Finance Officer at Mercy Corps

Job Description

Finance Officer at Mercy Corps

The position is exclusively available for internal candidates within Mercy Corps.

About Mercy Corps

Mercy Corps is powered by the belief that a better world is possible. To do this, we know our teams do their best work when they are diverse, and every team member feels that they belong. We welcome diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be stronger and have long term impact.

The Program / Department / Team

The Mercy Corps Finance Department is responsible for all financial functions in Nairobi, including accounting, payments and banking, payroll, budgeting, financial reporting, and grant financial management and compliance.

The Mercy Corps Finance Department ensures compliance with donor regulations as well as Mercy Corps’ internal policies and procedures. In its role as a support to the Program Department, the Finance Department provides timely reports and assistance to the Country Director and the Program team to ensure that financial resources are used efficiently and effectively.

The Position (General Position Summary)

Working in the Finance Department under the direction of the Finance & Grants Manager-Nawiri, the Finance Officer will primarily assist in the processing and recording of DA1 forms- VAT exemption applications and VAT refunds from Vendors. The Finance Officer will also carry out finance department related document archiving and retrievals, relevant filling, photocopying and document collation as needed including counter checking all documents if in order before monthly filing. They will support the finance departments with other tasks in the absence of the Finance Officers in Nairobi office.

Essential Responsibilities

Financial Management

• Extract transaction listing from Navigator financial system, identify all Programs transactions that are eligible for Tax exemption in line with the donor requirements.
• Prepare DA1 forms for all programs including Nawiri consortium partners (Mercy Corps, BOMA, Caritas Lodwar, RTI & Mercy Corps) while ensuring that correct supporting documents are attached.
• Draft USAID correspondence in line with DA1 forms and refund submissions.
• Review all programs and Nawiri Consortium DA1 submitted documents are adequate and relevant, complete and computations are accurate.
• Maintain a tracker for Mercy Corps and other Nawiri Consortium Partners DA1 submissions, refunds and regularly provide a status report.
• Maintain hard and soft records of all DA1 forms submitted to USAID and all DA1 refunds received from USAID.
• Follow up with vendors and all programs including Nawiri consortium partners regarding KRA approved VAT refunds. Capture all VAT refunds on the Navigator finance system.
• Provide support to the finance officers and Assistants in Nairobi and field offices in their absence.
• Prepare and maintain a database on a regular basis all the finance transactions and documents by ensuring that documents are well filed, scanned and are retrievable.
• Facilitate efficient archiving of documents to the warehouse.
• Support Finance Accounting department with entry of transaction in the accounting system on monthly basis.
• Responsible for ensuring the reclass file is update and all documents filed and ready for audit.
• Responsible for retrieving all audit samples during audits including IF Audit or documents requested.
• Provide support to finance office as may be required.

Finance Officer at Mercy Corps

Accountability

Reports Directly To: Finance & Grants Manager-Nawiri

Works Directly With: Program Managers, Country Finance/Grants Teams Operations/procurement teams

Accountability to Participants and Stakeholders

Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our program participants, community partners, other stakeholders, and to international standards guiding international relief and development work. We are committed to actively engaging communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.

Minimum Qualification & Transferable Skills

• Degree in accounting or relevant field.
• At least three years experience in document handling, filing, archiving and records keeping
• Strong computer skills in MS Office programs, particularly Excel
• Accuracy in the processing of DA1 forms, mathematical aptitude, and attention to detail.
• Excellent oral and written English skills.

Success Factors

A successful Finance Officer will be a strong team player, with good communication and interpersonal skills.

Ongoing Learning

In support of our belief that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities we serve, we empower all team members to dedicate 5% of their time to learning activities that further their personal and/or professional growth and development.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Achieving our mission begins with how we build our team and work together. Through our commitment to enriching our organization with people of different origins, beliefs, backgrounds, and ways of thinking, we are better able to leverage the collective power of our teams and solve the world’s most complex challenges. We strive for a culture of trust and respect, where everyone contributes their perspectives and authentic selves, reaches their potential as individuals and teams, and collaborates to do the best work of their lives.

We recognize that diversity and inclusion is a journey, and we are committed to learning, listening and evolving to become more diverse, equitable and inclusive than we are today.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Mercy Corps is an equal opportunity employer that does not tolerate discrimination on any basis. We actively seek out diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be collectively stronger and have sustained global impact.

We are committed to providing an environment of respect and psychological safety where equal employment opportunities are available to all. We do not engage in or tolerate discrimination on the basis of race, color, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, disability (including HIV/AIDS status), marital status, military veteran status or any other protected group in the locations where we work.

Safeguarding & Ethics

Mercy Corps is committed to ensuring that all individuals we come into contact with through our work, whether team members, community members, program participants or others, are treated with respect and dignity. We are committed to the core principles regarding prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse laid out by the UN Secretary General and IASC and have signed on to the Interagency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. We will not tolerate child abuse, sexual exploitation, abuse, or harassment by or of our team members. As part of our commitment to a safe and inclusive work environment, team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner, respect local laws and customs, and to adhere to Mercy Corps Code of Conduct Policies and

values at all times. Team members are required to complete mandatory Code of Conduct elearning courses upon hire and on an annual basis.

Finance Officer at Mercy Corps