Overall Purpose

The Finance Assistant will be responsible for providing effective financial and administrative support services including, processing and ensuring payments are made in a timely and appropriate manner within established time limits, ensuring easy retrieval of accounting documents as well as timely reporting for the Dadaab refugee operations.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Assist the finance officer with the accountancy, financial monitoring and control of budgets of projects in compliance with Finance & Donor requirements
• Assist in project progress tracking and preparation of project financial reports as per the donor and organizational requirements.
• Follow up with the projects for the monthly receipt of the financial returns, both soft and hard copies, and conduct the first check, reporting any findings to the Project Accountant
• Ensure that all expenses as per the financial returns have been entered correctly into the Organization’s systems.
• Ensure that all procurements were in line with policy and procedures with the relevant supportive documents provided.
• Ensure that all project expenditure authorization process is as per the approval matrix.
• Follow up with the projects to ensure that the monthly cash requests, bank reconciliations and BVAs from the projects are received as per the agreed upon timeframes.
• Conduct the first check of the monthly cash requests alongside the approved budgets, the expenditure to date in the project BVAs and activity plans.
• Prepare the necessary documents for bank transfers in consultation with the finance officer.
• Prepare quarterly cash requests and forecasts
• Assist the finance officer. in processing the periodical cash transfers to the projects
• File and label all payments/receipts (invoices, receipts and cover documents) in the appropriate finance files
• Prepare liquidation/expenses reports and attach all relevant supporting documentation for verification and approval
• Assist with audit preparation including running financial statements, retrieving documents, preparation of audit files plus supporting documentation.
• Actively participate in resource mobilization, asset verification and proper management of the organization’s resources and assets.
• Perform any other duties as may be directed by the management/line manager.

Requirements

Minimum Qualifications

• Relevant university degree or equivalent qualification in finance or accounting
• Accounting qualifications such as CPA, ACCA or equivalent
• Minimum of 2 years relevant professional work experience.

Knowledge, skills and languages

• Skills in computers (Windows, spreadsheets, word-processing, and accounting packages.
• Preferred knowledge of accounting concepts, financial management and use any Accounting Software preferably Microsoft Dynamics Navision
• Ability to engage discretely and tactfully with internal and external stakeholders.
• Knowledge in Proposal writing and development will be an added advantage