Project Accountant (NORAD Project)

Job Title: Project Accountant (NORAD Project)

Job Family: Accountant

Directorate/Cluster: People, Finance and Operations

Unit/Team: Restricted Project Accountant team

Entry Salary: Salary is locally determined

Contract Type: Fixed Term – 3-year project role ending 31 December 2023

Location: ActionAid(AA) Global Secretariat (GS) Hub or Country Office

Reports to (incl matrix reporting): Restricted Project Accountants Coordinator

ROLE OVERVIEW

This role provides technical finance expertise and advice on donor-funded or other restricted projects; to ensure complete accuracy of all finance transactions related to the project and to manage all financial aspects of projects from budget preparation to project closure

AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Strategic Impact and contribution

2. Supports decision making through efficient accounting processes, reporting and analysis and by ensuring project planning, start up and closure as required by the project team and the Finance Unit

3. Undertakes projects or other relevant work under supervision of the Restricted Projects Coordinator and Project Lead

4. Works closely with others in the relevant Project and People, Finance and Operations Cluster to contribute to ActionAid’s systems, processes, and guidelines.

5. System, Policies and Procedures, and Product Management

2.1. Responsible for efficient Transaction’s processing and quality assurance as follows:

• Enters all transactions relating to projects onto the finance system in a timely manner
• Ensures correct codes are used in posting transactions for accurate project reporting
• Creates controls and processes, aligned to the finance community and ActionAid’s policies and guidelines, to ensure legality and quality of all transactions and such that they are approved in line with donor and ActionAid policies
• Prepares and reviews monthly transactions listing for completeness and assurance, and post required adjustments in a timely fashion
• Reconciles all project balance sheet accounts every month
• Prepares and reviews monthly reserves statement for the project, and review for exceptions
• Ensures all transactions are supported by adequate documentation and that documentation is filed in a suitable way
• Ensures all reversing transactions are adequately cleared on a timely basis
• Ensures ActionAid’s internal year-end deadlines are met, and transactions are accrued in a timely fashion at this stage if required
• Is responsible for Planning, start-up and closure as follows:
• Coordinates (or produce) the initial project budget and subsequent iterations, obtaining sign -off as required from project or other managers, and addressing questions as raised by the donor
• Ensures maximum cost recovery, including overhead costs and levies on all projects
• Uploads final budget into ActionAid’s finance system using appropriate coding and repeat exercise for periodic forecast
• Develops reporting templates (and other tools) in line with donor requirements and the requirements of ActionAid’s finance system, allowing automated reports to be produced in the desired format and which include transparent reporting on cost-recovery
• Runs financial aspects of inception workshop in co-ordination with project teams
• Works with the project team to establish systems that are integrated and meet donor requirements (and audit)
• Reviews the systems of all parties booking finance transactions (if appropriate, e.g., working with partners or multiple offices) to ensure all financial requirements, controls, and conditions (both donor and ActionAid) can be met
• Works with line manager to close out projects within the finance system and align this close-out to final donor reporting, saving all appropriate documentation and evidence in a suitable way (and reviewing all transactions at this stage to ensure nothing has been omitted)

2.2. Is involved in Reporting and Analysis as follows:

• Produces monthly reporting as required by the project(s) as required by the project manager or other project governance body, ensuring accuracy through the actions above and adherence to donor requirements always
• Produce financial analysis as required by the project team to assist decision-making
• Produce financial risk-register to be reviewed monthly, and share key concerns with senior project and GS staff as appropriate, working with them to develop mitigation
• Produce explanatory narrative (financial) for any reports as required by the project team
• Design, calculate and record any regular key performance indicators (KPIs) for the project(s), providing narrative explanations for variances versus expectations where appropriate
• Responds to donor questions regarding financials at any time and as required
• Work with GS finance staff to ensure banking arrangements are set up to meet donor requirements
• Forecast required cash flow for the project and work with GS Finance staff to avoid any cash shortages or surpluses within the project(s)
• Work with Restricted Project Accounts Coordinator (and Line Manager if appropriate) to ensure 100% recovery of own costs, and full utilisation of time across multiple projects
• Take responsibility for chasing and processing all overdue debt, supplier statements

