Construction Project Assistant (Payments, Budgeting & Reporting) Job in Kenya - Bridge International Academies

Construction Project Assistant – Payments, Budgeting & Reporting

Location: Nairobi, Kenya

Position: 1

About Bridge International Academies

Bridge International Academies is a for-profit startup company revolutionizing education across Africa with a unique business model. The company runs a large-scale network of low-cost primary schools in Kenya that significantly outperforms other primary schools in the same areas because of our "school in a box" systems.

Our schools profitably deliver this high-quality education for less than $4 per child per month, which enable the schools to cover all their costs and create a profitable central organization at scale. We have launched 37 schools in Kenya, will double in size in the next 6 months, and plan to rapidly scale the company to serve more than 1 million students across continent

About this position

Bridge International Academies is looking for a Construction Project Assistant who will be responsible for providing efficient services in monitoring payment requirements and facilitating timely and coherent payments processing for multiple construction projects.

Ability to deal with hands on issues as well as participate in helpful discussions that would lead to significant improvement of payment processes will be key to success in this position. This is a key position within the construction department with regular consultation with staff in the finance department.

Responsibilities of the Construction Project Assistant- Payments, Budgets and reporting

Collate payments documentation from all construction site supervisors, review these with supervisors and ensure all required steps and attachments are complied with
Prepare weekly payments projections for approval by head of construction and head of finance
Generate and keep track of payment certificates to ensure only completed work, delivered and certified materials and approved documents are submitted for payment.
Work closely with construction supervisors and head of department to improve day to day management of payments documentation and procedures
Follow up with finance to ensure payments for materials and labour contractors are made in a timely manner and records update promptly in the financial system
Reconcile payments to project budgets and supplier accounts and make notes for corrective actions and process improvement
Make occasional field visits together with construction teams to observe processes, ascertain work done and gain knowledge to enhance the entire finance value chain around construction processes in the company
Assist construction department to come up with construction and cash flow budgets and monitor actual performance against the agreed budgets and cash flows
Prepare weekly reports on work flow versus payments to ensure visibility and quick resolution of payment delays or problems that could compromise timely construction completion
Prepare monthly financial reports for review with head of construction and head of finance
Initiate process improvement initiatives for review with head of construction and head of finance especially around filing, process clarity, feedback and financial analysis
Assist in external and internal audit of construction payment cycles and routines
Assist in departmental budgeting and analysis
Any other duties that may be delegated to you by the head of construction

About You

2-3 years experience in a busy accounting environment with extensive experience in payment processing for multiple suppliers and contractors
Exposure within a construction/project environment is essential
Hands on skills in preparation of cashflows, budgets and financial reports for senior management
Energetic and confident person with ability to work consistently with minimal supervision while producing high quality work and resolving payment issues effectively and in a timely manner
Good skills with computer applications especially excel and word applications
Basic to good working knowledge of Microsoft Dynamics (Navision ERP) or any other accounting software will be helpful
Ability to work with construction and project staff and guiding them on payment issues
Must possess good secondary education and intermediate accounting qualifications-CPA 2 or equivalent
Must be an honest and ethical person with good references from previous employers
Good written and verbal communication skills. Proficiency in spoken Swahili will be an advantage
Good time management and planning skills
Ability to meet deadlines consistently.

Reporting structure

The position reports to the head of construction with a dotted line to Head of Finance.

You can apply and view detailed job requisitions on the Careers page at

www.bridgeinternationalacademies.com