The Principal Accountant role is a senior position at the Warehouse Receipt System Council (WRSC), a State Corporation established under the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries, and Cooperatives by the Warehouse Receipt System Act No. 8 of 2019. The successful candidate will be responsible for overseeing and managing critical accounting, financial control, reporting, and budgeting functions within the organization. This position requires a seasoned professional to ensure strict adherence to financial rules and regulations, accurate financial record-keeping, and timely preparation of comprehensive financial reports and budgets.
Key Duties and Responsibilities
Accounting & Financial Control
- Verifying payment vouchers and committal documents in accordance with laid down financial rules and regulations.
- Processing payments, imprest, travel advances, and appropriation in aid returns.
- Receiving Cash, banking, balancing, and reconciling cash books on a daily basis.
- Verifying bank reconciliation statements, statutory deductions payments, and receipting of all monies due and payable to the Council.
- Preparing and maintaining accurate prepayments, accruals, and provision schedules.
- Validating personal and merchant claims guided by cash balances in the cash books in line with the National Treasury circular and guidelines.
- Applying sound accounts principles, systems, and techniques in accounting for finances, assets, revenue, expenditure, and costs.
- Accounting for special funds, programmes, and projects funds.
Reporting & Budgeting
- Monitoring revenue collection and expenditures based on approved budgets.
- Analysing payments and carrying out data analysis to support the preparation of accounting reports.
- Preparing financial statements and reports of the Council.
- Prioritizing of programs and activities for results based allocation of resources.
- Evaluating and scrutinizing expenditure proposals.
- Compiling information required in the budgetary process.
- Processing medium term expenditure and revised estimates budget.
- Monitoring commitments on expenditures for recurrent, development, and donor funds.
- Preparing budgets for the recurrent and development votes.
- Preparing quarterly financial expenditure forecasts and reports.
- Initiating proposals seeking funds for additional expenditure and re-allocation of funds.
- Ensuring timely disbursement of funds and monitoring expenditures on projects and programmes.
Person Specifications
Mandatory Requirements:
- Must have served for a cumulative nine (9) years, three (3) of which must have been in the grade of Senior Accountant, or an equivalent position in a comparable organization.
- Bachelor degree in any of the following disciplines: Commerce (Accounting or Finance option), Finance, Business Management (Accounting or Finance option), or a relevant equivalent degree from a recognized institution.
- Certificate in Management Course from a recognized institution.
- Certified Public Accountants Kenya (CPA-K) or equivalent qualification from a recognized institution.
- Must be a Member of ICPAK and in good standing.
- Must be Proficient in Computer Applications.
- Must have shown merit and ability as reflected in work performance and results.
