Title: Senior Associate, Finance
Location: Nairobi, Kenya
Grade: 5/0
Gross salary: 165,088       
Supervisor: Manager, Finance

About RefugePoint

WHO WE ARE

Founded in 2005, RefugePoint partners with refugees to access life-changing solutions and transform how the world supports them. For those who can safely remain in the country to which they have fled, we help them reach stability and work towards self-reliance so they can meet their own needs. Unfortunately, many refugees can’t go home and can’t safely stay in the country to which they have fled. We help these people relocate to a safe, new country through resettlement or other pathways so they can begin rebuilding their lives. RefugePoint helps refugees access these solutions using three tactics: direct services, field building, and systems change. Through this three-pronged approach, we provide direct services to thousands of refugees each year, strengthen the capacity of other organizations to serve refugees better, and influence global policy and practice to transform refugee response systems.

Lasting solutions work. Directly, we’ve referred over 188,757 refugees for resettlement or other pathways to a safe, third country. We’ve also equipped thousands of refugees with the tools to support themselves and their families in the country to which they’ve fled. Through innovation, collaboration, and influence, we've helped lead the sector in expanding long-lasting, refugee-centered solutions and instigated major sea changes in global practice.

You will be joining a growing organization (115+ staff globally) that is spearheading new initiatives that are changing the face of humanitarian response, and we would be excited to have you as part of our team!

OUR VALUES
RefugePoint has core, cross-cutting principles and values that define our work:

• Refugee-Centered: We create space for and elevate refugee voices and leadership within the organization to guide our work.

• Anti-Racist & Anti-Colonial: Recognizing that racism, colonialism, and global white supremacy culture have caused many of the inequities driving the world’s refugee situations, we seek to integrate and center anti-racist and anti-colonialist principles in all that we do.

• Equity-Focused: We deliver services, build capacity, and influence policies and systems to strengthen equity in the humanitarian sector.

• Trauma-Informed: We integrate a trauma-informed approach and offer mental health and psycho-social support services to clients and staff.

• Evidence-Informed Practice: We use an evidence-informed approach to practice, i.e., the integration of research evidence alongside practitioner expertise and the people experiencing the practice.

• Collaborative: The urgency of need and the magnitude of the problem requires shared responsibility and shared action. We seek opportunities to engage in networks and partnerships.

Position Summary

The Senior Finance Associate provides day-to-day operational support to RefugePoint’s finance function by initiating the processing of routine transactions, maintaining accurate records, and preparing documentation and schedules for review by the Senior Finance Associate/Finance Manager. The role backstops senior finance staff to ensure timely, complete, and well-documented financial activities in line with RefugePoint policies, donor requirements, and applicable statutory regulations.

Key Responsibilities

Payment Processing (Zoho) & Accounts Payable

• Process the unit’s payments to vendors by submitting expense reports in Zoho and performing first-level reviews to ensure transactions are accurate, fully supported, properly authorized, contain correct vendor details, and that withholding tax or any other applicable taxes are applied. Verify that all required procurement documentation (e.g., budget holder approvals, quotations, contracts/POs where applicable) is attached, flag gaps, follow up with requestors on required corrections, and escalate exceptions to the Manager, Finance, where necessary.
• Review petty cash-related ERs and PRs submitted in Zoho for completeness, accuracy, proper authorization, supporting documentation, and eTIMS compliance, advise staff on any required corrections, and reimburse them in Zoho Expense once the Senior Associate, Finance, has confirmed payment, thereby completing the petty cash payment cycle.
• Accurately transfer data from approved ERs and PRs in Zoho to the petty cash payments tracker on a daily basis and invite the Manager, Finance, to perform quality checks.
• Maintain the vendor payment tracker and the VAT and withholding tax schedules, ensuring that invoices, payment requests, and related records are up to date and that payments are properly recorded.
• Share proof of payment and withholding certificates with the respective vendors and staff members.
• Backstop the Senior Associate, Finance, in petty cash processes where required, including handling client cash assistance payments and verifying supporting documents in accordance with the petty cash management SOP.
• Support float management by providing timely information on upcoming cash payment requests and commitments to facilitate cash planning and forecasting.

Bookkeeping (Petty Cash Focus)

• Accurate and timely posting of all Petty Cash-related payment transactions in Accounting Software. This should be done continuously to ensure that records are always up to date.
• Ensuring that Petty Cash expenses are coded to the correct accounts and cost centers before posting.
• Maintaining and updating the petty cash records in the QB cashbook, promptly recording all receipts, payments, and transfers.

