Finance Internship

The African Economic Research Consortium (AERC) are currently seeking a Finance Intern to support our Finance and Program divisions. This internship offers hands-on experience in processing financial transactions, maintaining accounts in Microsoft Dynamics Navision, and ensuring financial control across various activities. If you possess a strong academic background, excellent analytical skills, and a passion for finance, we encourage you to apply now and contribute to AERC’s mission of shaping economic policies in Africa!

Background

Established in 1988, African Economic Research Consortium is a premier capacity building institution in the advancement of research and training to inform economic policies in sub-Saharan Africa. AERC’s mission rests on two premises: first, that development is more likely to occur where there is sustained sound management of the economy; second, that such management is more likely to happen where there is an active, well-informed cohort of locally based professional economists to conduct policy-relevant research. AERC builds this cohort through a programme that has three primary components: research, training, and policy outreach. The organization integrates high quality economic policy research, postgraduate training, and policy outreach within a vast network of researchers, universities, and policy makers across Africa and beyond.

Internship – Finance

As part of learning and skills development, the day-to-day roles of the intern will involve supporting the accurate and compliant processing of financial transactions. The intern will support both the Finance and program divisions to maintain proper accounts in the financial accounting system (Microsoft Dynamics Navision) and applying financial control measures in the various transactions.

Duties & Responsibilities

Finance Operations 

• Assist in processing trade vendor invoices, accrual entries and reconciliations.
• Assist in verifying accuracy of transactions entered into the accounting system
• Assist in preparing payments to service providers, deductions and to staff payments.
• Assist in preparation of audit schedules and providing information to the auditors.
• Ensuring compliance with organizational policies and procedures
• Ensure proper files are maintained to support all transactions processed in EDMS

Grants processing and Monitoring 

• Assist in preparing grant letters to grantees and ensure they are sent to the grantee.
• Assist in verifying and certifying the accounting and financial reports from grantees in accordance with grant terms and conditions.
• Assist in maintaining an accurate and up to date record/account of all grants awarded, disbursed and payable by the Programmes.
• Ensuring compliance with donor requirements on use of donor funds.

Travel, Workshops and meetings 

• Assist in workshop disbursements to service providers, per-diem payments, refunds, payment to hotel bills and accounting for the same.
• Assist in processing travel advances taken by staff, verification of the accounting process, ensuring accuracy of the supporting documents.
• Undertake any other duties as may be directed.

Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelors’ degree in Business Administration or other relevant discipline
• Masters’ Degree (MBA) or equivalent may be an added advantage.
• Ability to work with computerized accounting systems
• Strong Financial management, problem solving and analytical skills
• Good interpersonal skills
• Good team player
• Ability to work independently
• Strong integrity and ability to maintain confidentiality
• Ability to work under pressure and meet deadline.