Grants Officer ILRI

Vacancy Number: GA/CS/09/11

Location: Nairobi, Kenya

Duration: 2-year term with possibility of renewal

The International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) works at the crossroads of livestock and poverty, bringing high-quality livestock science, communications and capacity building to bear on poverty reduction and sustainable development.

ILRI is one of 15 centres supported by the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR). ILRI has campuses in Kenya (headquarters) and Ethiopia, with other offices located in other regions of Africa (Mali, Mozambique, and Nigeria) as well as in South Asia (India, Sri Lanka), Southeast Asia (Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam) and East Asia (China).

ILRI seeks to recruit a dynamic and competent Grants Officer.

Ensure that grants are managed in the most effective and efficient manner through making sure that Financial reports to donors are accurate and prepared in a timely manner.

Payables and receivables are regularly monitored and are within manageable limits.

Working closely with budget holders through provision of technical advice on grants and budgets.

Responsibilities

1. Partner Management

• Make sure transfers to partners are timely and as per contracts.
• Prepare partner Receivables & Payables accounts on monthly basis.
• Organize/ conduct trainings to partner accountants.
• Conduct targeted partner visits.
• Review financial reports, verify the supporting documents and make sure the required entries have been posted in the financial system.
• Ensure that audit reports are received as per agreement.
• Make sure year-end adjustments are done to reflect partner receivables.
• Review ILRI Partner Contracts.
• Update the Partner schedule regularly with current information including entering committed transfers in the system.

2. Preparation for audit

• Make timely arrangements for grant audits and ensure that grants audits are well coordinated and timely executed.
• Prepare schedule of all grants with external audit and timelines for the audit. Allocate responsibilities across the three units in finance; treasury- payment vouchers, General accounts- personnel issues.
• Take lead in ILRI Annual Project Audit
• Ensure that year end donor circularization letters are timely prepared and dispatched
• Ensure that yearly financial statements are timely dispatched to respective donors

3. Preparation of management reports

• Review & Prepare grant budget burn rates reports. Variances explained.
• First review of donor reports prepared by accountants as per checklist.( attached) Coordinate prompt and accurate billing, recording and reporting of grant and contract revenues.
• Review and prepare monthly accounts receivable & payables.
• Quarterly provision for doubtful debt as per policy.
• Review monthly schedules for accuracy and submission.
• Ensure that grant information for all active donors are up to date: grants start/end dates, financial reporting dates, invoicing dates, grant manager, grant amounts and ensure that the information is posted to the ILRINET for all new grants.
• Ensure that the grants close out checklist is implemented effectively and efficiently
• Review grants analysis codes and ensure that all grants with T3 extension requirements have been assigned and the financial systems updated.
• Monitor unrestricted funding and update in the system when the information is available.

4. Performance management – Project accountants

• Technically manage project accountants.
• Ensure standardization of their work with Budget & Grants Team.
• Ensure a healthy working Environment.
• Ensure safety and healthy work environment.

5. Compliance with financial guidelines and others

• Ensure all financial guidelines for all major donors are filed and easy to access for all onto the ILRINET.
• Ensure there are constant updates where necessary in the ILRINET.
• Allocate as well prohibit all the Analysis codes.
• Review proposal budgets.
• Assist in the preparation of ILRIs annual financial statement.
• Undertake any other assignment that may be given by the Budgets and Grants Manager.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Business or Finance.
• Certified Public Accountant, Kenya CPA (K) or ACCA qualification.
• Minimum three years in management level.
• Ability to work in a team of accountants and project management staff.
• Excellent interpersonal, communication and personal organization skills;
• Ability to work under tight deadlines.
• Computer skills, including sound knowledge of Microsoft office.
• Experience with Sun Systems will be an added advantage.

Terms of appointment: This is a Nationally Recruited Staff (NRS) position based at ILRI’s Nairobi campus and is open to Kenyan nationals only. The position is on a 2-year contract renewable subject to satisfactory performance and availability of funding.

Job level and salary: This position is job level 3A with a starting gross salary of KES 157,833 per month. This is exclusive of other benefits provided by ILRI.

Applications addressed to the Human Resources Director, a cover letter, curriculum vitae and the names and addresses (including telephone and email) of three referees who are knowledgeable about the candidate’s professional qualifications and work experience should be emailed to: ILRI-grants officer@cgiar.org by 12 October 2011.

The position title and reference number “GRANTS OFFICER: GO/CS/09/11” should be clearly marked on the subject line of the email applications.

Only short listed candidates will be contacted.

To find more about ILRI, visit our website at www.ilri.org

ILRI is an equal opportunity employer.