Accounts Payable Specialist – Temporary

The primary purpose of an Accounts Payable Specialist is to manage the company’s financial obligations to suppliers and service providers. This role is essential for maintaining accurate and timely processing of invoices, expense reports, and payments, ensuring that the company’s financial records are up-to-date and compliant with relevant regulations. This position will contribute to the financial management of Feed International by supporting in the following areas: Financial accounting, project analysis, budget preparation, financial reporting and systems support.

Preference for candidates living and with citizenship in Malawi, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and South Africa.

Essential Job Functions:

• Work with International Finance Manager to provide financial accounting report and track allocation of costs to different cost centres.
• Track the implementation of the QuickBooks online migration including migration of data from QuickBooks Desktop
• Prepare financial reports for HQ decision making.
• Maintain all office and project financial accounts for HQ. This includes accounts payable, checking accounts, consultant contracts, travel expenses, and all subcontractors’ payments.
• Coordinate the resolution of all QuickBooks and other accounting system issues.
• Oversee and review of all financial documentation for Feed International Country Offices and International Operations (IO) that require HQ approval
• Train and Orient staff on new accounting systems and business processes as they relate to finance.
• Monitor, record and update ledgers, accounts, and support related financial tracking.
• Support the creation of financial reports and other required financial disclosure documents.
• Produce weekly workshop and travel advance for review by the International Finance Manager and follow up any outstanding advance.
• Review financial reports of all sub awardees and contracts for payment processing in collaboration with US Domestic office.
• Maintain financial files for Country Offices and International Department
• Produce analytical reports to identify and mitigate potential risks
• Conduct submission review process, track, research, and analyze information, and gather effective practices and lessons learned.

BEHAVIOURS (Values in Practice)

Accountability:

• Holds self-accountable for making decisions, managing resources efficiently, achieving and role modelling Feed the Children values
• Holds the team and partners accountable to deliver on their responsibilities providing the necessary development to improve performance and applying appropriate consequences when results are not achieved.

Ambition:

• Sets ambitious and challenging personal and team goals, takes responsibility for own personal development, and encourages teams to do the same
• Widely shares personal vision for Feed the Children, engages and motivates others
• Future orientated, thinks strategically and on a global scale.

Collaboration:

• Builds and maintains effective relationships, with team, colleagues, Donors and external partners and supporters
• Values diversity, sees it as a source of competitive strength
• Approachable, good listener, easy to talk to.

Creativity:

• Develops and encourages new and innovative solutions
• Willing to take disciplined risks.

Integrity:

• Honest, encourages openness and transparency; demonstrates highest levels of integrity

QUALIFICATIONS:

Education and experience:

• Diploma in accounting with at least 10 years of experience in the accounting field. A Bachelor’s qualification in a related field is preferred.
• Minimum of five years’ experience in the finance and operations components of international development projects
• Strong financial management and budgeting skills
• Good knowledge of international donor rules and regulations, e.g. USAID, CDC, GF, UNICEF, etc.
• Proficient with Microsoft Excel and Word, knowledge of QuickBooks preferred

Skills

• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English, working across regions.
• Outstanding organizational skills, with the capacity to handle conflicting demands, meet tight deadlines, and adapt priorities as needed.
• A positive attitude and flexibility in managing work tasks in a dynamic, high-pressure environment.
• Ability to work independently, without day-to-day supervision, take initiative, solve problems, and follow up
• Ability to independently plan, execute and complete tasks while addressing daily operations details
• Dynamic team player with strong multicultural communication skills
• Strong organizational skills
• Ability to multitask and manage competing priorities

Additional job responsibilities

The job duties and responsibilities as set out above are not exhaustive and the post holder may be required to carry out additional duties within reason and in line with their level of skills and experience.

Knowledge and Abilities:

Oral Communication – Speak clearly, persuasively, and professionally in positive or negative situations; listen and gets clarification; respond well to questions; demonstrate group presentation skills; participate in meetings.

Written Communication – Write clearly and informatively; edit work for spelling and grammar; vary writing style to meet needs; present numerical data effectively; able to read and interpret written information.

Teamwork – Balance team and individual responsibilities; exhibit objectivity and openness to others’ views; give and welcome feedback; contribute to building a positive team spirit; put success of team above own interests; able to build morale and group commitments to goals and objectives; support everyone’s efforts to succeed.

Project Management – able to manage multiple projects, deadlines and stakeholders simultaneously.

Ethics – Treat people with respect; keep commitments; inspires the trust of others; works with integrity and ethically; upholds organizational values.

Reasoning – Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out instructions furnished in written, oral, or diagram form; ability to deal with problems involving several concrete variables in standardized situations.