How to Apply: Interested and qualified? Go to The Science for Africa Foundation on scienceforafrica.foundation to apply.
Show You Can Own the Close and the Audit Trail
This role sits at the heart of financial integrity — the hiring panel will probe how you've handled month-end closes, audit coordination, and statutory filings under pressure. Your CV and interview answers need to show you can keep a general ledger clean and defend every number.
1. Lead with your close experience: In your CV and interview, walk through a specific month-end or year-end close you led. Mention the size of the ledger, the team you coordinated, and how you ensured every reconciliation tied out. Hiring managers want to see you can own the process end-to-end, not just participate.
2. Prove your audit coordination chops: Be ready to describe how you've prepared audit schedules, responded to auditor queries, and tracked management actions. Give a concrete example of a tricky audit finding you helped resolve — that shows you can protect the Foundation's assurance posture.
3. Show statutory compliance fluency: This role demands up-to-date knowledge of tax and regulatory filings. Highlight your experience with VAT, PAYE, and other statutory returns, and mention any time you liaised with authorities like KRA. If you've handled changes in legislation, say so.
4. Demonstrate ERP mastery: The posting asks for ERP experience — name the systems you've used (e.g., SAP, Oracle, QuickBooks) and how you've used them to strengthen controls. If you've automated a process, describe the before and after.
5. Talk about internal controls in action: Don't just say you know controls — give an example of a control weakness you identified and the fix you recommended. That shows you're not just a bookkeeper but a guardian of financial integrity.
6. Prepare for donor-funding questions: If you have experience with donor-funded projects, highlight it. Even if not, be ready to discuss how you'd handle grant accounting, restricted funds, and donor reporting — the Foundation's work depends on it.
7. Show your stakeholder management side: This role supports budget holders and responds to queries across the organization. Prepare a story about a time you explained a complex financial issue to a non-finance colleague and helped them make a better decision.
8. Emphasize integrity and accountability: The Foundation values these traits highly. In your answers, show you take ownership of errors, follow through on commitments, and maintain confidentiality. A simple example of a time you flagged a mistake you made — and fixed it — can go a long way.