Petty Cash Handling       

• Backstopping for the Senior Associate, Finance, in bank processes where applicable: including handling transfer of payments from Zoho to the bank payment tracker,, verifying supporting documents, and updating thebank tracker.
• Supporting cash flow initiatives by providing timely information on upcoming bank payment requests and commitments to support cash planning and forecasting.

Statutory & Regulatory Compliance

• Support timely submission and/or payment of other statutory obligations as assigned (e.g., licenses, permits, levies), and maintain an up-to-date compliance tracker.

Financial Audits

• Assist with reconciling accounts receivable and accounts payable in preparation for the annual audit, ensuring reconciling items are explained and supported.
• Reviewing documentation of ERs/PRs in Zoho to ensure they are complete, accurate, properly approved, and fully supported (invoices, receipts, PR/PO, GRN, and any required justifications).
• Prepare petty cash certificates for the year in both USD and KES and compile the supporting schedules and vouchers for audit review.
• Ensuring statutory payments filing for the year is complete, up to date, and audit-ready, with all evidence available (returns, acknowledgments, payment slips, and reconciliations where applicable)
• Assist in retrieving documentation requested by auditors and maintain an audit request tracker to ensure timely responses and complete closure of open items.
• Supporting the preparation of third-party confirmations (vendors, customers, banks) and filing of responses/evidence, as required by the audit plan.

Records Management, Documentation & Filing

• File processed financial documents (physical and/or electronic) in a consistent, chronological, and easily retrievable manner, ensuring each transaction has a complete audit trail.
• Liaise with the Manager, Administration, to ensure that all Proofs of payment from S2B are renamed before alerting the Senior Associate, Finance, for reimbursement in Zoho Expense.
• Archive and store files and other documents in compliance with statutory and organizational retention requirements, supporting secure storage and timely retrieval for reporting and audits.
• Maintain the confidentiality of sensitive financial and personal data by applying appropriate access controls and data protection practices.
• Ensuring that all statutory receipts, where applicable, have been collected upon submission of proof of payment

Petty Cash Handling       

• Backstopping for the Senior Associate, Finance, in petty cash processes where applicable: including handling clients’ cash assistance payments, verifying supporting documents, and updating the petty cash tracker in line with the petty cash management SOP.
• Supporting float management by providing timely information on upcoming cash payment requests and commitments to support cash planning and forecasting

General, Audit Support & Continuous Improvement

• Support internal and external audits by retrieving supporting documentation, responding to audit queries in coordination with senior finance staff, and tracking requested items to completion.
• Provide operational finance support and back-up coverage for assigned processes (e.g., payments, compliance submissions) during team absences, as directed by the supervisor.
• Support sensitization of non-finance staff on financial processes, documentation standards, and internal controls to strengthen compliance and efficiency.

Additional tasks as assigned

• Process statutory and personal payroll deductions and other assigned statutory obligations (e.g., licenses, permits, levies), ensuring timely payment and maintaining an up-to-date compliance tracker.
• Generate statutory e-slips and prepare withholding VAT and withholding tax schedules for submission to the Manager, Finance, for iTax upload; follow up on the processing of related payments through the S2B platform.
• Continuously monitor and recommend improvements to internal controls to strengthen compliance and operational effectiveness.
• Provide backstop support to the Manager, Finance, during periods of absence to ensure continuity of finance operations.

• Must be a CPA finalist;
• A degree in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration, or any other related field; is an added advantage;
• Proficiency in Accounting packages, especially QuickBooks;
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, especially Excel, and Word;
• Solid understanding of basic bookkeeping and accounting principles;
• Two years of relevant experience in a not-for-profit working environment;
• Strong understanding of Kenyan tax, PBO and labor laws;
• Relevant knowledge of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), internal control procedures, and financial management;
• Excellent English and Kiswahili speaking and writing skills;

Desired Qualifications

• Ability to work in a multicultural environment;
• High integrity and dependability;
• Analytical and critical thinking skills; 
• Social competence skills, diplomacy, and a team worker;  
• Ability to deal with conflict situations;
• Self-motivated and able to work with a high degree of autonomy;
• Enthusiasm for and dedication to working with vulnerable populations.

Mandatory Requirements

• Current Police Clearance Certificate.