Financial Analyst

Recruiter:     USAID Kenya     Updated on:     2012-12-19 02:10:02
Contract     Permanent
Location:     Nairobi     Available:     Immediately
Category:     Accounting / Finance / Auditing     Offer:     FSN-11


Introduction
BASIC FUNCTION OF POSITION: The Financial Analyst analyzes and advises on the financial aspects of designing, implementing and evaluating USAID/East Africa, USAID/Kenya and other bilateral (client) mission’s projects and programs.

Minimum Requirements

The position is only open to current U.S. Governement Foreign Service Nationals(FSNs) of the U.S. Mission to Kenya Only.
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

    Education: A CPA (K), or its equivalent, and a Master’s degree in accounting, finance, or business administration is required. 
    Prior Work Experience (40%): A minimum of five years of working experience with a professional accounting, financial consulting, or auditing, or development agency is required. At least two years of this experience should have been with U.S. Government or donor or public financial management. The position requires a broad knowledge of, and practical skills in, accounting, auditing and financial analysis.  The applicant must be familiar with a wide range of financial ratios and at least one accounting package, as well as the common office software such as Microsoft Office Suite.
    Post Entry Training: Familiarization and training in specific USG and USAID procedures, regulations, methods, and USG financial management is recommended.  The incumbent will be expected to successfully complete other USAID standard courses, including Programming Foreign Assistance (PFA), Project Design and Management (PDM) and Public Financial Management (PFM) that are directly relevant to the performance of core responsibilities.  USAID’s Automated Directive System (ADS) and related Acquisition and Assistance Policy Directives (AAPDs) provide relevant guidance on topics related to the roles and responsibilities of the incumbent.
    Language Proficiency:  Level IV (fluent) knowledge of English is required. The incumbent must demonstrate ability to prepare well-written reports and memoranda in English.  The incumbent must also be fluent in Kiswahili.
    Knowledge (30%): The incumbent must have a thorough knowledge and understanding of professional accounting principles, theories, practices and terminology as well as the principles and accepted practices of governmental and business financial accounting, budgeting and reporting.  He/she must be familiar with USG or other development partners accounting, budgeting, audit and reporting systems, financial regulations and procedures. He/she must have a thorough knowledge of how USG or development partner’s activities are designed, developed, implemented, modified, audited and evaluated.  He/she should have demonstrated experience in working collaboratively with public institutions and private sector partners to leverage investments in financial management systems.
    Skills and Abilities (30%): The incumbent must have good oral presentation and writing skills; and have capacity to turn out high quality written work under tight deadlines.  He/she must be able to summarize complex quantitative financial information from financial reports and financial statements.  He/she must have an unusual ability to detect the financial strengths and weaknesses of activities and organizations.  He/she must be able to make independent judgments in most cases on systems and controls.  He/she must have the ability to develop and maintain contacts with high level GOK and grantee/contractor officials; represent the RFMS/Nairobi Controller at meetings with grantees, contractors, cooperating agencies, and non government organizations who implement USAID projects. He/she must be able to present facts and recommendations in a clear concise manner, both orally and in writing.  Skill in writing English is particularly important. 




Job Specification
MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES AND % OF TIME SPENT                                                                                             
       
Analytical and Financial Management Support (45%):

    Analyzes and makes recommendations on the general financial feasibility of the USAID/East Africa, USAID/Kenya and other bilateral missions’ projects.  This involves analyzing and reviews the adequacy of project/activity dollar and local currency budgets, alternative sources of financing, total costs over the life of project and project financial reporting of USAID-funded programs.  He/she designs and conducts pre-award surveys and financial reviews of USAID recipients to determine the adequacy of their accounting systems and control environment, their financial status and institutional capability to implement development partner grants. 
    He/she monitors financial progress during the life of major activities to identify any deficiencies and determine if earlier deficiencies have been corrected, and to resolve any financial difficulties revealed by activity evaluation teams.  He/she participates in activity evaluations and performs TDYs to USAID project sites and provides routine financial management services to USAID officials and implementing partners. 
    Reviews and monitors open sub-commitments, sub-obligations and pipelines and works with AORs and CORs to recommend de-sub-commitments and de-sub-obligations, assess funding needs and determine data integrity in the Phoenix accounting system. 

Management and Oversight of Audit Management & Resolution Program (30%):

    In conjunction with Financial Analysis Division team, he/she coordinates the Mission’s Audit Management Resolution Program (AMRP).  This involves preparing the Annual Audit Plan for USAID/East Africa and its client bilateral missions, tracks the audit of planned audits, ensures timely closure of audit related recommendations, and posts audit action memorandum into the Consolidated Audit and Compliance System (CACS).  He/she attends audit entrance and exit meetings and prepares reports to the auditors to confirm disbursements to recipients being audited. 
    Reviews the GOK’s Controller and Auditor General and USAID recipient audit reports to analyze and report on the auditees’ actions planned, taken and outstanding to correct audit findings.
    At the request of the Agreement or Contracting Officer or the Mission Director (CO/AO or MD) and under the direction of the RFMS Director, he/she performs special financial reviews in lieu of annual audits of organizations whose expenditures are less than the audit threshold as determined from time to time by the Office of the Inspector General.

