Operation Officer – Kenya

Work Context

CESVI is an Italian humanitarian and development organisation with a regional coordination office in Nairobi. In Kenya, CESVI combines emergency response and long-term development through food security and livelihoods, protection, WASH, circular economy and disaster risk reduction, working with communities, local authorities and partner organisations.

CESVI works across emergency response and development, focusing on food security and agricultural livelihoods, protection, WASH, circular economy and disaster risk reduction. Its current interventions cover Garissa and Tana River counties through PROGRESA; Nakuru and Kilifi counties through AGRIPACT; and school and community WASH activities in Tharaka Nithi and Makueni counties through the ENI project. Activities are implemented in collaboration with county authorities, local organisations, cooperatives and communities.

Job Description

Job summary:

Ensure effective financial administration, accounting, procurement and logistics support for CESVI’s activities. Work with the Project Manager, Country Administrator and logistics teams to maintain accurate records, compliant expenditure, timely procurement and reliable field operations in Kenya.

1. PROCUREMENT AND SUPPLY CHAIN

• Review and update project’s procurement plan and track requests, tenders, quotations, evaluation records, purchase orders and delivery schedules.
• Conduct supplier mapping and market surveys, collect comparable quotations and support transparent supplier assessments and procurement risk mitigation.
• Coordinate technical specifications and acceptance criteria with project staff.
• Prepare supplier and service contracts for authorized review and signature. Monitor performance, deliveries, warranties, and maintenance arrangements.
• Verify delivery of documentation with technical staff and maintain complete procurement and distribution records, including beneficiary handover and asset-ownership documentation.
• Respect delegated approval limits and segregation of duties.

2. LOGISTICS AND FIELD OPERATIONS

• Coordinate travel, accommodation, transport and training logistics for field activities, partner meetings and monitoring visits.
• Maintain stock and asset registers, movement records, and monthly stock reports. Organize physical checks and document discrepancies.
• Oversee assigned vehicles or transport services, maintaining records of rentals, fuel, servicing, repairs and use.
• Support shared-office arrangements in Garissa, Nakuru and Kilifi and Nairobi office requirements, coordinating leases, utilities, communications, supplies and maintenance within approved budgets.
• Provide day-to-day guidance to assigned support personnel or service providers, according to the approved staffing structure.
• Support implementation of CESVI security procedures, communication and contingency arrangements under the Head of Mission or designated security focal point. Report incidents and assist emergency movements when instructed.

3. FINANCIAL ADMINISTRATION AND ACCOUNTING

• Manage assigned cash and bank records and prepare monthly reconciliations, submitting them for independent review and approval.
• Maintain programme accounting and complete supporting files. Check expenditure eligibility, coding, documentation and approvals against CESVI, donor and partnership requirements.
• Prepare financial forecasts, cash requests, expenditure projections, and budget-monitoring updates with the Project Manager and Country Administrator.
• Prepare and upload accounting data weekly into the designated system. Track staff advances, petty cash and timely liquidation, resolving missing documents with responsible staff.
• Support interim and final financial reports, audit preparation and follow-up of financial queries. Maintain a clear audit trail and secure records.
• Prepare payroll inputs, timesheets, employment-cost documentation and supplier payment files, coordinating with administration on applicable Kenyan requirements, including submitting of local tax returns and statutory deductions.
• Close the cash account every month, physical counting, printing of reconciliation documents, checking of supporting documents as well as occasional surprise cash counts.
• File invoices according to accounting procedures
• Assist in documents preparation during audit

4. HUMAN RESOURCE

Participate in managing the national staff and ensuring administrative follow-up of the files.

• Check contract dates for Kenyan staff and inform the Country Admin and Head of mission of their expiry date;
• Keep the individual files up-to-date for Kenyan staff and selected Somalia staff
• Check that the procedures regarding recruitment and contract terminations are followed for Kenyan Staff
• Offer guidelines on the preparation of new employment contracts for Kenyan staff according to the HR manual and approved Salary Grid and final drafting of the final version of the contract
• Follow up the annual appraisals of Kenyan staff and ensure that all staff involved in the appraisal schedule it properly and respect the deadlines.
• Updating the database for Kenyan salary payroll and sharing with Regional Administrator for validation before payment
• Ensure that all the due taxes are regularly calculated and remitted.

