JOB DESCRIPTION
Job Title: Finance and Audit Consultant
Reporting to: ECHO Project Manager
Location: Nairobi with potential travel to Kakuma and Dadaab
Date: September
Description
The Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) is ministry of the Society of Jesus, incorporated as an international nongovernmental organization with a mission to accompany, serve, and advocate for the rights of refugees and forcibly displaced people. The organization was founded in November 1980 and now has a presence in 57 countries. JRS undertakes services at national and regional levels with the support and guidance of an International Office (IO) in Rome. The style of JRS service is human and spiritual, working in situations of greatest need, seeking the long-term well-being of refugees and displaced people while not neglecting their immediate or urgent needs. The main services provided are in the field of education, reconciliation, livelihood activities and psychosocial support. According to the 2003 Annual Report, about 1.2 Million individuals are direct beneficiaries of JRS projects.
Entreculturas is an international cooperation NGO of the Society of Jesus in Spain that works for justice and social transformation. It advocates for education as a human right, promotes dignified living conditions for migrants and refugees, and supports global citizenship, gender equity, and environmental reconciliation.
Entreculturas carries out educational campaigns, communication initiatives, and research to raise awareness in Spanish and European society about the transformative power of education. It also engages in advocacy campaigns to hold governments accountable for their commitments to a more just world.
In humanitarian action, Entreculturas support both emergency response and rehabilitation interventions, particularly focusing on displaced and refugee populations affected by human-made and natural crises.
Operational Context/Role
In Kenya, the refugee and asylum-seeker population as of December 31, 2024, was 823,932, with 604,269 refugees and 219,663 asylum-seekers. Almost half of the refugee population in Kenya resides in Dadaab (44%), another 40% in Kakuma, and the remaining 16% in urban areas, mainly Nairobi.
In December 2023, a needs assessment was conducted in collaboration with three consortium partners: the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS), Lutheran World Federation (LWF), and Windle International Kenya (WIK). These organizations specialize in Education in Emergencies within refugee contexts. Based on this assessment, a project was designed to guarantee access to quality, safety, and inclusive education for refugee children and youth in Kakuma and Dadaab, leveraging the complementary expertise of the consortium members. The project is funded by ECHO and will run for 24 months.
Reporting to the ECHO Project Manager based in Nairobi and overseeing projects in Kakuma and Dadaab, the finance and audit consultant will be based in Nairobi with potential travel to Kakuma and Dadaab. This is a Part-Time (10-12 days in a month) five months (staggered) consultancy – with flexibility depending on the reporting deadlines and financial reviews. One month (September) before the interim report submission to close financial reports and December 2025 – March 2026 to lead the financial consolidation and audit preparation, ensuring all partner expenditures are fully reconciled and documented per ECHO standards.
Child Safeguarding and PSEA commitments
JRS has zero tolerance towards all forms of sexual exploitation and abuse and takes seriously all concerns and complaints about sexual exploitation and abuse against children and vulnerable adults by JRS personnel. JRS is committed to Safeguard children and vulnerable adults and has policies which outline the expected behaviour, code of conduct and responsibility of all persons acting on behalf of JRS (Staff, consultants, volunteers, interns, Pastoral team, and other representatives). All staff working for JRS are expected to abide by these policies and guideline.
Key Duties & Responsibilities
Responsibilities and Scope of Wok.
Financial coordination of the ECHO project
- Coordinate financial and administrative tracking with implementing partners (JRS, LWF & WIK).
- Prepare financial monitoring and final reports in collaboration with consortium partners.
- Oversee the financial operations to ensure full compliance with ECHO funding rules and guidelines, including procurement thresholds, supporting documentation, and cost eligibility. Ensure the financial reporting of JRS and other consortium funding according to the donor’s template (approximately €3M).
- Review the reports for years 1 and 2 based on the modifications submitted by the various project partners.
- Verify the eligibility of supporting documents provided by partners of the project according to a defined framework.
- Ensure the final financial report of the project follows the donor’s template and the expense lists provided by the different partners.
- Ensure the transcription of suppliers in the expense list for all three years of the project.
- Support partners in numbering supporting documents and applying the project stamp for both years of funding.
- Collaborate closely with program teams to align financial reporting with programmatic outputs, ensuring clarity in the link between expenditures and activities.
Capacity building in project and program management
- Conduct tailored training sessions and one-on-one coaching for finance and project staff on ECHO-specific financial reporting tools, eligibility rules, cost classification, and documentation standards to ensure organizational readiness for audits.
- Train and guide consortium teams on EU financial management and reporting requirements.
- Supervise financial procedures to ensure compliance with EU quality standards.
- Support the financial and administrative management of the project’s implementation teams.
- Assist in the preparation of financial reports for the EU.
- Support partners in budgeting for complementary projects linked to the EU-funded initiative.
Person Specification – Essential Requirements
Qualification
- Degree or equivalent qualification in finance, administration, or project management related to humanitarian or development projects.
- Experience in financial and administrative management of EU-funded projects.
- Minimum of two years of experience in humanitarian or development fieldwork.
- Experience in working with public and multilateral donors.
- Ability to coordinate financial management among multiple stakeholders.
- Strong organizational, communication, and problem-solving skills.
- Experience in multicultural and multidisciplinary environments.
- Flexibility, autonomy, and willingness to travel within the country.
Other Desired Skills
- Experience in institutional strengthening or working with local organizations.
- Previous work experience in ECHO projects.
- Prior engagement with Jesuit Refugee Service, Entreculturas, Fe y Alegría, or Jesuit Migrant Service.
Other Qualities
- Demonstrates integrity by modelling JRS’ values and ethical standards and acts in accordance with the JRS code of conduct.
- Advocates and promotes the vision, mission, and strategic goals of JRS.
- Displays cultural, gender, religion, race, nationality and age sensitivity and adaptability.
- A positive team player who can effectively collaborate, and who can stand alone when necessary.
- Treats all people fairly without favouritism.
Core Values
- Commitment to JRS mission, vision and values, and the ability to convey with enthusiasm JRS’s role in accompanying and serving forcibly displaced people and in advocating for their right to protection and a life in dignity.
- High integrity, honesty, and confidentiality; ability to deal tactfully and discreetly with situations, people, and information.
- Acceptance of diversity and inclusion.
- Willingness to work in flexible, sub-optimal, stressful, and unstable environments.
JRS Commitment:
JRS is committed to creating an inclusive and equitable work environment. We prohibit discrimination against any candidate or employee based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, marital status, or any other legally protected status. All hiring decisions are based on merit, qualifications, and organizational needs, and we are dedicated to fair treatment in all stages of recruitment and employment. We welcome applicants from diverse backgrounds to enrich our organization with their unique perspectives and experiences
Salary
- This is a consultancy contract
- KES 283,000 per month less stamp duty.
How to Apply:
Only short-listed candidates who meet the minimum qualification and shortlisting criteria will be contacted.
