GENERAL INFORMATION

1.  SOLICITATION NO.: 21-110

2.  ISSUANCE DATE: August 31, 2021 

3.  CLOSING DATE/TIME FOR RECEIPT OF OFFERS: September 14,         2021 (4:30 PM East Africa Time)

4.  POSITION TITLE: Financial Analyst (Multiple Positions) 

5.  MARKET VALUE: Equivalent to FSN-PSC 11 (Step 1:4,597,211.00           KSH to Step 13: 7,815,239.00 KSH per annum). In accordance with         AIDAR Appendix J and the Local Compensation Plan of USAID/             Kenya and East Africa. Final compensation will be negotiated within         the listed market value. 

6. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE: Initial six (6) months probationary            period, with an additional six (6) months upon successful completion        of probation period. Additional four (4) option years contingent on            fully successful or better performance rating, funds availability and          the continued need to retain the position.

7. PLACE OF PERFORMANCE: Nairobi, Kenya; with possible travel as        stated in the Statement of Work.

8. SECURITY CERTIFICATION REQUIRED: Prior to joining USAID, the selected candidate will be required to:

• Undergo a comprehensive background investigation
• Undergo a health check to obtain medical clearance and;
• Obtain and Retain an embassy issued Security Certification.

9. STATEMENT OF DUTIES: (See Below).

10. AREA OF CONSIDERATION: Open to qualified Kenyan Citizens and        current employees of the U.S. Government. USAID provides equal            opportunity and equitable treatment for employment of all people            without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age,                disability, political affiliation, marital status or sexual orientation.

11. PHYSICAL DEMANDS: The position requirements do not involve            rigorous physical demands.

BACKGROUND

The Financial Analyst (FA) serves as the Mission’s expert and adviser on all financial management matters necessary to support USAID/Kenya and East Africa (USAID/KEA) and client mission’s programs to ensure successful achievement of the Mission’s development objectives.  The Office of Financial Management (OFM) in which this position is located is a regional office that provides support to USAID/KEA, USIAD/Sudan and USAID/Somalia with funds in excess of $1 billion.  The scope, complexity and visibility of the USAID activities, and partner programs are one of the largest in sub-Saharan Africa.

The Financial Analyst provides program assistance across borders, supporting innovative regional programs and directly backstops bilateral Missions within the East African region. USAID Mission implements direct programs to improve regional cooperation, conflict resolution, food security, trade, environment, and mitigation of climate change. The OFM platform also supports several bilateral Mission programs and partners building the capacity of African organizations. When needed, USAID/KEA supports humanitarian assistance, including delivery of emergency food aid. OFM supports numerous Agency initiatives and Missions which fall outside the traditional operating environment and authorities of USAID/ KEA. These OFM provided services are provided as needed throughout the African continent and to other world-wide operating units falling within other USAID Regional Bureaus span of authorities.

The FA must be able to analyze and advise on the financial aspects of designing, implementing, monitoring, evaluating and closeout of USAID projects and programs.  In addition, the FA plans and conducts financial and related operational analysis of various aspects of USAID funded implementing partners and internal operations of USAID Missions. The FA reviews and tracks data posted in the Phoenix accounting system to reconcile the posted data with the USAID Operational Plans.  He/she compiles and tracks the implementation of OFM annual audit plan and ensures that audits are performed in accordance with USAID requirements and takes necessary actions to resolve and close audit recommendations.  The FA represents OFM and USAID at meetings with partners and with representatives of governments and regional organizations. The FA will be required to serve as a member of the Mission’s Development Objective (DO) Teams, assist in training of Mission’s technical office staff, and advise/mentor grantees and contractors on financial management issues related to their programs. The FA must be completely knowledgeable of financial management matters, be able to exercise judgment and must have the necessary skills, background experience, and capabilities to serve as an agent of the OFM Office Director.

MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

1.  ANALYTICAL AND FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT SUPPORT      60%

• Analyzes and makes recommendations on the general financial feasibility of USAID Programs and Projects. This involves analyzing and reviewing 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.                                                                                       
• 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. The incumbent may be required to travel up to 30 percent of the time within Kenya and/or regionally.                                     
• Reviews and monitors open commitments/sub-commitments, obligations/sub-obligations and pipelines and works with AORs and CORs to recommend de-commitments/de-sub-commitments and de-obligations/de-sub-obligations, assess funding needs and determine data integrity in the Phoenix accounting system.                       
• Under the guidance of the Controller or his/her designee, the FA when assigned to a Development Objective (DO) Team or Technical Office, the FA in a budgetary capacity role as a core team member will provide guidance/mentoring to budget/program support personnel or may directly be tasked with administering budget formulation, reprogramming, and reporting processes on the behalf of the DO Team or the Technical Office Director. The budgetary core team member role will include fulfilling budget procedures in accordance with Agency and Mission policies, rules, and regulations including compliance with funding earmarks.  The budgetary functions would also normally include performance budgeting, developing and managing programmatic procurement planning (reconciling allowances, commitments, and sub-obligations with Operating Year Budget Matrices.                                                       
• In the technical office that the FA is assigned to by the Controller, the FA provides guidance and advises the Technical Office Chief on budget related tasks including the provision of oversight and guidance to A/CORs reporting to the Technical Office Director.                 
• In coordination with the Program Office, the FA monitors the DO team’s Operating Year Budget (OYB) and its timely execution. Monitors the DO’s compliance with Agency forward funding guidelines. The FA’s role is key in formulation of project design and implementation mechanisms.

