The International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) is currently recruiting a?Finance Officer (FO)?for a two-year, FCDO-funded project entitled the?Kenya Elections Support Programme?(KESP).? The program is expected to build upon electoral reforms previously supported by FCDO/DFID in Kenya to contribute to a credible, peaceful and inclusive 2022 general election in Kenya. The program will support:?     
o    Meaningful electoral reforms early in the electoral cycle and effective coordination between relevant institutions;     
o    Improvement on standards achieved in the 2017 election, and incorporation of lessons learned for more effective planning, management, strategic communication and stakeholder engagement to build public trust;     
o    An enabling environment that leads to more women, youth and persons with disabilities (PWDs) turning out to vote and elected to representative posts; and,     
o    Strengthened domestic election observation and monitoring.
    
PRIMARY FUNCTION/PURPOSE:   
The FO will provide office financial, administrative and operation support to the IFES-Kenya field office. Specifically, FO will support the Director of Finance and Administration (DFA) with the day-today management and operationalization of IFES-Kenya’s financial and administrative systems.

Job Responsibilities:
MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
The FO will assist the DFA with the processing and execution of all financial transactions, expense tracking and record keeping, day-to-day office administration, management of local contracts and purchase orders, and other general support to program activities. Furthermore, the FO will assist with/be responsible for:

o    Preparing local procurement packages and ensure procurements and expenditures are in accordance with FCDO and IFES policies and regulations.      
o    Collecting office bills and making payments for regular office expenditures via credit card or IFES’ payment processing system.      
o    Ensuring that all deposits and expenses are supported by appropriate documentation as required by IFES policy and donor regulations and are allocated to the appropriate budget category/chart of accounts.      
o    Preparing vouchers in QuickBooks and preparing of checks for all project expenditures into QuickBooks accounting system.     
o    Preparing, in close cooperation with the DFA, monthly financial reports with supporting documentation for all accounts, to be sent to IFES Headquarters as required.      
o    Preparing end of month bank reconciliation and processing monthly payroll including withholding and payment of the necessary taxes to the authorities.     
o    Forecasting field office monthly operational costs for cash flow management and preparing monthly wire transfer requests when necessary.      
o    Reviewing petty cash custody and reconciliation as required.      
o    Processing VAT exemptions for all applicable payments.      
o    Tracking local employees’ vacation and sick leave accruals and usages.      
o    Supporting the preparation of program events.      
o    Overseeing the day-to-day management of all suppliers/vendors and managing all contracts/leases.      
o    Providing supervision and mentoring to team members as required.     
o    Other duties as assigned by the DFA and/or the CD.

SKILLS and SPECIFICATIONS:
•    Demonstrated professional experience and knowledge in Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), budgeting and fiscal control principles.
•    Familiarity with FCDO rules and regulations on financial management and procurement.
•    Ability to remain highly organized while handling multiple tasks under tight deadlines;
•    Ability to complete tasks with limited supervision;
•    Excellent reporting and document handling skills;
•    Excellent communication skills in order to be able to work with IFES program and administrative staff to identify and resolve issues.
•    Willingness to adhere to all principles of confidentiality.
•    Must value operating in a collaborative and cooperative environment.
•    Ability to show initiative, good judgment, and resourcefulness.
•    Ability to handle sensitive issues and address inclusion matters with integrity
 
EDUCATION and QUALIFICATIONS:
•    Bachelor’s Degree in Finance, Business Management or related required.
•    4 years of experience working with international NGOs on implementation of international technical assistance programs.
•    Experience working on FCDO-funded or other donor-funded programs.
•    Demonstrated professional experience and knowledge in financial and administrative management.
•    Relevant skills in automated accounting software systems and database spreadsheets.
•    Proficiency in Word, Power point, Outlook and Excel.
 
LANGUAGE SKILLS: Professional level of oral and written fluency in English required.   
 
TRAVEL: Travel may be required.
 
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS/WORK ENVIRONMENT: Standard office work environment.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job