Contribute to exchanging information and respecting the HR procedures In Kenya.

• Actively participate during meetings organised with national employees on the HR rules and procedures;
• Formal communication to staff on HR related updates (Holidays, closure of office)
• Inform new Nairobi’s employees of the internal rules; ensure that the base administrator provide the same information at base level

Participate in evaluating and organizing the work.

• Implement recruitment procedures; ensure that all the proper authorization has been requested, and that the proper format has been used, as well that the Job description are coherent with Cesvi standards and PMs needs for Staff recruited in Kenya
• Participate in the recruitment of junior national staff in Nairobi

Participate in careers and staff mobility management.

• Support the Line managers in the organization of annual appraisal meetings and analyse the grids;
• Train the managers in the use of HR tools;
• Facilitate the process of staff promotion;

Work on the Kenyan Office human resources administratively:

• Prepare identity cards for new employees;
• Sort all documents in the domestic employees’ individual files and check that all files are complete.

5. COORDINATION AND REPORTING

• Coordinate operational needs with the Project Manager, Country Administrator, Project technical staff, HQ support teams and projects’ partners.
• Prepare weekly operational updates and monthly finance, procurement, stock and fleet reports, flagging risks, delays, and proposed corrective actions.
• Train staff on administrative documentation, procurement requests, advance liquidation and stock or asset recording systems.
• Follow CESVI safeguarding, PSEA, anti-fraud, conflict-of-interest and confidentiality policies, and perform related duties assigned within the role’s competence.

Essential requirements

• Bachelors degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, Supply Chain Management, Procurement or a related discipline, obtained at least three years ago, in line with the source role requirements.
• At least two years of relevant experience in a similar combined administration and logistics role within a corporate environment, an NGO, UN agency or comparable international organisation.
• Practical experience in accounting, cash/ bank reconciliation, financial documentation, procurement, stock or asset management and budget monitoring.
• Knowledge of donor-funded procurement and financial compliance, with the ability to apply CESVI procedures and approved partnership arrangements.
• Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and ability to prioritize tasks and meet deadlines under pressure.
• Strong communication, negotiation, and problem-solving skills, with professional and diplomatic stakeholder engagement.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, particularly Excel, and experience using accounting or administrative systems.
• Fluent written and spoken English and Kiswahili. Willingness to travel regularly to projects implementation areas

Other requirements

• Experience with AICS-funded projects or multi-partner programmes is an added advantage.
• CPA, ACCA, CIPS or another relevant professional certification.
• Experience with Kenyan employment-cost documentation, supplier administration and shared field offices.
• Experience supporting agricultural, cooperative or circular economy programmes.

Safeguarding

CESVI has a zero-tolerance approach to any harm to, or exploitation of, a child or a vulnerable adult by any of our staff, related persons or partners.
CESVI commitment to being a safe organization begins with the staff recruitment process which includes meticulous checks, such as criminal records checks or check disclosure of previous convictions, to ensure children and vulnerable people are safeguarded and abuse is prevented. Safeguarding checks are part of the selection process performance.

For further information regarding CESVI policies:  https://www.cesvi.eu/who-we-are/transparency/our-policies/

How to apply

Persons qualified for this position are invited to submit their CVs (including 3 referees) and COVER LETTER ONLY to CESVI to the e-mail address:  recruitment.nairobi@cesvioverseas.org

Please quote the Position in the subject line of your e-mail application. Please do not apply twice, applicants should not attach certificates at this stage. Inquiries by phone o r e-mail will not be entertained.

This position is only open to  Kenya Nationals,  who must be eligible to live and work in Kenya. More information about CESVI can be found on cesvi.com.

Female candidates are encouraged to apply.

Please note:

The closing date for applications is 14/11/2026 midnight EAT. However, Cesvi reserves the right to close the vacancy before the above-mentioned date in case a large number of applications is received. Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.