Risk & Compliance Officer (REF: ACT/RCO/15/2018), Act Change Transform

Act Change Transform (Act!) is a local Non-Governmental Organization whose mission is to facilitate the empowerment of marginalized people and communities in Kenya and neighboring countries, to become active participants in their development by enabling them to: stand up for their rights; demand good governance in the management of resources; and participate in decision making processes. Act! does this through implementing partners, offering them capacity development, management of grants so that value for money is achieved and providing strategic leadership in national advocacy for the benefit of women, youth, people with disabilities and other marginalized communities.

Our staff include experts in Finance, Human Resource, Environment and Natural Resources Management, Capacity Development, Civil Society, Peace Building and Conflict Transformation, Democracy, Governance and Human Rights, Gender, Youth, Research and Technology; creating a unique mix of capabilities to address today’s interrelated development challenges in Kenya and beyond. Act! serves more than 20 Counties through local collaborations and partnerships with Kenyan Civil Society Organizations and other State and Non State Actors.

Thus, to continually assess and strengthen adherence to established policies, procedures and standards in order to ensure compliance with National Policies and Laws, Donor Rules and Regulations as well as Act! Organizational Policies and Procedures within the organization, we are seeking the services of a qualified person to lead our risk and compliance work. The person will serve in the position of Risk and Compliance Officer, to be located at our head office in Nairobi, with frequent travel to branch and program sites across the country.

Position Purpose

Under general direction of the Board Committee on Finance and Audit, and in close collaboration with the Chief Executive Officer and the Senior Management Team of Act!, the Risk and Compliance Officer will be the primary staff in the risk and compliance management unit. Other organizational governance duties may include but not limited to Internal Audit, Enterprise Risk Management, and Ethics Program, as well as monitoring registrations for compliance.

Primary Responsibilities

Specifically, the Officer will be responsible for but not limited to:

  • Review and evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of operations, adequacy of internal controls, reliability of financial reporting, compliance and applicable laws and the safeguard of assets within Act!.
  • Plan, perform and report back on internal audits to ensure that financial controls of Act! financial guidelines of donor organizations and other institutional control procedures in place are properly implemented and managed.
  • Advise and monitor quality standards and value for money and make recommendations for improvement.
  • Test internal controls, targeting particular high risk areas, document any weaknesses and their impact, and make recommendations to address these weaknesses.
  • Develop and periodically review and update Standards of Conduct to ensure continuing currency and relevance in providing guidance to management and employees.
  • Carry out necessary training of finance and non-finance staff to ensure that donor requirements are met.
  • Follow up on the implementation of external audit recommendations and management actions.
  • Where necessary, carry out investigations of alleged fraud, mismanagement, loss of assets or any other investigations; generate appropriate reports with findings and recommendations for action by management and board.
  • Respond to management queries in relation to Act! Internal control environment.
  • Review and investigate whistleblower reports or other suspicions of fraud as they arise and conduct fraud investigations.
  • For each incident, identify total loss exposure, recommend corrective actions and liaise with Act! Finance and Operations and the Act! Chief Executive Offices on reporting to donors and other parties.
  • Implement and manage Act!’s anti-fraud and “Whistleblower” programs and other incident results analysis applications as needed.
  • Perform other related duties as assigned and agreed upon with the board committee on Finance & Audit, and the Chief Executive Officer.

Qualification, Experience and Skills

Academic Qualifications:

  • BS/BA degree in Accounting, Finance and Business Administration or its recognized equivalent, and 5 years’ relevant experience working with or in a development organization may be an added advantage.
  • Candidates with postgraduate academic qualifications i.e. MS/MA degree in Accounting, Finance and Business Administration or its recognized equivalent, and a minimum of 3 years’ relevant experience will also be considered.

Professional Qualifications:

Must possess full CPA, ACCA, CIMA or CA (SA) professional certifications and have valid membership to the relevant professional accountants’ association.

Relevant Experience:

  • Must have a minimum of 3 years’ experience in internal control functions.
  • Familiarity with Donor (USAID, EU, DANIDA etc.) rules and regulations or other client funded programs, contracting and auditing standards as they apply to effective management of multi-year funds is a must.

Essential Skills and Competencies:

  • Excellent analytical skills to successfully perform reviews and other quantitative analyses.
  • Familiarity with major donors’ auditing requirements.
  • Ability to independently prioritize and successfully perform assigned tasks.
  • Excellent written and oral communications skills.
  • Highly proficient in MS Office, spreadsheets and database skills.
  • Demonstrated personal initiative and integrity by adhering to the organizational values and code of conduct.
HOW TO APPLY:

If you meet the requirements as contained in the position description, please submit (1) a detailed and current CV; (2) an Application Cover Letter demonstrating why you qualify for the position, quoting your current/last gross salary and three referees including their most current contact details. All applications should be submitted electronically to [email protected] quoting the reference number (ACT/RCO/15/2018) and position.** Only candidates shortlisted for interviews will be contacted.

Deadline for applications submission is 12:00 noon Friday 31st August, 2018.

Act! is an equal opportunity employer with zero tolerance to corruption.