Regional Accountant – Horn of Africa Region

Regional Accountant – Horn of Africa Region

Working with the world’s poorest people to transform their lives. Concern Worldwide is an international humanitarian organisation dedicated to tackling poverty and suffering in the world’s poorest countries. We work in partnership with the very poorest people in these countries, directly enabling them to improve their lives, as well as using our knowledge and experience to influence decisions made at a local, national and international level that can significantly reduce extreme poverty.

Job Title:

Regional Accountant – Horn of Africa Region

Reports to:

Overseas Financial Controller

Direct reports:

None

Job Location:

The Regional Accountant position will support Burundi, Rwanda, Republic of Sudan, South Sudan, Kenya, Somalia & Malawi. Please note that the supported countries will be subject to change based on organisational needs. The position could be based in any African country where Concern is working or in the selected candidate’s base country or in Dublin (depending on the selected candidate’s status and visa requirements). This will be finalised at interview stage.

Contract Details:

2 Years – Fixed Term contract

Pay Band:

Pay Band 5 - €40,928 - €48,151 pa

Job Purpose:

The Regional Account will:

Provide a continuous review of current financial systems and provision of appropriate, effective training & support in order to upgrade & standardise Concern’s finance functions in the countries of operation.

Develop work plan with Overseas Financial Controller to improve the financial systems and procedures and develop field finance staff capacity to manage the finance function properly.

Review the existing donor management system and make improvements where possible.

Main duties &

Responsibilities:

The main duties of the Regional Accountant can be divided into four key areas:-

A) Provision of support to countries in their region

· Provide guidance & support to Country Management in areas of financial management & development of appropriate management reporting.

· Provide guidance on technical accounting issues & on current Concern financial policies.

· Review the finance systems, controls in place and advise on areas where improvements can be made.

· Undertake direct support visits, based on a TOR agreed with Overseas Financial Controller and relevant Country Director. These visits will deliver on areas identified as needing assistance.

· Build the capacity and confidence of the Country Financial Controller and other finance & non finance staff in using newly introduced Finance Restructure and Alignment Project ( FRAP) usage at field level.

· Provide direct support and/or act as Country Financial Controller when gaps arise.

· Assist in the recruitment of Country Financial Controller / local finance staff, where appropriate.

· Work to develop and improve systems for donor management, in areas such as budgeting, monitoring, reporting & compliance.

· Provide direct support to implement overseas finance support action plan.

· Review Field finance manual and assist/guide Country Financial Controller where improvement is necessary

B) Training/ Capacity Building

· Conduct induction for newly recruited Country Financial Controller in Concern’s financial systems, policies and reports, when circumstances demand.

· Assist the Country Financial Controller in developing relevant & achievable training plans for national finance staff, in order to maximize the efficiency of the finance function in-country.

· Design training plans & courses for non-financial managers, in conjunction with the Country Financial Controller, in order to develop better understanding of financial issues among budget-holders. Ensure that the Country Financial Controller is providing this training to non-finance managers and follow up, where necessary.

· Provide other training needs, when they arise, such as new policies / procedures and accounting systems

· Organise training/workshops for the finance team, on common agreed issues, in consultation with Overseas Financial Controller.

·

C) Liaison between country & Head Office in Dublin

· Review and provide feedback to the Country Financial Controller, in conjunction with the Desk Officer and Overseas Financial Controller, on quarterly financial reporting (FRP) and Budget & Budget revisions.

· Follow up & assist on any queries that arise.

· Respond to queries from the country finance team in relation to routine accounting / audit / systems & report development and liaise with Head Office, where policy issues arise.

· Carry out audit on national staff cessation benefit provision and other balance sheet items.

· Review draft donor budget and draft financial report and feedback to Country Financial Controller before submit it to donor.

D) Standardisation across countries

· Provide advice & guidance to country management to ensure that they are following organisational financial policies

· Identify common problems & issues with financial systems and work to correct same, together with finance staff in Dublin & in-country.

· Where possible, Standardise financial procedures & systems across the countries in line with procedures noted in the Overseas Finance Reference Manual.

· Review field procedural documentation & guidelines, under the guidance of Overseas Financial Controller to help ensure continuity of financial best practice.

· Standardise the use of the accounting package, Microsoft Great Plains, in such areas, for example, as chart of accounts, support costs, donors allocations and budgets.

· Develop standard training materials for non-finance manager training.

· Undertake any special financial assignments, where circumstances require.

· Support field finance staff on Donor regulations & reporting requirements.

· Review of donor reports during visit to ensure compliance & audit trail.

Person specification:

Essential:

· Applicants must have a professional accounting qualification. E.g. ACCA, CIMA, CPA or CA or their equivalent.

· At least three years post qualification experience in a finance/accounting role.

· Worked with Concern as a Country Finance Controller for two years or more.

· Computer literacy, particularly in Microsoft Office programmes such as Word and Excel as well accounting packages & other database competencies.

· Skills in developing, delivering and evaluating training for staff members

· Ability to work under pressure of deadlines

· Good organisational and time management skills

· Effective team member

· Understanding of development issues.

· The person must be ready to travel extensively ( At least 50% time)

Desirable:

• Basic French Language

Concern has a Programme Participant Protection Policy and an organisational Code of Conduct 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 organisation, and the standards of behaviour expected of them. In this context, staff have a responsibility to the organisation 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 Code of Conduct, candidates acknowledge that they have understood the contents of both the Concern 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 only be made following a successful 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.

By submitting a formal application for paid or voluntary employment to Concern, you agree to Concern carrying out a clearance check as outlined above and that Concern will not proceed to recruit you should your name appear on any of the aforementioned lists.

HOW TO APPLY:

To apply:

All applications should be submitted through our website at www.concern.net/jobs by 25th May 2016.