes and controls activities; identifies, integrates and orchestrates resources (people, material, information, budget, and/or time) to accomplish goals. Prioritizes work according to the program or department’s goals, not just own job responsibilities; manages own time effectively.
• Business Acumen: The ability to use information, ask the right questions and make decisions that make an impact on the overall business performance.

Skills Required:

• Accounting / Finance