Assistant Accountant

Job Title: Assistant Accountant

Reports to: Head of Finance

1. Job Purpose

To support the financial operations of the organization by ensuring accurate financial reporting, payroll integrity, statutory compliance, and efficient financial administration across both internal operations and outsourced client accounts. The Assistant Accountant plays a critical role in maintaining financial accuracy, supporting audits, and providing timely financial insights to aid decision-making.

 2. Key Responsibilities

A. Payroll Management & Client Payroll Delivery

• Process end-to-end payroll for internal staff and outsourced client accounts.
• Compute and validate salaries, overtime, bonuses, commissions, and statutory deductions (PAYE, NSSF, SHIF, Housing Levy).
• Generate payslips, payroll summaries, variance, and reconciliation reports.
• Reconcile payroll data against contracts, attendance, and approvals.
• Address payroll queries and maintain payroll records within HRIS and accounting systems.

B. Statutory Compliance & Filings

• Prepare and submit statutory returns (PAYE, NSSF, SHIF, Housing Levy).
• Ensure timely remittance and compliance with Kenyan regulatory requirements.
• Maintain statutory schedules and reconciliation reports.
• Liaise with regulatory bodies and support statutory audits.

C. Bookkeeping & Financial Records Management

• Maintain accurate books of accounts for internal and client entities.
• Record financial transactions (income, expenses, accruals, prepayments).
• Perform bank and ledger reconciliations.
• Support preparation of profit & loss statements, cash flow reports, and balance sheets.

D. Petty Cash & Expense Management

• Manage petty cash float and ensure accountability.
• Verify and process expense claims in line with policy.
• Maintain petty cash register and conduct periodic reconciliations.

E. Accounts Payable & Receivable

• Process supplier invoices and manage payment schedules.
• Prepare and issue client invoices for payroll, HR outsourcing, training, and consultancy services.
• Track receivables, follow up on outstanding balances, and maintain aging analysis.

F. Financial Support for Outsourcing Operations

• Support costing models for outsourced workforce engagements.
• Assist in payroll budgets, workforce cost analysis, and client billing schedules.
• Validate payroll-related contract terms and support onboarding of new employees.

G. Financial Systems & Process Efficiency

• Support implementation and optimization of finance and HR systems.
• Ensure data integrity between payroll, HRIS, and accounting platforms.
• Identify opportunities to improve payroll efficiency, reporting accuracy, and cost control.

H. Audit, Compliance & Risk Management

• Support internal and external audit processes.
• Maintain complete audit trails for all financial transactions.
• Identify and escalate discrepancies or financial risks.

I. Administrative & Operational Support

• Provide financial inputs for proposals and client engagements.
• Assist in budgeting for training programs, projects, and events.
• Maintain strict confidentiality of financial and payroll information.

 Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• Payroll accuracy (≤ 1% error rate).
• Payroll timeliness (100% processed within agreed timelines).
• Statutory compliance (100% on-time submissions).
• Financial accuracy (zero unresolved reconciliation variances).
• Receivables management (DSO ≤ 30 days).
• Expense control (budget variance ≤ 5%).
• Audit compliance (minimal/zero major issues).
• Client service (≥ 90% satisfaction).
• System utilization (100% adoption of HRIS/accounting systems).

3. Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, Finance, or related field.
• CPA (Part II or above) or equivalent qualification.
• 2–4 years’ experience in accounting and payroll management.
• Experience handling multi-client or outsourced payroll environments preferred.
• Proficiency in accounting systems, Excel, and HRIS (e.g., PiPO).
• Excellent attention to detail, integrity, and confidentiality.
• Strong time management, analytical thinking, and client-oriented approach.

4. Skills and Competencies

• Financial management and reporting expertise.
• Payroll and statutory compliance knowledge.
• Bookkeeping and reconciliation skills.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.
• Effective collaboration and stakeholder communication.
• High integrity and commitment to accuracy.
• Proficiency in financial systems and process improvement.