Responsible for day-to-day finance operations and related controls. To manage in country finance statutory requirements, including tax and statutory reporting. Ensure production of accurate internal financial data and external financial statutory reports. Compliance with VSO’s accounting practices and tax requirements (both UK and Kenya; promote continued process improvement; and provide user-focused financial services and a strong control environment.

Statutory compliance

• Prepare country statutory accounts (including engaging and coordinating any statutory auditors, as required)
• Manage Company/employer tax compliance and facilitation with local authorities.
• File local taxes and responsible for compliance for VSO, staff and volunteers in country.
• Implement appropriate balance sheet controls and perform monthly reconciliations.
• Timely input/submissions for group statutory audit.

Financial management / operations.

• Manage payroll processing, payment and reporting (internal & external).
• Cash management including relationship with the bank, managing bank mandate and authorisations, bank reconciliations, petty cash and adequate control framework around cash, and cash flow forecasting.
• Managing (or implementing) mobile phone cash when applicable.
• Managing advances to partners, staff members and volunteers, including timely settlement.
• Responsible for invoice and payment processing.
• Manage creditor aging to ensure timely settlement.
• Appropriate expenditure and payment documentation, filing and management.
• Managing debtors (in close collaboration with the [finance grant manager] when related to grants).
• Complete month close procedures within global timelines with high accuracy.
• Responsible for ensuring consistent VSO financial controls are in place in country and operating effectively; test and review these on a regular basis.
• Input in organisational systems and processes reviews fostering continuous learning and improvement.
• Working collaboratively with global finance team contributing to strengthen financial management system in VSC

Risk Management

• Work with country Senior Management Team to ensure key financial risks are
• identified and mitigation plans are in place.
• When considered necessary, ensure relevant insurance coverage is in place to mitigate risks (either through local or coordinated group/global cover).
• Lead role in preparation and coordination for internal audits (scheduled or unscheduled audit requests), work with other country teams for their support.
• Conducting fraud prevention and detection training of all local teams.
• Ensure all suppliers, partners and donors are compliance (anti-terrorism) checked before work proceeds with those organisations.
• Serve as primary liaison to legal counsel in addressing legal issues e.g., copyright, antitrust, governing instruments, partnerships, licensing etc.
• Oversee organizational insurance policies.
• Business partnering and leadership.
• Build effective cross-functional working with all other teams, especially the other finance teams in country and globally. Ensuring professional financial service delivery in compliance with VSO policies and procedures and local laws and regulations. Working effectively with global finance teams to ensure consistency and compliance.
• Build a business partnering relationship with the country representative, people managers, programmes and other senior managers in country. Provide financial expertise, guidance and strategic financial leadership to ensure country activities are financially appropriate and represent value for money.

• Experience in preparing or managing local [country] payroll.
• Experience in identifying and implementing process, system and control improvements.
• Hands-on, pro-active approach to working; proven to be detail-oriented.
• Experience in effectively managing and developing staff.
• Experience in building relationships with and managing internal and external stakeholders.
• SUN systems / Q&A XL experience.
• Experience in the not for profit and International Development sectors.

• Strong technical accounting skills, especially in relation to UK and Kenya statutory accounting.
• Strong analytical skills and highly numerate.
• Strong IT skills, including accounting and reporting packages and especially Excel.
• Good written and verbal communication skills, in particular an ability to present and explain financial information clearly to staff at all levels, including non[1]financial staff, both internally and externally.
• Effective influencing and networking skills.
• Ability to work autonomously, using own initiative where needed, to deliver desired results in a timely fashion, with minimum supervision, prioritising and managing workload accordingly.
• Commitment to VSO’s mission and values.
• Able to undertake occasional international travel

VSO promotes equal opportunities and values a diverse workforce.

VSO reserves the right to close this job early if we receive a sufficient number of applications.

If you’re interested in applying for this role, please click on the link to submit your application before 20th September 2021 https://bit.ly/financeandoperationsofficervso