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Burhani Engineers Ltd
Projects Accountant
Nairobi • Kenya
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Burhani Engineers LtdProfession (Engineering, architecture)
Industry (Project, program management)
Agriculture, fishing, forestry,Banking, microfinance, insurance,Computers, software development and services,Construction, renovation, maintenance,Consulting, business support, auditing,Data/Research,Education, academic,Energy, utilities, environment,Engineering, architecture,Financial Services,Governmental,Health care, medical,Housekeeping, maintenance,Manufacturing,Non-profit, social work,Raw materials, oil, chemicals,Telecommunications,
Seniority (Project, program management, Engineering, architecture)
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Burhani Engineers Ltd
Engineering + 1 more
Description
Academic Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Commerce, or a related field from a recognised university.
Professional Experience
- Minimum 6 years’ progressive experience in project accounting, cost accounting, or financial management.
- At least 3 years’ direct experience in the construction, civil engineering, or infrastructure contracting sector in Kenya or East Africa is strongly preferred.
- Demonstrated experience managing multi-project financial portfolios with an aggregate value of KES 500M+ is an added advantage.
Responsibilities
Project Budgeting & Financial Planning
- Lead the preparation, implementation, and ongoing monitoring of project-specific budgets aligned to Bills of Quantities (BoQs), contract values, and project programmes.
- Develop rolling financial forecasts (monthly/quarterly) incorporating scope changes, variation orders, and project progress updates.
- Maintain budget-vs-actual dashboards using Excel (advanced) or ERP/project management tools, with real-time visibility for project managers and senior leadership.
- Integrate budget data with project scheduling tools (e.g. MS Project, Primavera) to align financial and time-based project planning.
Financial Reporting & Management Accounts
- Prepare accurate, timely financial reports entailing project P&Ls, cost-to-complete (CTC) analyses and earned value reports on a monthly and ad-hoc basis.
- Produce variance analyses comparing actual costs vs. budgets and forecasts, with clear written commentary for management decisions.
- Consolidate multi-project financial data into company-wide project portfolio reports for the Head of Finance and the Management Board.
- Utilize ERP/accounting system reporting modules (SAP, Sage, QuickBooks, or equivalent) to generate structured management accounts.
- Produce KPI dashboards (utilization rates, cost burn, profitability by project, WIP schedules) using Excel pivot tables, Power BI, or equivalent BI tools.
Cost Management & Control
- Monitor and track all project expenditures including labour, materials, subcontractors, plant, and preliminaries against approved budgets in real time.
- Identify cost overruns, uncommitted costs, and budget threats early and recommend corrective action to project teams.
- Manage Work-in-Progress (WIP) accounting in line with IAS 11/IFRS 15 construction contract accounting standards.
- Process and validate interim payment certificates (IPCs), subcontractor payment applications, and supplier invoices against contract milestones.
- Support the Quantity Surveyor in valuations, re-measurements, and final account negotiations with clients and subcontractors.
- Administer contract retention calculations, release schedules, and bond tracking across all active projects.
IT Systems, Data & Digital Finance Tools
- Use ERP and project accounting software as the single source of financial truth across all projects.
- Build and maintain automated Excel models and macros (VBA/Power Query) for cost tracking, cash flow forecasting, and payroll reconciliation.
- Develop and maintain Qlik (or equivalent) dashboards for real-time project financial performance monitoring accessible to project and site teams.
- Integrate financial data from field systems (site timesheets, materials requisitions, fuel logs) into the accounting system, minimising manual data entry and error risk.
- Implement and enforce a digital document management protocol for all project financial records — contracts, IPCs, variations, purchase orders — using document management systems (e.g. SharePoint, Aconex, Procore).
- Evaluate and recommend IT improvements to financial workflows, including mobile-first tools for site-based data capture and approval workflows.
- Act as Finance Super-User for the ERP system: provide training to project staff, maintain chart of accounts integrity, and liaise with IT on system configuration and upgrades.
- Ensure cybersecurity best practices in handling financial data — including controlled system access, audit trails, and data backup protocols.
Procurement Financial Oversight
- Review and validate all procurement requests and purchase orders against approved project budgets before commitment.
- Monitor and flag uncommitted purchase orders and open GRNs that may affect project cost forecasts.
- Leverage procurement-to-pay modules within the ERP system to enforce three-way matching (PO, GRN, Invoice) before payment release.
Cash Flow Management & Treasury Support
- Prepare and maintain project-specific and consolidated cash flow forecasts, updated weekly or at programme milestones.
- Monitor client billing cycles, IPC submission schedules, and payment receipts to optimise working capital.
- Flag cash flow risks (payment delays, front-loaded expenditure) and propose mitigation actions to the Head of Finance.
- Prepare drawdown requests and financial reports for project financiers, banks, or development finance institutions where applicable.
Compliance, Statutory, & Financial Controls
- Ensure all project financial transactions comply with Kenyan financial regulations, Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) requirements, and company internal controls.
- Manage and account for withholding tax (WHT) on subcontractor and professional fee payments in line with KRA guidelines.
- Ensure timely and accurate VAT treatment on construction contracts, including reverse charge mechanisms and VAT on retention.
- Maintain a complete, auditable project file — financial records, contracts, variations, approvals — ready for internal and external audit at all times.
- Support year-end statutory audit processes including work-in-progress schedules, accruals, prepayments, and contract asset/liability reconciliations.
- Enforce segregation of duties, approval authority matrices, and financial delegation policies across project expenditure.
Projects Payroll & Labour Cost Management.
- Oversee the processing and reconciliation of site-based payroll comprising casual labourers, artisans, and plumbers, carpenters etc ensuring accuracy and compliance with Employment Act requirements.
- Reconcile labour cost allocations per project, cost centre and activity code, feeding data into project cost reports.
Cross-Functional Collaboration & Stakeholder Engagement
- Serve as the primary financial partner to Project Managers and Resident Engineers by attending project progress meetings, reviewing project programmes, and providing financial input to key decisions.
- Liaise with Quantity Surveyors on contract administration, claim preparation, and dispute resolution.
- Collaborate with the HR/Admin team on workforce cost management and benefits cost allocation to projects.
- Provide financial analysis to support contract bids, pricing reviews, and go/no-go decisions for new projects.
- Prepare financial packs and briefings for client project steering committees or joint venture governance meetings as required.
Process Improvement & Financial Governance
- Continuously identify and implement improvements in financial processes, reporting workflows, and systems integration to drive accuracy and efficiency.
- Develop and document Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for project financial management processes.
- Drive a culture of financial accountability across site and project teams through training, clear policies, and regular financial reviews.
- Prepare and present periodic financial governance reports to the Head of Finance and CFO.
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