Project Accountant – Kenya

About the role

The Project Accountant will be responsible for the administrative and financial management of the VET4HYDROGEN project, funded by the European Union and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

Responsibilities

• Ensure the accounting, financial, and budget management of ICU-Kenya.
• Record expenditures and other financial transactions in the ICU accounting system.
• Ensure that expenditures and financial transactions comply with donor and organizational procedures and guidelines, ICU regulations, and the national legal framework.
• Prepare and follow-up donor project audits, in close coordination with ICU Headquarters.
• Ensure financial accountability towards project partners, in line with ICU coordination responsibilities.
• Control and validate accounting management and monthly financial reporting (cash counts, bank reconciliations, etc.).
• Apply accounting and financial procedures by the ICU-Kenya team and its partners, and contribute to their continuous improvement.
• Manage project cash flow and plan fund transfers in coordination with ICU team at Headquarters.
• Verify and authorize expenditures based on budget availability and donor's eligibility rules.
• Participate in the development and routine monitoring of project budget.
• Monitor and manage a dashboard of budgetary and financial indicators.
• Contribute to the preparation of budget proposals for new projects and expenditure commitments under ICU-Kenya coordination.
• Ensure the administrative and logistical management of ICU-Kenya:
• Ensure relations and accountability with relevant administrative authorities.
• Follow procedures to obtain all required authorizations for expatriate staff (visas, approvals, work permits) in compliance with national regulations.
• Manage, monitor, and archive contracts and agreements.
• Ensure that procurement of goods, services, and works complies with donor’s and ICU procurement procedures.
• Draft contracts and/or purchase orders for goods, services, and works.
• Supervise transactions to ensure that procurement complies with donor’s transparency and financial accountability requirements, ICU regulations, and the national legal framework.
• Supervise the maintenance of ICU-Kenya premises (offices, warehouses, etc.) and the proper management of equipment (vehicles, IT equipment, etc.).
• Ensure consolidation of the inventory of fixed assets and durable goods.
• Ensure proper application of inventory management procedures.
• Care for coordination and management of human resources for ICU-Kenya:
• Ensure that recruitment of local staff complies with national regulations, ICU policies, and donor’s contractual requirements.
• Supervise the drafting and management of staff contracts.
• Ensure that employment contracts for local staff comply with ICU policies and the national legal framework.
• Apply and, where necessary, propose updates to existing procedures related to human resources management, and provide periodic reporting to HQ.
• Supervise the planning and monitoring of staff leave, payroll preparation, social security declarations, and payment of statutory taxes.
• Facilitate health insurance coverage for national staff.
• Organize and maintain confidential personnel files.
• Ensure timely payment of salaries to local staff in accordance with national legislation.
• Ensure payment of field mission per diems in compliance with ICU-Kenya internal regulations and donor's rules.
• Coordinate with project partners' administrative staff:
• Provide guidance and coordination to the administrative and finance staff of project partners to ensure compliance with donor’s and ICU administrative and financial procedures.
• Support partners in the correct application of accounting, financial, procurement, and reporting tools and templates.
• Review and validate partners' financial documentation and reporting, in line with ICU’s coordinating role.
• Identify gaps and capacity-building needs in partners’ administrative and financial management systems.
• Contribute to the design and implementation of targeted capacity-strengthening actions for partners’ administrative staff.
• Ensure that partners’ administrative staff correctly use agreed administrative, logistical, and accounting tools and reporting formats.
• Care for coordination and capacity support for project partners' administrative staff:
• Care for coordination and capacity support for project partners' administrative staff.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Accounting or a related field.
• At least 5 years of experience in the field of international cooperation.
• Previous experience in a similar administrative/finance role.
• Proven experience in accounting and financial management.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and accounting software.
• Previous experience in managing procurement and purchasing procedures.
• Demonstrated experience in managing funding from public donors.
• Comprehensive knowledge of national fiscal laws and regulations.
• Proven experience in managing statutory payments.

Qualifications

• Excellent oral and written proficiency in English.
• Excellent oral and written proficiency in Kiswahili.

Skills

• Ability to ensure timely completion of tasks and meet deadlines.
• High standards of integrity and confidentiality.
• Excellent organizational and time-management skills.
• Strong professionalism and problem-solving abilities.
• Ability to work effectively as part of a team.
• Willingness to work in a multicultural and international environment.

Benefits

N/A

Pay

Gross Salary: 200.000 – 300.000 ksh (based on the experience of the candidate)

Schedule

As soon as possible