Country Accountant Job Vacancy in Rwanda

COUNTRY ACCOUNTANT
Rwanda
REF: PR/RWA/CA

Concern Worldwide is an Irish-based non-governmental, international, humanitarian organisation dedicated to the reduction of suffering and working towards the ultimate elimination of extreme poverty in the world’s poorest countries.

Job Title: Country Accountant
Reports to: Country Director
Direct reports: Finance Manager
Job Location: Rwanda, Kigali
Contract Details: 2 years
Accompanied
Grade B
Start date: September 2011

Job Purpose: Maintain Concern Worldwide finance systems standards and ensure accountability within Concern’s programmes and partners. Additionally, the job holder will:
 Build the Grant and Financial Accountant (national post) and prepare him to take on the country accountant role.
 Prepare financial reports and budget as required by head office and donors
 Provide support for the programmes in preparing budget and tracking expenditure
 Maintain links between the key support functions (administration, human resources, transport, logistics and finance)
The post holder will be a member of the Core Management Team and contribute to key consultative processes and decision-making.

Main duties & Responsibilities:
Developing implementing and monitoring financial systems
 Developing and implementing the financial policies, procedures and systems in line with Concern Worldwide’s global finance policy framework
 Contributing in developing various project proposals to submit to donors specifically budgeting parts in line with the Concern coding structure and donor requirements
 Ensuring that there are adequate controls over cash and bank
 Cooperating with field management and if applicable with internal and external advisors in the review and development of field systems
 Developing financial management skills of staff in the finance function and also for non-finance staff by formal training and on-going mentoring
 Developing the procedures and systems in assessing the financial management capabilities and areas for improvement of partner organisations
 Developing skills, knowledge and competencies of partner organisations to have sound financial management systems in their organisations
 Updating and implementing the CWR coding structure in line with the Concern global coding structure
 Coordinating/facilitating and ensuring the proper maintenance of the accounting system (Microsoft Great Plains) in CWR
Budgets preparation, consolidation and revision
 Circulating budget guidelines to all projects and budget managers in a timely manner
 Reviewing, analysing and consolidating the annual budget, budget revisions
 Ensuring that the budgets are in line with the Country Strategic Plan, project proposals, donor agreements, Dublin guidelines and pack.
 Submitting to CD for review
Ensuring financial reporting systems are in place
 Producing detailed, accurate, timely and user friendly management accounts for use of staff who have budget management roles and responsibilities
 Providing financial information to the Country Core Management team to understand and analyse the financial situation
 Preparing quarterly accounts (FRPs) and year-end financial accounts on a timely basis, submitting them to CD for review
 Liaising with Project Managers and Country Management on donor reporting as required
 Ensuring the projects prepare and submit their financial reports for review on time, before onward submission to donors within the agreed deadlines

Ensuring adequate financial controls are in place
 Ensuring that managers prepare and obtain approval for their budgets, which should reflect as accurately as possible the financial impact of proposed activities
 Ensuring that there are adequate procedures for identifying the financial impact of changes in proposed activities and for revising the approved budget for the same
 Ensuring clear reports are provided to project and emergency managers which enable them to identify variances from approved budget and take necessary corrective action
 Ensuring that proper and effective internal audits of partners are carried out on a timely basis
 Ensuring all projects are submitting their accurate cash flow and quarterly and monthly cash request
 Maintaining and managing the cash balance in the safe including control over petty cash box

External and Internal Audit
 Developing and implementing the annual external audit in coordination with programme managers, ACD programmes and systems
 Prepare all necessary information for internal and external audit
 Following up the internal and external audit observations and recommendations regularly to overcome the issues raised

Staff training and development
 Mentoring of national finance staff to maximise their career and personal development. This may include coaching and mentoring on the job as well as supporting external training courses they may pursue
 Developing financial management skills, knowledge and competencies for finance staff and basic financial management capacity for non-finance managers
 Setting up of individual objectives, carry out performance development reviews (PDR), develop and implement training and development plans
 Participate in recruitment process for finance staff

Person specification: Essential
 Fully qualified accountant (ACCA /ACA / CIMA / CPA or equivalent)
 At least five years’ experience managing the finance function of an organisation including managing staff
 Experience with computerised accounting packages
 Accounting and auditing knowledge
 Experience of delivering training and of providing on the job coaching
 Proactive, analytical thinker and personal integrity
 Rigour, attention to detail and ability to meet deadlines
 Propensity to regularly communicate with the CD concerning progress on key areas of work
 Flexibility and ability to manage and prioritise changing workload
 Commitment to international development and an understanding of the role and responsibilities of INGOs in developing countries
 Disposition that suits taking a mentoring and coaching role
 Sensitive interpersonal and communication skills
 Problem solving and decision-making
 Fluent English

Desirable
 Training course and/or specific experience of dealing with major donors such as EU, ECHO, and Irish Aid.
 Previous experience with Concern Worldwide as Country Accountant
 Understanding of various donors’ financial policies and procedures
 Sense of humour, flexible and able to communicate easily with people
 Ability to work in a confined team environment

To apply: All applications should be submitted through our website at www.concern.net/jobs
Application deadline is 30th April 2011

All candidates who are short-listed for a first round interview will be notified via email after the application deadline.

Concern has a Staff Code of Conduct and a Programme Participant Protection Policy which have been developed to ensure the maximum protection of programme participants from exploitation and to clarify the responsibilities of Concern staff, consultants, visitors to the programme and partner organization, and the standards of behaviour expected of them. In this context staff have a responsibility to the organization to strive for, and maintain, the highest standards in the day-to-day conduct in their workplace in accordance with Concern’s core values and mission. Any candidate offered a job with Concern Worldwide will be expected to sign the Programme Participant Protection Policy and the Concern Staff Code of Conduct as an appendix to their contract of employment. By signing the Programme Participant Protection Policy and the Concern Staff Code of Conduct candidates acknowledge that they have understood the contents of both the Concern Staff Code of Conduct and the Programme Participant Protection Policy and agree to conduct themselves in accordance with the provisions of these two documents.

Concern receives a substantial amount of funding from external donors each year. Increasingly donors are introducing requirements whereby future funding is conditional on Concern ensuring that the names of any new employee or volunteer do not appear on terrorism lists generated by the European Union (List of person, groups and entities to which Regulation (EC No. 2580/2001 applies), the US Government (Office of Foreign Assets Control list of specially designated Nationals and Blocked Persons) and the United Nations (Consolidated List).

Any offer of employment (either paid or voluntary) with Concern Worldwide will not be made pending a clearance check being conducted on the applicant. For additional information please consult our web site or contact the Human Resource Division in our Head Office.

Concern Worldwide is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all sections of the community.