About CRS:
Catholic Relief Services (CRS) carries out the commitment of the Bishops of the United States to assist the poor and vulnerable overseas. Our Catholic identity is at the heart of our mission and operations. We welcome as a part of our staff and as partners, people of all faiths and secular traditions who share our values and our commitment to serving those in need.
CRS has worked in Kenya since 1965. Over the years, CRS’ focus shifted from direct relief and food distributions to a comprehensive development program that works with partners and enhances local capacity. CRS Kenya programs now support children affected by HIV, and community-based efforts to increase household incomes, improve family health and sanitation, and enhance agriculture livelihoods.
Background:
CRS is implementing a 5 year orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) program, Mwendo, which seeks to empower local and county-level OVC stakeholders to strengthen the formal and informal HIV and child protection systems and services and the linkages between them, including cross-sectoral service referrals and coordination to ensure quality service delivery for OVC and their HHs.
Job Summary:
The Grants and Compliance Officer works as an integral part of the Mwendo Project team and collaborates with other functions to support effective contract management. Supports consortium partners and local implementing partners (LIP) on sub-grant management and compliance. This includes developing and embedding best practice to comply with donor financial rules, expenditure tracking, monitoring and providing management information on key risks, contributing to the implementation of improved financial systems and processes to facilitate better donor reporting and compliance, and capacity building of partner/LIP staff with grants and compliance related roles.
Specific Responsibilities:
• Prepare and review budgets ensuring high quality standards and optimum cost recovery in alignment with organizational and donor requirements
• Under the guidance of the Grants and Compliance Manager communicate with donors or CRS donor account managers to help resolve specific problems or respond to donor information requests
• Provide technical guidance and support in setting up systems to monitor adherence to financial and procurement rules e.g. co-financing, exchange rates, interest and budget rules in line with contractual requirements
• Support to ensure partner sub-grants are disbursed and accounted for in line with contractual requirements – e.g. pre-assessments, budget tracking, procurement, reporting and capacity building
• Provide technical support to ensure effective income tracking including cash flow, pre-financing, timely and accurate payment requests and tracking outstanding amounts due from donors
• Track, document and disseminate donor reporting trends, quality assurance issues and feedback from donors
• Coordinate the collation of institutional grants and contracts information required to comply with donor agencies
• Support contract management capacity development through inception workshops, coaching, mentoring, online training and other support as required
• Participate in community of practice on institutional income planning and contract management
• Regular monitoring and management reports against key indicators, taking appropriate action where necessary including flagging risks for appropriate management action
• Guidance on and review of narrative and financial reports to ensure quality assurance before submission to donors
• Technical guidance and support in preparing for and managing donor audits including liaison with auditors and negotiating contested findings where appropriate
• Oversee financial archiving procedures to ensure all required expenditure support documentation is properly maintained and availed when required
• Develop and maintain excellent professional relationships with colleagues, counterparts and donors
Agency-wide Competencies(for all CRS Staff):
These are rooted in the mission, values, and guiding principles of CRS and used by each staff member to fulfill his or her responsibilities and achieve the desired results.
• Integrity
• Accountability & Stewardship
• Builds Relationships
• Develops Talent
• Continuous Improvement & Innovation
• Strategic Mindset
Competencies Relevant for the Specific Position:
These are rooted in the mission, values, and principles of CRS and used by the Grants & Compliance Officer to fulfill his or her responsibilities and to achieve the desired results:
• Ability to work independently, think innovatively and strategically, and work effectively within a team;
• Flexibility in tasks undertaken;
• Ability to work under pressure and deadlines;
• Strategic thinking and vision;
• Strong financial/budget management skills required.
Supervisory Responsibilities(if none, state none):
None
Key Working Relationships:
Internal:Mwendo leadership; Grants & Compliance Manager, CRS Kenya Head of Programs, CRS Kenya Technical and Administrative staff, CRS Kenya Programming, Finance, Procurement, and HR/Administration teams.
External:Mwendo consortium members and local implementing partners, government ministries at the County levels, CSO/CBOs, and other stakeholders.
Qualifications:
Required Qualifications and Experience:
Education
Bachelor’s degree and/or professional qualification in Accounting, Finance, Business Studies, Auditing, Economics or related field CPA (K), ACCA, CISA
Knowledge
At least 3 years’ experience in NGO sector in finance Experience of managing grants/contracts from institutional donors Ability to provide clear guidance on donor policies and procedures to other staff Good understanding and experience of working with proposals and contracts from institutional donors Experience of setting up and managing donor compliance monitoring systems, developing and implementing relevant tools Strong financial skills encompassing proposal budgeting, income tracking, budget monitoring and financial reporting Comprehensive understanding of financial reporting, review and analysis
• Understanding and participating in donor financial compliance audits
Strong interpersonal, writing, presentation, and organizational skills Ability to develop productive working relationships with counterparts in other agencies and organizations
Skills and Abilities
Ability to transfer skills and knowledge through, training, mentorship and accompaniment Demonstrated ability to work with and in teams Excellent written, oral communication Excellent computer skills (Microsoft Office) Demonstrated ability foster integration in programming approach
Catholic Relief Services carries out the commitment of the Bishops of the United States to assist the poor and vulnerable overseas. Our Catholic identity is at the heart of our mission and operations. We welcome as a part of our staff and as partners people of all faiths and secular traditions who share our values and our commitment to serving those in need.
