Key Responsibilities:

Management reporting:

• Consolidate internal research program reports and provide sufficiently detailed financial analysis to support management review and decision making.
• Proactively highlight material variances or risks that could significantly impact the financial health of programs.
• Prepare and share periodic status updates and other ad hoc reports covering key program performance areas as required.
• Provide financial management and reporting to support science programs.
• Organize meetings with programs to discuss expenditure, forecasts, receivables and any other project related financial issues.
• . Analyze historical performance, assess current financial positions, and evaluate trends to develop forward-looking projections.
• Produce timely reports on unfunded staff, unfunded costs, and co-financing requirements.

Donor reporting:

• Ensure accurate and timely donor reports (as per agreement) are prepared and shared.
• Facilitate timely follow up of outstanding donor balances with PIs, P(g)Ms, PA’s and donors.
• Facilitate expenditure verification exercises initiated by donors and respond to queries therefrom.
• Share grants reports with System Office within agreed timelines.

Partner management:

• Work with Legal and program teams to ensure partner agreements are drafted in favour of ILRI.
• Ensure due diligence is conducted before contracting partners.
• Ensure outstanding partner balances are maintained at lowest possible levels.
• Capacity building of partners to enhance compliance and accuracy/completeness in financial reporting. 

Business/proposal development:

• Participate in proposal development by ensuring budgets are fully costed.
• Review donor agreements to ensure they’re in favour of ILRI (indemnities, audits, frequency, cashflow and nature of financial reports etc.)

Audits:

• Plan and coordinate project audits (both internal and external) to ensure no material findings in management letter
• Support institutional audits on all matters relating to grants.

Regional/field offices:

• Enforce compliance to the field office operating manual and review the same with a view of revising/updating to cater for current needs.
• Collaborate with regional/field office teams to ensure timely posting of returns and carry out monthly review of payment vouchers.
• Visit field offices and carry out compliance reviews from time to time.
• Provide support and capacity building to field office staff to ensure adherence to ILRI or hosting organization policies. Review filed office manual.
• Continuously review financial accounting/reporting processes to identify opportunities for improvement and enhance efficiency.
• Explore ways to ensure regional offices are funded by programs that have activities in that region.

Leadership:

• Manage and mentor Deputy Finance Managers and Accountants, including conducting performance appraisals and supporting their professional development.
• Protect operations by keeping financial information and plans confidential.
• Provide financial training within the organization to elevate financial management literacy as needed by staff.
• Model ILRI’s values, setting an example for others: Help others to do well. Advance equity. Constantly adapt, relentlessly improve. Default to transparency, reveal hard truths. Learn together.
• Maintain professional and technical knowledge by attending educational workshops, reviewing professional publications, establishing personal networks, and participating in professional societies.

Other:

• Main contact person for programs on all finance related issues.

Requirements

• Master’s degree in Accounting or business-related field or its equivalent.
• Full accounting qualifications- CPA (K) or ACCA.
• At least seven years of relevant work experience with Three years’ in a supervisory position.
• Knowledge of computerized accounting software is required.
• Good computer skills.