Concern Worldwide is an Irish-based non-governmental, international, humanitarian organization dedicated to the reduction of suffering and working towards the ultimate elimination of extreme poverty in the world’s poorest countries.
Closing date: 19 Jul 2010
Location: Kenya – Nairobi
Location: Kenya – Nairobi
Regional Accountant, Horn of Africa : Based in Nairobi, with frequent travel to the other HOA countries
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.
Main duties & Responsibilities:
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 & manuals in place and advise on areas where improvements can be made.
- Undertake direct support visits, based on a TOR agreed with Overseas Accounts Manager and relevant Country Director. These visits will deliver on areas identified as needing assistance.
- Provide technical support on the accounting package, Microsoft Great Plains, and relevant reporting packages. Build the capacity and confidence of the Country Accountant in using these packages.
- Provide direct support and/or act as Country Accountant when gaps arise. Assist in the recruitment of Country Accountants / 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
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 & manuals in place and advise on areas where improvements can be made.
- Undertake direct support visits, based on a TOR agreed with Overseas Accounts Manager and relevant Country Director. These visits will deliver on areas identified as needing assistance.
- Provide technical support on the accounting package, Microsoft Great Plains, and relevant reporting packages. Build the capacity and confidence of the Country Accountant in using these packages.
- Provide direct support and/or act as Country Accountant when gaps arise. Assist in the recruitment of Country Accountants / 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
B) Training
- Conduct induction for newly recruited Country Accountants in Concern’s financial systems, policies and reports, when circumstances demand.
- Assist the Country Accountant in developing relevant & achievable training plans for national finance staff, in order to maximise the efficiency of the finance function in-country.
- Design training plans & courses for non-financial managers, in conjunction with the Country Accountant, in order to develop better understanding of financial issues among budget-holders. Ensure that the Country Accountant 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
- If necessary, organise Training/workshops for the Country Accountant in the region, on common agreed issues, in consultation with Overseas Accounts Manager .
- Conduct induction for newly recruited Country Accountants in Concern’s financial systems, policies and reports, when circumstances demand.
- Assist the Country Accountant in developing relevant & achievable training plans for national finance staff, in order to maximise the efficiency of the finance function in-country.
- Design training plans & courses for non-financial managers, in conjunction with the Country Accountant, in order to develop better understanding of financial issues among budget-holders. Ensure that the Country Accountant 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
- If necessary, organise Training/workshops for the Country Accountant in the region, on common agreed issues, in consultation with Overseas Accounts Manager .
C) Liaison between country & Head Office in Dublin
- Review and provide feedback to the Country Accountant, in conjunction with the Desk Officer and Overseas Accounts Manager, 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.
- Review and provide feedback to the Country Accountant, in conjunction with the Desk Officer and Overseas Accounts Manager, 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.
D) Standardization across countries
- Provide advice & guidance to country management to ensure that they are following organizational 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.
- Develop procedural documentation & guidelines, under the guidance of Overseas Accounts Manager 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 to field finance staff on Donor regulations & reporting requirements. Review of donor reports during visit to ensure compliance & audit trail.
- Provide advice & guidance to country management to ensure that they are following organizational 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.
- Develop procedural documentation & guidelines, under the guidance of Overseas Accounts Manager 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 to field finance staff on Donor regulations & reporting requirements. Review of donor reports during visit to ensure compliance & audit trail.
Person specification:
- Applicants should 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. This should include at least one year’s experience in an overseas position in the NGO sector.
- 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
- Motivated
- Good organisational and time management skills
- Effective team member
- Understanding of development issues and the organisational goals of Concern.
- Willingness to travel extensively.
- Applicants should 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. This should include at least one year’s experience in an overseas position in the NGO sector.
- 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
- Motivated
- Good organisational and time management skills
- Effective team member
- Understanding of development issues and the organisational goals of Concern.
- Willingness to travel extensively.
Concern Worldwide is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all sections of the community.
How to apply
All applications should be submitted through our website at www.concern.net/jobs
All applications should be submitted through our website at www.concern.net/jobs
All candidates who are short-listed for a first round interview will be notified via email after the application deadline
