Grants Accountant at The African Institute for Development Policy (AFIDEP)

The African Institute for Development Policy (AFIDEP) is an African-led, regional non-profit policy think tank established in 2010 to help bridge the gaps between research, policy and practice in development efforts in Africa. We analyse, synthesise, and translate evidence (i.e. data and research) and use it to generate or strengthen political commitment, inform resource allocation, programme design and implementation. The aim is to contribute to the realisation of sustainable development by enabling the formulation of sound policies and programme interventions.

AFIDEP is looking to recruit qualified and experienced persons to fill the position of a Grants Accountant. The successful candidate will be based at the Institute’s office in Nairobi, Kenya or Lilongwe Malawi.

About the position
To provide effective support to programmes implementation through management of programme funding and implementation systems and activities.  He/she will support pre-award financial proposal development efforts, set-up, and post-award management and monitoring of grants and contracts as well as project closure of project financial activities. In addition, he/she will provide support to project teams on compliance to donor rules and regulations providing budgetary oversights on project activities. He/she will be required to build greater capability of the institute in grants and sub-grants management that is aligned with the institute’s program and partnership approaches.

Main Responsibilities

A] Project development & Resources mobilisation   Support the translation of project proposal and plan into financial plan. Support project development budgeting process Provide best practice models and tools to ensure exhaustive project costing and full cost recovery Establish and develop effective working relationships with project stakeholders and develop funding projections for outstanding proposals/concept notes. Compute, prepare and submit the annual indirect cost rate. Negotiate the rate with the applicable donor as necessary. The officer should ensure timely reporting, correct interpretation of budgets, etc to ensure the institute maintains good relationships with donors B] Donor accounting Coordinates the accounting functions related to sponsored programmes and other restricted accounts Reconciliation of donor statements Timely and accurate donor invoicing Timely donor reporting Management of donor accounts and statements Monitor all budgeted programme expenditures and manage a system for regular monitoring of budget expenses and associated variations. Ensure adequate resources availability for programme implementation. C]  Programmes accounts management Projects budgeting Projects accounts maintenance Projects reporting. Ensure that financial reports for funders are submitted in a timely manner. Monitoring of grant budgets, expenditures and forecasts of future needs Support to projects managers on projects administration and financial management Maintenance of projects financial management documentation Oversee the collection and maintenance of records on the clients of the Institute for statistical purposes according to confidentiality/privacy policy of the        organisation D]  Management of partners’ accounts Partner statement reconciliation Partners’ financial reports consolidation Partners’ requests/claims verification and reconciliations before forwarding to for approvals Maintenance of partners’ files and documentation Establish and leverage partnerships with implementation consortia members and other stakeholders E] Project audit facilitation  Plan project audits as per donor and AFIDEP guidelines Support execution of the audit Maintenance of audit files and schedules Custody of programmes contractual and transaction documentation F] Partners capacity building Support partners in their financial management activities Partners training and support Regular monitoring of sub-partner budgets and expenditure levels ensuring compliance with contract agreements Provide training & workshops to all grant stakeholders on how to more efficiently and effectively manage their respective grants in following policy, guidelines, and all applicable regulations related to programs

KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

Effective grant contracts administration Up to date programme financial information Proper and complete programmes documentation Effective support to programme teams Accurate and timely projects reports Compliance with donor conditions Complete cost recovery from programme activities Effective overhead rate negotiations with donors

Qualifications and Requirements

• The candidate should possess a minimum of Masters’ degree in Business Administration with a Finance or accounting first degree.
• Holders of professional accounting/finance qualification will be preferred
• Minimum of 5 years of relevant experience in international non-profit organisation
• Demonstrated experience in supporting international development programme activities
• Proven experience in management of grants and grants contracts, working with and interpreting applicable donor rules and regulations.
• Demonstrated experience in donor requirements of key donor organisations. Experience in using computerised accounting system.
• Demonstrated skills in computerized accounting as well as MS office and internet;
• Strong quantitative and analytical skills especially with long and many spreadsheets;
• Critical thinking, with excellent writing and communication skills.
• Additional official language such as French will be an added advantage.
• Ability to work independently, take initiative, set priorities and see activities through to completion.
• Meticulous and attentive to details with wide experience in management of budgets.
• High integrity, hardworking and willing to go the extra-mile to meet deadlines.
• Excellent interpersonal skills

Behavioural Competencies

• Integrity and Ethics: High integrity and ethical behavior in all dealings and ensure that own behavior is consistent with AFIDEP’s values and standards
• Professionalism: Demonstrates ethics, standards and expertise in all areas of work; highly cautious with etiquette and well groomed
• Result oriented: Consistently meet set goals, focused and goal oriented. Proactive and responsive to staff and stakeholder needs
• Cost consciousness: Develop new and innovative ways manage operations of the organization in a cost effective style
• Team player/ Interpersonal relations: Establish and maintain positive working relationships with others, both internally and externally to achieve the goals
• Confidentiality: Guarantee open communication and that information is shared with prudence and ensure confidentiality as appropriate.

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