POSITION SUMMARY

The Finance Officer will play a crucial role in managing the financial operations of ZAP, ensuring accuracy and compliance with financial regulations and policies. This role involves planning, organizing, controlling, and monitoring the ZAP’s financial resources to achieve its set objectives and to ensure accurate and timely donor management. The Finance Officer will perform accounting, bookkeeping, data entry, and record-keeping services for ZAP in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS).
They will be responsible for sound bookkeeping, accountancy and reporting, which are essential to promoting stewardship, accountability, reliability, and accuracy in financial reporting. The role includes safeguarding assets, ensuring compliance with internal policies, donor and funding regulations, and implementing financial policies that support the organization’s goals.

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Implement Financial Operations in compliance with ZanaAfrica’s finance policies:
• Review all payment requests in detail, ensuring documentation has been submitted with relevant detail and signoffs by requesters; follow up with requesters as needed.
• Confirm that payment requests have not been repeated or duplicated.
• Process payments on a timely basis at least twice a month, ensuring transactions are ready for authorization by bank signatories on time and with all required details attached.
• Upload online banking files and ensure timely completion of payments and.
• Track the status of all payments and monitor transactions that bounced or failed.
• Actively follow up on accounts payable and receivable.
• Enter transactions in QuickBooks and reconcile key accounts on a monthly basis including banks and M-PESA advances, generating detailed transaction lists for funder confirmation
• Ensure all team members are aware of submission deadlines for payment cycles and reconciliations
• Organize Google Drive folders and paper files with correctly labelled documentation, ensuring consistency with payment vouchers and numbering protocols.

Cash Flow Management and Record Keeping:

• Monitor cash flow and manage the organization’s financial resources efficiently.
• Generate cash flow projections on a regular basis, including management of bank balances and fund balances
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date financial records, ensuring compliance with internal and donor/funding regulations.
• Promote stewardship, accountability, and accuracy in financial reports.

Budget Preparation and Financial Forecasting:

• Assist in budget preparation and financial forecasting, supporting leadership and program teams in reviewing quarterly and semi-annual budgets.
• Monitor budgets regularly to avoid under/over-expenditure and participate in program meetings to review performance.

Payroll and Statutory Tax Management:

• Process monthly payroll, including calculating and submitting payroll taxes and deductions.
• Issue monthly pay slips and annual P9A forms to staff by due dates.
• Prepare and file monthly statutory requirements, including PAYE, NSSF, NHIF, NITA, Housing Levy, and other liabilities such as Withholding Tax by due dates.

Sub-Grantee and Grant Management:

• Ensure grants and special projects are implemented according to guidelines or proposal documents.
• Participate in organizational assessments of sub-grantees, ensuring adherence to donor regulations.
• Support program officers in executing sub-agreements and grant agreements.
• Ensure sub-grantees and consultants are aware of ZanaAfrica’s financial policies.
• Review sub-grantees’ financial reports and invoices, maintaining accurate records and files for each sub-grantee.
• Collaborate with procurement to ensure compliance with grants procurement guidelines and prepare applications for tax exemptions where applicable.
• Prepare periodic reports for funders for each grant in line with the funder’s requirements.

Monthly Reporting:

• Prepare and analyze IFRS-compliant financial reports for each fund and in aggregate, including monthly, quarterly, and annual statements, and review with management.
• Prepare monthly detailed financial reports and coordinate necessary narratives for review. Present monthly and adhoc grant and operations data, budget performance and reports to the Executive Director.
• Generate and sign off on the property and equipment register for the previous month.
• Prepare and review financial and variance reports, ensuring transaction accuracy for funder confirmation.

Annual Reporting and Tax Compliance:

• Assist with preparing and filing the organization’s annual income tax return based on audited accounts in iTax, ensuring compliance with tax obligations, in coordination with the organization’s auditors.
• Report on tax planning along with the annual budget and ensure resolution of any tax non- compliance when identified.
• Assist in preparing the organization’s annual budget, responding to funder or board queries, and ensuring that special and grant projects close out procedures are followed according to guidelines.

Compliance and Audit Support:

• Ensure compliance with financial policies, procedures, and regulatory requirements.
• Support internal and external audits by providing necessary documentation and information.
• Liaise with auditors to facilitate the annual statutory audit and resolve any issues in the management letter.
• Obtain an annual Tax Compliance Certificate (TCC).
• Annually review the organization’s finance policy and standard operating procedures, recommending updates as needed.

REQUIREMENTS

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES

• Comprehensive knowledge of financial management and accounting principles, practices and financial regulations.
• Strong technical ability and advanced proficiency in using accounting software (i.e. QuickBooks Online) and MS Office (especially Excel); experience of using Monday.com is highly advantageous and ability to learn and adapt to new software systems is essential.
• Attention to detail, with high accuracy in data entry and financial record-keeping.
• Understanding of and documented compliance with ethical considerations and professional standards governing finance and accounting in Kenya.
• Demonstrated integrity to maintain confidentiality in handling financial and personal information.
• Ability to meet deadlines and manage time sensitive processes.
• Adaptability to changing priorities, circumstances, and stakeholder needs, thriving in a fast- paced and dynamic work environment.
• Demonstrates growing understanding of program interventions in SRHR, child protection and education; and understands the role of finance in the humanitarian and/or development industry.
• Demonstrated leadership qualities to motivate and inspire team members, foster collaboration, and drive continuous improvement in financial management.
• Demonstrated proficiency and skills in communication, report writing, delivering presentations to diverse audiences, and effectively conveying complex financial information clearly and concisely.
• Capacity for analytical thinking, critical evaluation of information, and drawing logical conclusions based on evidence and data.
• Capability to work collaboratively within diverse teams, build consensus, and navigate complex interpersonal dynamics effectively.
• Excellent written and verbal communications skills suitable for a range of diverse audiences · Fluency in English and Kiswahili.

MINIMUM RECRUITMENT STANDARDS

• Education/Experience: Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting, Finance or other relevant degree and a minimum of CPA II, with 3-5 years of relevant progressive finance experience, with a preference for experience in the non-profit or development sector. CPA III and ICPAK membership, in good standing, is advantageous.