The Finance Officer provides financial services ensuring high quality, accuracy, and consistency of financial reports in accordance with CIFOR-ICRAF internal financial as well as donor guidelines. The Finance Officer works in close collaboration with other team outside finance such as PMU, Country team and Research Themes of CIFOR-ICRAF, to exchange information and ensure timely service delivery. In addition, the Finance Officer ensures that strong internal controls are instituted in following CIFOR-ICRAF’s policies and procedures.
Responsibilities:
Maintain a complete record of all pertinent documents of each project and coordinate with other Finance Staff and various project leaders to ensure that the financial implementation adheres to all the other aspects of the project agreement.
Collaborate with donors, collaborators, project leaders and scientists to clarify financial issues, answer queries and give updates on the financial and budget status of the project.
Review and verify expenditures of restricted projects assigned to ensure adherence to budgetary and donor requirements.
Liaise with the Program Management Unit (PMU) regarding the development of Letter of Agreement (LoA) with partner Institutions, project start-ups and set-ups in the system, budget update and management in the system and project tracking & closures.
Collaborate with Principal Investigator (PI) regarding staff time allocation to be updated in the system.
Collaborate with PI on budgets for partnerships, travel, supplies, consultants, publications, and other costs based on the availability of funds of on-going restricted projects.Review the overall annual budget of grants in assigned teams.
Prepare reports on the specific projects’ finances to donors and other users in compliance with Center standards and as specifically pre-determined by the donor as mentioned on the signed Grant Agreements and Donor’s General Conditions.
Ensure that reports to donors are submitted on time.
Submit draft and final financial reports on the grants management system.
Review donors report from the Country Offices assigned prior to forwarding for approval.
Prepare invoice/payment request to the donor according to the payment term and schedule on the agreement.
Follow up for any query or review from the donor for the submitted financial report.
Review project partner’s agreement and budget in collaboration with PMU.
Monitor financial compliance for restricted grants partners of assigned grants and ensure partners spend within their budgets and are following the laid down donor and/or CIFOR-ICRAF financial procedures and regulations.
Analyze restricted grants partner expenses and provide feedback of analysis to the project leaders and managers on expenditure trends and areas with significant over- or under spending.
Review the financial reports submitted by the partners, monitor partner balances, and collect any unused funds.
Requirements:
University education in accounting and hold professional certificates (CA, CPA, CIA, CMA).
At least 5 years of relevant experience.
Experience in financial and accounting services.
Experience in project or cost accounting.
Experience with an ERP, familiarity with Agresso Unit 4 and Vision XL is an advantage.
Strong computer skills in word processing, databases, and other relevant office applications.
Fluent in written and spoken English (specifically for positions working in Nairobi must be fluent also in French).
