Finance and Operations Associate, WRI Africa Food Program

About the role

WRI Africa's Food Program is looking for a Finance and Operations Associate to manage the financial side of its projects. The role covers project financial management, grants and contracts oversight, and administrative support, and is based in Kenya.

Key responsibilities

• Project financial management (40%): manage annual project budgets with the Finance and Operations Manager, the Director of Food Program and WRI Africa finance staff; develop budgets, notes and narratives for funding proposals following donor requirements and WRI cost and pricing rules; monitor transactions, commitments and revenue flows; prepare quarterly projections and reviews with project managers and the manager, advising on risks and mitigation; use TM1 and the upcoming Workday budgeting and forecasting software
• Grant finance: lead grant finance aspects, including grant close-outs, and prepare financial reports for donors
• Financial best practices: create and implement them in line with WRI and donor policies
• Audits and subgrants: run project audits, give detailed feedback on audit queries, and monitor subgrant budgets and reports
• Periodic financial analysis of all projects to detect and resolve problems
• Grants and contracts management (30%): review draft contracts for financial compliance, monitor project performance against grant and contract terms, and train partners on grant compliance and financial reporting
• Administration (30%): process documentation for commitments such as agreements, contracts, payment requests and invoices; liaise with the Finance and Operations Manager on budget management and deadlines; support program operations, workshops and events coordination

Required profile

• Bachelor's degree in finance, accounting, business or a related field, or equivalent relevant work experience
• 3+ years of full-time experience in financial management, grant administration and project operations, preferably in a non-profit setting
• Highest level of Certified Public Accountant (CPA) in Kenya or another accredited institution
• Experience with complex budgeting, donor reporting and grant or financial management
• Experience with international teams, international donors or partners, and preparing financial proposals and reports for donors
• Proficiency in English; French is a bonus
• Existing work authorization is required; WRI cannot authorize visas

Required skills

• Excel and complex spreadsheets, or other budgeting software
• Managing multiple projects with varying deadlines and changing priorities