2.3. Supports Planning, start-up and closure by:

• Coordinates (or produce) the initial project budget and subsequent iterations, obtaining sign -off as required from project or other managers, and addressing questions as raised by the donor
• Ensures maximum cost recovery, including overhead costs and levies on all projects
• Uploads final budget into ActionAid’s finance system using appropriate coding and repeat exercise for periodic forecast
• Develops reporting templates (and other tools) in line with donor requirements and the requirements of ActionAid’s finance system, allowing automated reports to be produced in the desired format and which include transparent reporting on cost-recovery
• Runs financial aspects of inception workshop in co-ordination with project teams
• Works with the project team to establish systems that are integrated and meet donor requirements (and audit)
• Review the systems of all parties booking finance transactions (if appropriate, e.g. working with partners or multiple offices) to ensure all financial requirements, controls and conditions (both donor and ActionAid) can be met

• Works with line manager to close out projects within the finance system and align this close-out to final donor reporting, saving all appropriate documentation and evidence in a suitable way (and reviewing all transactions at this stage to ensure nothing has been omitted)

• Issue Resolutions, Crisis/Risk Management

• Attends oversight group meetings and raises any financial Operational strategic concerns or risks and discusses financial performance as required

• Produces a financial risk-register to be reviewed monthly, and shares key concerns with senior project and GS staff as appropriate, working with them to develop mitigation

• As required liaises or supports internal and external auditors to manage audits, meet all requirements and complete any audit recommendations, coordinating country or other staff at all stages.

• Liaises with internal and external auditors to manage audits, meet all requirements, and complete any audit recommendations, coordinating country or other staff at all stages.

• Communications, Influencing, and Coordination

• Provides technical advice and guidance on project financial management to project managers or country teams as required.

• Provides information and ongoing training to project staff on any relevant topic (e.g., transaction quality or cost-recovery) creating and sharing any materials where necessary

PERSON SPECIFICATIONS

1. Education and Qualifications

2. Qualified accountant or business-related degree with relevant experience

3. Essential Experience

4. Substantial (minimum 4 years) experience in a relevant role

5. Demonstrable and significant experience of the following:

   • Project finance management and donor reporting within an NGO environment
   • Management reporting and the production of value-added analysis leading to improved decision-making
   • Creating and implanting good financial practice and controls, including transaction reviews and adjustments
   • Balance sheet reconciliations and monthly checks and balances

6. Working on multiple projects without loss of effectiveness

7. A strong commitment to ActionAid’s values and ethos

8. Experience of developing project metrics and KPIs is desirable

9. Donor reporting experience

10. Working with Projects funded by Donors including but not limited to DANIDA, EU, USAID, NORAD, Consortiums etc is desirable

11. Experience of developing project metrics and KPIs is desirable

12. Essential Knowledge

13. Knowledge (and practical application of) the international regulatory environment for INGOs

14. Working knowledge of later Sun versions and associated reporting tools. Sun 6.3 would be advantageous

15. Good working knowledge of Microsoft products including MS Excel. Experience with Microsoft Teams is desirable

16. Essential skills

17. Strong written and oral communication skills

18. Organization and attention to detail

19. Analytical and problem solving skills

20. Time management and multi-tasking

21. Systems analysis

22. Mathematical and deductive reasoning

23. Critical thinking

24. Active learning

25. Stakeholder management in a multi-cultural context

26. Feminist leadership skills and attributes, including self-awareness, a positive growth mindset and ambitious drive for collective results, excellent collaboration and team-building skills, commitment to self-care and caring for others, ability to give and receive honest and respectful feedback, and strong commitment to dismantling bias and promoting equity and inclusion

27. Language requirements

28. Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English

This Job Description covers the main tasks and conveys the spirit of the sort of tasks that are anticipated proactively from staff. Other tasks may be assigned as necessary according to organizational needs.

It is part of every staff member’s responsibility to contribute to ActionAid International culture and comply with organisation’s values and practice, which are:

• Leading Innovation and Change: Establish a culture of excellence in a respective team that values experimentation and continuous improvement

• Feminist Leadership: Championing feminist leadership principles and values including commitment to diversity and inclusion (race, gender, power)

• AAI Values Practice: Ensure personal and team culture that demonstrates all of AAI values including Mutual Respect, Equity, and Justice, Integrity, Solidarity with People Living in Poverty and Exclusion, Courage of Conviction, Independence and Humility