Programme & Partnership Accountant

About the role: This is a 12 month replacement role with unaccompanied terms based in Bangui with regular travel to field offices, on a salary of Grade 2, €35,789 – €39,766.

Your purpose:

You will provide support to the Country Finance Manager to ensure the effective functioning of the finance department in CAR through providing day-to-day technical support. You will work with national staff and any national NGO partners to build their capacity. You will report directly to the Country Financial Manager and work closely with the Finance team in Bangui, as well as with Finance Officers, Assistants and Cashiers in field offices. The role involves regular field visits to regional offices and remote programme locations.

You will be responsible for:

Controllership:

• Guided by Country Financial Manager (CFM) and her team, ensure that the Concern Worldwide financial policies and procedures are adhered to and implemented in a standardized manner.
• To support the finance department activities and schedules to meet the financial reporting requirements and deadlines specified by donors and Dublin HQ.
• Assist programme managers and teams to follow donors’ (especially USAID/BHA, DFID, Irish Aid, EU and Unicef) financial rules for budgeting, spending and reporting.
• Closely monitor all financial activities, and keep the Programme Director (PD) and Country Financial Manager advised of all situations, which have the potential for a negative impact on internal controls or financial management performance.
• Assist the Country Financial Manager with external (donor, audit firm, partner organization, government, etc.) and internal control audits as required.
• In collaboration with all relevant staff, ensure the protection of all programme assets (cash, inventory, etc.) through the enforcement of internal controls and procedures, including regular updating of fixed asset inventories.
• Maintain up-to date knowledge of and implement local government requirements and regulations related to financial matters including statutory deductions from national staff salaries such as income tax, social security, etc.

Training & Staff Management:

• Train National Finance staff in Concern systems and general accounting best practice.
• Ensure training to non-financial managers, the logistics team and budget holders so that they can manage donor/Concern budgets as per Concern’s standard practices; this includes the efficient use of management accounts
• In coordination with the Area Coordinators and the CFM, develop and implement staff development plan for the Kouango and Bossembélé finance department staff.
• To facilitate and provide basic training, technical support and guidance to the country program staff, particularly budget holders, for skills improvement in the areas of budget preparation and monitoring, budget revision, reporting, and internal control.
• Training of HR department in National staff budgeting and HR budget monitoring

Treasury:

• To oversee the timely preparation, review and approval of all bank account and cash reconciliations on as regular a basis as necessary for effective financial control.
• Assist the Programme Director (PD) and Country Financial Manager in ensuring compliance with Concern Worldwide policies and procedures and assume responsibilities in the implementation of country specific policies such as authorization limits, cash holding limits, cash movements, credit terms, advance payments, use of bank payment instruments.
• To be responsible for timely preparation and follow-up/handling of Cash Transfer Requests to Bangui to ensure that appropriate balances are maintained to facilitate programme implementation

Budget:

• Assist PD and other budget holders in conducting the budget process, ensuring that appropriate levels of technical support and guidance is provided to all budget holders during the process of preparing the annual country operating budget and subsequent revisions.
• Assist budget holders with preparation of donor budgets; ensure compliance with donor regulations and to ensure their incorporation into the country annual operating budget & revisions
• Assist CFM in the budget revision process, from budget reviews to consolidations, variance analysis and submission to HQ
• In coordination with the HR Manager, manage the budgeting of national staff and HR budget monitoring
• Regularly update the staff allocation file for international staff

Partnership Accounting:

In conjunction with the Senior Management Team members :

• Undertake the financial assessment of potential Partners on a timely and comprehensive basis.
• Summarize financial assessment findings and recommend whether partnership is workable with resources available
• Ensure all the relevant staff members (CFM, PD, Project Manager and Country Director) sign off financial assessment
• Collect and maintain all partnership documentation on the Partner File for future reference.
• Prepare a Partner Monitoring Programme for the monitoring of each partner, using the Concern procedures (CILPAT) and any other available material as a basis
• Carry out Systems Review visits in accordance with the Partner Monitoring Programme
• Perform regular Transaction Audits in accordance with the Partner Monitoring Programme
• Ensure an updated risk assessment is completed at least annually and is signed off by Senior Management after each field visit. Prepare and disseminate a Partner Visit Repor
• Ensure programme staff are aware of their responsibilities regarding monitoring of partners. Ensure sign off from appropriate senior programme representatives is obtained on the CILPAT, Partner Monitoring Programme and Annual Risk Review
• Ensure partner reports and findings are circulated to all interested parties within Concern and the Partner.
• Ensure all documentation relating to Concern‘s financial relationship with the partner is filed correctly and updated where necessary

Monthly Management Accounts:

• Assist CFM to finalize monthly data to be send to the Shared Service Accountant etc.
• When needed, assist the Country Financial Manager in the process of obtaining explanations of variances between budget and actual spending and income and make necessary adjustments in cases of incorrect accounting entries.
• Maintain Month End Closure file, including all signed journals and feedback from budget holders

Your skills and experience will include:

Essential

• Part or fully qualified Accountant
• Two to three years finance experience including donor and management reporting, staff management and some capacity building (coaching, mentoring or training). Some overseas experience in emergency or development contexts a distinct advantage.
• Fluent French and strong English speaker

Desirable:

• Management Qualification
• Experience of work in Francophone country
• Experience in working in a complex emergency context
• Experience with Concern systems and programmes
• Experience in working with partners
• Cross cultural awareness and sensitivity
• Empathy with Concern’s goals and a commitment to capacity building, protection and participation
• Excellent communication and training / capacity building skills
• Proven organization, planning and management skills
• Ability to work on own initiative and lead diverse teams
• Flexible and adaptable to a changing environment
• Strong interpersonal and team work skills
• Ability to work under pressure often to strict deadlines
• Knowledge of computer applications i.e. Microsoft word, Excel, communications systems
• Knowledge of accounting software – Knowledge of Microsoft Dynamics will be an added advantage.

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.