Finance Officer Full Time

WHO WE ARE
Our mission is to provide education and health interventions which “light a path out of poverty” and bring hope for a brighter future for impoverished students and communities in Kenya.
We believe that simply being born into poverty should not dictate the end of an individual’s story. Central to our mission is economic inclusion: ensuring that women, children and young adults from impoverished
communities in Kenya can embrace hope for their futures. We place a special emphasis on empowering
women and girls to strive for gender equality and boost economic growth, that allows for individuals to break out of the poverty cycle in the communities where we work. Since our founding in 2012 we have impacted over 78,000 individuals from impoverished communities across Kenya.

Job Summary

Working under the supervision of the senior finance officer , the Finance Officer will support the organization’s financial management by overseeing various responsibilities, including but not limited to budgeting, financial data entry, and maintaining accurate records within the accounting system. He/she will support the development and monitoring of budgets, ensuring that financial data is accurately recorded and updated in the accounting system, and preparing financial reports and analyses to aid in decision-making processes. Additionally, the Finance Officer collaborates with other departments to gather necessary financial information and supports internal and external audits to ensure compliance with regulations and standards.

Main Duties & Responsibilities:

Financial records

• Ensure accurate data entry of financial data into the accounting system.
• Record the actual spend on both the accounting system and the budget tracker.
• Communicate any gap in the financial records to the respective staff.
• Support the preparation of financial reports by providing the required data.
• Review requests to ensure that they meet the financial requirements in preparation for payment and audit.
• Support in the maintenance of financial files.

Financial Controls

• Ensure a clear audit trail of processed transactions and their linkage to the accounting system.
• Implementation of any accounting and financial audit recommendations.
• Internal and external audit support.
• Ensure internal controls are established and maintained.
• Ensure maintenance of the general and subsidiary ledgers.

Budgeting

• Participate in the development and review of the programs’ budgets.
• Offer guidance to the program staff on the utilization of the program budget.
• Support the budget tracking process to ensure proper utilization of the approved budget.

Payment Processing

• Process payment requests submitted by the programs and admin teams.
• Update the staff on the status of the payment requested.
• Ensure that the staff are informed of the requirements for a payment to be processed.

Finance reporting and management accounts

• Ensure that the documents submitted for payment meet the required threshold.
• Develop monthly and annual project financial reports and monthly management accounts capturing expenditure against budget.
• Create ad-hoc reports for various business needs.
• Provision of information on the status of payment for each of their requests.
• Support the compilation and analysis of financial statements.
• Manage cash controls as well as maintain bookkeeping up-to-date.
• Prepare financial statements, invoices, proposals, etc as required.
• Ensure that financial transactions are properly updated and recorded.
• Preparation of balance sheets, income statements, expense reports, etc.
• Ensure data integrity in all financial reporting.

Job Specification:

Education, Qualifications & Experience Required

• University degree in a business related field.
• Candidates with CPA Part ll and above have an added advantage
• A minimum of three years, progressive and relevant experience.
• Requires extensive, thorough working knowledge in a specialized field usually through extensive postgraduate work to solve highly complex problems
• Demonstrable and significant experience of Project finance management and donor reporting within an NGO environment
• Demonstrable and significant experience in management reporting and the production of value-added analysis leading to improved decision-making
• Demonstrable and significant experience in creating and implanting good financial practice and controls, including transaction reviews and adjustments.
• Experience in balance sheet, bank reconciliations and monthly checks and balances
• Knowledge (and practical application of) the international regulatory environment for INGOs
• A strong commitment to Light UP Hope’s values
• Ability to build good working relationships with non-finance staff
• Ability to work as part of a team

  Disclaimer Clause:

  This job description is not exhaustive and may be revised by the line manager from time to time.

  Equal Opportunity

  Light Up Hope is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to diversity and inclusion within the workplace. We prohibit discrimination and harassment of any kind based on race, color, sex, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, or any other protected characteristic as outlined by federal, state, or local laws. This applies to all employment practices within our organization, including hiring, recruiting, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, leave of absence, compensation, benefits, training, and apprenticeship. Light Up Hope makes hiring decisions based solely on qualifications, merit, and the general needs of the organization at the time.

Tagged as: Kenya, Light Up Hope