The position

The position is responsible for the technical leadership and management on all financial functions for MECPZ, ensuring compliance with all relevant policies and standards.

The Finance Officer will lead the finance teams to effectively manage income and expenditure, procurements, and operational logistics for MECPZ. Provide leadership on the budgeting process and ensure all budget holders understand, can manage, and held accountable for their budgets according to organisational financial protocols and be accountable for all financial compliance across the organisation.

Major Responsibilities

• Provide technical leadership and management on all financial matters for MECPZ, ensuring compliance with all relevant policies and standards.
• Manage grants spending against approved budget, by ensuring that appropriate systems and controls are in place to monitor expenditure in alignment to grants and reporting requirements.
• Ensure timely and accurate financial reporting to donors and other stakeholders including preparation of annual financial statements.
• Coordinate all internal and external audits and implement audit recommendations
• Ensure MECPZ complies with all statutory and regulatory requirements by the government and development partners.
• Work with the programs partnership teams to develop budgets that are aligned to the MECPZ and donor standards.
• Conduct monthly, quarterly, and annual budget reviews and re-forecast quarterly based on the burn rate and changes to programme.
• Ensure that internal controls are properly enforced to minimize potential risks
• Ensure all financial transactions are timely and accurately posted in the accounting system for purposes of generating Programme financial reports
• Take lead in the monthly payroll preparation. Ensure timesheets are completed and filed in a timely manner.
• Ensure monthly funding request for the programme and follow up with country office to ensure that funds are received on time.
• Reviewing all payments in line with the laid down policies and procedures before submitting the payment to the Program Director.
• Review all employee’s expenditure reports before they are posted into system
• Ensure monthly bank reconciliations are prepared, approved, and filed on time.
• Tracking Employee advances regularly and following up the recovery process or management action.
• Manage the Finance team. This includes coaching and developing the team for a more effective skill set and work environment.
•  Any other duties that are not specifically stated above but will necessarily come within the framework of your operation shall be assigned to you from time to time by your supervisor

Diversity, Inclusion, and safeguarding: Ensure MECP’s pluralistic values are demonstrated internally, externally, and all programming in respectful and inclusive of people from diverse backgrounds including, but not limited to, socio-economic status, religion, ethnicity, culture, gender, age, and disability.

Committed to acting ethically and upholding safeguarding standards towards all staff, volunteers, and beneficiaries of the organisation.

The requirements

Required qualifications and experiences

• Minimum of bachelor’s degree in Finance and or Accounting together with professional qualification – CPA or ACCA or CIMA.
• Minimum three years relevant professional experience
• Experience in management, leadership, and mentoring staff
• Experience in developing budgets in collaboration with technical programme staff and supporting the effective management of these
• Excellent communication skills, able to make strong presentations and produce high quality financial reports
• Experience of working across geographical, organisation boundaries, cultures & diverse stakeholders.
• Demonstrated experience of working with consortiums, international multilateral and bilateral donors
• Demonstrated experience in budgeting process from end to end in a multi-donor environment is a must
• Work experience in an international development organization is desirable
• Demonstrated experience in the preparation and supervision of annual financial accounts.
• Experience in preparation and supervision of both annual external audits, internal grant reviews and donor audits is a must.
• Excellent organisational, interpersonal and communications skills.
• Ability to demonstrate effective managerial and leadership skills.
• Strong sense of responsibility, professionalism, and thoroughness.
• Personal commitment to working as reliable, honest, & trustworthy member of a team
• Ability to work effectively in a culturally diverse organisation.
• Uphold MECPZ Values always

Core competencies

• Interpersonal Skills
• Specialised Job Knowledge
• Dependability and Initiative
• Planning and organising

Sector

Social Development

About the Agency

The Madrasa Early Childhood Programme (MECP), an affiliate of the Aga Khan Foundation, was established in East Africa in the 1980s to improve access and quality of Early Childhood care and services in marginalized communities on the Coast of Kenya, Zanzibar and Uganda. As a locally rooted entity with an entirely local staff, MECP has been a driving force in championing affordable, high-quality Early Childhood Development (ECD) programs for the past four decades.
MECP works with key stakeholders to deliver (ECD) interventions for children ages 0-8. MECPs have been working closely with governments to enhance delivery of quality ECD interventions focusing on supporting front-line education and health workers and influencing ECD policy and practice, including quality teacher training. To date, MECP has trained over 8,000 teachers and reached over 1 million children. MECP’s technical proficiency spans across various domains, including teacher capacity development, curriculum design, community engagement, and program evaluation. Graduates of MECP have successfully and consistently transitioned to higher levels of education, and over 10,000 have gained employment as ECD teachers, head teachers, caregivers, and community development workers.