2.   MANAGEMENT AND OVERSIGHT OF AUDIT MANAGEMENT                PROGRAM                                                                              20%

• Attends audit entrance and exit meetings and prepares reports to the auditors to confirm disbursements to recipients being audited. The FA consults and provides advice to Partner institutions prior to and during audit and evaluation engagements ensuring Partner success in compliance with USG requirements.                                 
• Reviews the Host Government Controller and Auditor General and USAID recipient audit reports to analyze and report on the auditee 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 OFM Office Chief, the FA performs special financial reviews of the mission’s local and international implementing partners. 

• Conducts financial reviews, when needed, of organizations whose expenditures are less than the audit threshold. Follows-up with the implementing partners to resolve and close open audit recommendations. 

• In conjunction with the A/COR or the Technical Office Chief, the FA conducts regular site visits at partners’ offices and implementation sites and documents his/her observations in trip reports. He/she is expected to travel regionally between 30 to 40 percent of the time. 

• Participates in the performance of required annual reviews of the Mission’s internal/management control system in accordance with the Federal Managers’ Financial Integrity Act (FMFIA); performs the risk assessment of various functional areas and assists in performing follow-up reviews to determine if significant deficiencies have been properly addressed and appropriate actions are taken by concerned Mission offices.                                                                     
• Assists in the capacity building of Mission and implementing partner staff who are not familiar with USAID’s financial management requirements by providing training on accruals, audit management, payment methods, and other related topics.                

3.  REPRESENTATION                                                              10%

• As a respected professional, the FA 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.                                                                                          
• The FA 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.

 4.  CONTRIBUTION TO OFM OFFICE TASKS                        10%

• As a member of the OFM team, he/she performs periodic reviews of all internal USAID Mission 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 Mission orders and procedures. 

• Tracks and monitors local currency deposits and withdrawals from host country special accounts and report the status of those accounts to mission management. 

• Tracks and monitors USG loans to the host governments. 

• Attends Project Management Teams, technical office and quarterly partner meetings. 

POSITION ELEMENTS:

A.  SUPERVISION RECEIVED: The incumbent will be supervised by the Supervisory Financial Analyst who in turn reports to the OFM Deputy Controller with ultimate responsibility to the OFM Office 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.  SUPERVISION EXERCISED:

C.  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. 

D. EXERCISE OF JUDGEMENT: 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 challenged 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.

E.  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.   

F.  NATURE, LEVEL AND PURPOSE OF CONTACTS: The incumbent will deal with senior officials of the host governments, public and private sector institutions. The FA 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.

G.  TIME EXPECTED TO REACH FULL PERFORMANCE LEVEL: One year.

PRIOR WORK EXPERIENCE: A minimum of five years of progressive working experience with a professional accounting, financial consulting, or auditing firm is required. The position requires a broad knowledge of, and practical skills in, accounting, auditing and financial analysis. The incumbent 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.

JOB KNOWLEDGE: 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.  The FA 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: 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 Host Government and grantee/contractor officials; represent the OFM Office Chief 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. The FA will have knowledge of relevant US Government and USAID regulations and generally accepted accounting standards.   

EVALUATION AND SELECTION FACTORS

Applicants must submit a resume/cv which describes how their relevant professional experience and education has prepared them to meet the specific challenges of the duties and responsibilities described above.  As part of the interview process, those applicants ranked highest may be required to submit a timed writing sample on a topic provided.  The selection committee may conduct reference checks at any time during the selection process.

Applications that do not meet the required minimum qualifications will not be scored. 

• Prior work experience (20 points)
• Job Knowledge (30 points)
• Skills and abilities (50 points)

Total possible points:  100

Candidates meeting the above required qualifications for the position will be evaluated based on information presented in the application and reference checks.   References will be asked to assess the applicant’s technical knowledge, work performance, communication skills, and group dynamics, using the above criteria.   USAID reserves the right to conduct interviews with the top ranked short-listed applicants.  The interview will be one of the determining factors in the final selection.

HOW TO APPLY

Step 1: Register in MyJobsInKenya at www.myjobsinkenya.com

Step 2: Qualified Current USG Employees: Attach an updated curriculum vitae/resume (no more than five pages), a copy of your most recent Performance Evaluation Report, and copies of all relevant certificates. Scan and attach all the documents and upload to MyJobsInKenya.

                                                      OR

External Applicants/Not Current USG Employees: Attach an updated curriculum vitae/resume (no more than five pages) and copies of all relevant certificates. Scan and attach all the documents and upload to MyJobsInKenya.

Note to Applicants:

1.  Applications must be received by the closing date and time specified in Section I, item 3, and submitted through myjobsinkenya.com as stated in Section IV.

2. Submissions will only be accepted through myjobsinkenya.com/usaid. Late and Incomplete applications (those that do not contain the applicant’s most current and up to date detailed CV and relevant education certificates) will not be considered for the position. The closing date for receipt of applications is indicated above.

3. USAID provides equal opportunity and equitable treatment for employment of all people without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, political affiliation, marital status or sexual orientation.

4. Only short-listed candidates shall be contacted. Any form of canvassing will lead to automatic disqualification.

5. USAID DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING) AND DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS' BANK ACCOUNTS.