Representation (10%):

    As a respected professional, the Financial Analyst may be called upon to liaise with local, regional, and international private sector and non-governmental partners, as well as financial policy officials in the public sector.
    He/she may be required to represent USAID to a number of different stakeholders, including Ambassadors, Mission Directors, other senior USG Agency representatives, regional financial management communities, national level counterparts, bilateral and multilateral donors, and corporate executives.

Contribution to RFMS Office Tasks (15%)

    As a member of the RFMS team, he/she performs periodic reviews of all internal USAID/Nairobi financial management operations and prepares reports recommending necessary improvements.
    Reviews all significant changes in systems and procedures to help coordinate sound practices and enhance internal controls as they relate to financial management, accounting and reporting. 
    Participate in writing and maintaining complete written systems and procedures, this includes drafting and reviewing audit and financial management USAID/Nairobi mission orders and procedures. 
    Track and monitor local currency deposits and withdrawals from host country special accounts, and report the status of those accounts to mission management.
    Track and monitor USG loans to the host governments in the East African region.
    Attend Project Management Teams, technical office and quarterly partner meetings.
    Respond to tasks from within USAID/EA, USAID/Kenya, Washington, as needed.
    Perform other duties as assigned by his/her supervisor.           

POSITION ELEMENTS

a.    Supervision Received:
The incumbent will be supervised by the Supervisory Financial Analyst who in turn reports to the RFMS/Nairobi Deputy Controller with ultimate responsibility to the USAID/EA Mission Director.  Supervision is restricted to initial guidance on any policy aspects of the assignment considered particularly important to the framework of financial techniques to be employed in conducting an analysis.  He/she will handle assignments independently with minimal supervision according to established policies, previous training and accepted practices. He/she will be expected to develop his/her own work schedule, procedures for accomplishing tasks, and will work independently to resolve problems which may arise during accomplishment of activities.  He/she will be expected to provide finished, accurate, concise reports as required, without day-to-day assistance in the preparation of those reports.

b.    Available Guidelines:
USAID ADS, AIDAR, FAR, GAO Guidebook, the USAID Internet, USAID Policy Papers, Mission Orders, USAID workshops, seminars, conferences and OMB Circulars provide basic guidelines with which employee must remain familiar. The incumbent must be able to assess alternatives and interpret the guidelines accordingly and exercise excellent judgment and the ability to deal with ambiguity as appropriate.

c.    Exercise of Judgment:
Heavy reliance is placed on the judgment of the employee in providing advice on the financial aspects and status of activity development and management, and on the determination of the financial status and capability of activity implementation institutions.  Advice and recommendations are reviewed but rarely challenged or changed on technical financial and accounting grounds. The incumbent must be able to establish priorities independently, identify problem areas, determine solutions, take action, keep appropriate supervisors apprised, and seek additional guidance or assistance when needed.

d.    Authority to Make Commitments:
The incumbent is authorized to make all commitments necessary with respect to scheduling and organizing all activities within the scope of assigned responsibilities. He/she will have no authority to make any financial or contractual commitments on behalf of the USG.  Authority is limited to technical directions contained in the scope of work for the position.

e.    Nature, Level and Purpose of Contacts:
The incumbent will deal with senior officials of the host governments, public and private sector institutions in East African region. He/she will be expected to obtain and analyze a variety of privileged information from such officials and assess its relative reliability and value in order to conduct financial analyses and reviews and prepare written reports of findings and recommendations.

f.     Supervision Exercised: None.

g.    Time Required to Perform Full Range of Duties after Entry into the Position: Twelve months.

NOTE:
Current USG employees must meet the "time-in-grade" requirement of 52 weeks in the previous lower grade to qualify for the position at the level in this vacancy announcement or be at the same grade for which the position is being recruited. Applicants who meet the job qualification requirements but not the "time-in-grade" requirement may be considered for the position but will have to abide by the in-grade requirement prior to being considered for the next higher grade. In addition the employee must have received a Personnel Evaluation Report (PER) during the most recent rating period which clearly indicated the employee is ready and capable of assuming a more responsible position.

HOW TO APPLY

Current USG Employees

Step 1:Fill out the job application questionnaire at www.myjobsinkenya.com/usaid.
Complete the questionnaire to the end. Once this is done, go to Step 2.

Step 2:Send a memo explaining your qualifications for the position, your up-to-date resume/curriculum vitae, copies of all relevant academic certificates, and your most recent Performance Evaluation Report (PER) to nairobihr@usaid.gov. Scan and send all your attachments as one document. The Notice No. (on the top left-hand side of the vacancy announcement) and your name as it appears on your online application MUST be included in your e-mail subject line.

USAID/HR will NOT accept any hard copy applications.

Incomplete application packages will not be considered.

The closing date for receipt of applications is COB December 18, 2012.