MERCY KANGANGI
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
Nairobi
Work Preference
Work Type
Full timeContract workConsultingGig workPart timeSeasonal work
Location Preference
Remote
Minimum Desired Compensation
$36000/yr
Important To Me
Career advancementWork-life balanceFlexible work hoursPersonal development programmesHealthcare benefitsWorking remotely optionPaid time offCompany culture
2
Languages
1
Certification
9
years of professional experience
Detail-oriented finance professional with over 6 years of experience in financial operations, donor compliance, and budgeting across diverse sectors. Expertise in reviewing reports, maintaining audit-ready records, and delivering timely management insights. Skilled in ensuring accuracy throughout financial processes and collaborating with teams to uphold Kenyan statutory requirements, complemented by advanced capabilities in Excel, Power BI, and process automation.
Work History
Finance Analyst Associate
1 Year 9 Months- Supported financial management and governance across 12 country operations: budget monitoring, partner financial reviews, internal controls, and regional reporting to Country Representatives and the Bureau.
- Reviewed and verified Implementing Partner Project Financial Reports (PFRs) for accuracy, donor/UNHCR compliance, timely closure, and risk flags.
- Designed and applied data-validation checks on partner submissions to reduce non-compliance and incomplete documentation before month-end and project close.
- Monitored budget utilisation across country programmes, identified potential overruns, and recommended corrective actions to programme and finance counterparts.
- Reviewed Internal Control Assessments (ICAs), identified control weaknesses, and recommended corrective measures to enhance operational compliance.
- Consolidated monthly regional financial factsheets for 12 Country Representatives, facilitating informed resource allocation and compliance adherence.
- Conducted quality-assurance reviews of regional Power BI finance and efficiency dashboards, ensuring accuracy of KPIs utilised by senior management.
- Served as Secretariat to the Regional Bureau Organizing Committee: agendas, documentation, and tracking of agreed actions.
- East, Horn of Africa and Great Lakes (EHAGL) Region
Financial, Tax & Data Analyst Consultant
1 Year 5 Months- Reviewed and prepared corporate tax, VAT, withholding tax, and PAYE returns; provided clients with insights on Kenyan tax legislation and ensured compliance with filing deadlines.
- Prepared management reports, budgets, forecasts, and cash-flow projections; tracked variances and recommended corrective actions to enhance financial decision-making.
- Automated recurring reporting in Excel (VBA/Macros) and Power BI, cutting manual reporting effort by approximately 35%.
- Assessed internal-control environments and recommended process changes that strengthened documentation and reduced operational risk.
- Supported audit engagements by creating schedules, performing reconciliations, and addressing queries to facilitate efficient audit processes.
Finance Officer
1 Year 2 Months- Monitored multi-donor expenditure against approved grant lines, producing quarterly variance analyses and forecasts to support financial decision-making.
- Reviewed purchase orders, payment requests, supplier bid analyses, and grant expenditure for compliance with policies and donor requirements, ensuring financial integrity.
- Processed and reconciled cash requests, travel and programme advances, and per diems, ensuring comprehensive documentation for accurate financial records.
- Coordinated month-end close and timely remittance of PAYE, NHIF, NSSF, and withholding tax.
- Automated month-end reconciliation workflows for Balance Sheet and P&L accounts, maintaining IFRS/GAAP integrity.
- Trained new staff on finance policies, accounting procedures, and internal controls (process guidance, not line management).
Accounts Payables & Receivables Senior Associate
1 Year 9 Months- Managed end-to-end AR/AP processes, including invoicing, vendor and client reconciliations, ensuring payment accuracy and compliance.
- Posted journals and maintained accounting records in QuickBooks and Excel; facilitated external audit by preparing schedules and responding to queries.
- Trained junior associates in proper procedures, team policies and strategies for success.
- Reviewed work of junior associates, identified knowledge gaps, corrected mistakes and recommended changes to prevent future mistakes and improve performance.
- Managed data collection, visualisation and reporting for projects of different scale and applications.
Finance Trainee
3 Months- Processed customer transactions accurately, ensuring seamless service and customer satisfaction
- Managed accounts payable and receivables, raising invoices, reconciling accounts and processing cash transactions.
- Conducted data entry to keep spreadsheets up to date.
- Prepared internal and external presentations and reports using Excel, Word and PowerPoint.
Treasury Assistant
3 Months- Managed daily cash flow, forecasting future cash requirements to optimise liquidity.
- Reconciled bank statements monthly, identifying and resolving discrepancies swiftly.
- Administered online banking functions, streamlining payment processes and fund transfers.
- Maintained accurate records of all treasury transactions, ensuring audit readiness at all times.
- Developed advanced abilities in accounting software to expertly manage financial recordkeeping.
Education
Bachelor of Commerce - Finance
Skills
Budget management
Cash management
Month-end close
Reconciliations
Forecasts & variance analysis
Financial reporting
Variance analysis
Financial data analysis
Financial reconciliation
Audit support
Internal Control Assessments
Grant compliance management
Partner financial reviews
Tax compliance
Tax advisory
Tax & statutory: VAT
PAYE
Withholding tax
Corporate tax
NHIF/NSSF
AR/AP
Budget analysis
Financial dashboards
Power BI
Advanced Excel tools
Excel modelling
Power BI reporting
Oracle
Microsoft Dynamics
QuickBooks
SAP
Data validation
Risk assessment
Risk escalation
Stakeholder coordination
Cross-functional communication
Strategic problem solving
Analytical skills
Financial reconciliation
Certification
- Certified Public Accountant (CPA)
- Data Science
- Power BI and SQL
Languages
English
C2
Proficient
Swahili
C2
Proficient
REFERENCES
Available on request.
Timeline
Finance Analyst Associate
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
10.2024 - 07.2026Read More
Financial, Tax & Data Analyst Consultant
Freelance Consulting
04.2023 - 09.2024Read More
Finance Officer
International Rescue Committee (IRC)
01.2022 - 03.2023Read More
Accounts Payables & Receivables Senior Associate
Sanergy Limited
11.2019 - 08.2021Read More
Finance Trainee
Crowne Plaza Hotel Nairobi
01.2019 - 04.2019Read More
Treasury Assistant
Kenya Power & Lighting Company
01.2018 - 04.2018Read More
Strathmore University
Bachelor of Commerce from Finance
Read More