Accountant at Malaria Consortium

Malaria Consortium is one of the world’s leading non-profit organisations specialising in the comprehensive prevention, control and treatment of malaria and other communicable diseases among vulnerable and under privileged populations. We increasingly find our work on malaria can be effectively integrated with other similar public health interventions for greater impact and therefore expanded our remit to include child health and neglected tropical disease interventions.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Accountant

Location: Kano
Role Type: National
Length of Contract: Indefinte
Department: Finance
Role Type: National
Duration: 40 Hours
Reports To: Line Manager - Country Finance Manager
Directs Reports: Country Office AccountOfficers
Travel Involved: 20%
Child Safeguarding Level: 4
Grade: 8

Job Purpose

To maintain and control the completeness and accuracy of the financial system for the Nigeria office, and provide a full accounting service to all projects in reporting all transactions to the Nigeria Head officeaccurately on a timely basis.

Scope of Work

The Accountant is responsible for overseeing the internal control and compliance functions of MC Nigeria programme portfolio; including audit, financial review and compliance.

Key Working Relationships:

TheAccountant will support and report to the Country Finance Manager but will interact with the Senior Finance Support Managerto ensure internal control system is adequate.
The Accountant will work closely with management,technicaland operations team in country. Members of the finance team in the country office, including the Accountantare five in number but the Accountant will work closely with other finance staff in all programmes in MC Nigeria portfolio, which are fourin number.

Key Accountabilities
Financial Administration (5%):

Act as the first point of contact for projects and programmes payment queries.
Assist the Country Finance Managerwith queries relating to all projects report.
Manage and oversee the entry of all Nigeria Naira payments and receipts into the GL for MC Nigeria programme portfolio2.PS

Financial System (10%):

Check the correctness of coding, completeness of financial documents and review the batches of invoices and payments prior to posting to the accounting system.
Review all outstanding advances with the Abuja and filed offices Accounts Officers(as applicable) and ensure they are chased and cleared on the accounting system.
Make sure that allcollections are made using MC receipt voucher and deposited to theappropriate MC account on time.
Make adjustments as necessary using a Journal Voucher (JV) and keep the JV form sequentially in file, after approval by the CFM.

Reporting (25%):
Internal Reporting:

Prepare monthlyreports to the CFM to a set monthly finance timetable which comprises the following:
- Bank reconciliation statements including copy of bank statement .
- Aged list of outstanding Advances and Other ledger balances.
- Fixed asset register update and Spot Check reports.
- Authorised Petty Cash Count Certificate and reconciliations.
- Monthly timesheet update.

External Reporting: Donor Reports

Prepare donor financial reports in conjunction with project managers on a timely basis and with the frequency required by the donor.
Respond and take corrective action to any review comments from both the project managers and the Finance Support Manager (HQ) on the donor reports.
Assist project managers in the revision and realignment of their donor budgets.

Management Accounting (25%):

Issue monthly project management accounts to project managers and meet with each monthly to discuss the results, amend mis‐posting and other errors.
Prepare all mapped and phased budgets from the financial plans for inclusion in the internal forecast.
Analyse project expenditure to ensure value‐for‐money.
Maintain a database of costing to enable cross‐project comparisons to be made and to assist and speed up the preparation of new project budgets by technical staff.
Prepare a country variance report of the major variances of each project and share with the country SMT, so that they can review and approved the agreed actions for improving financial performance.
Assist project managers to plan future expenditure and cash needs and to take remedial action where there are overspends.
Work with the project managers on supporting the internal forecasting process that take place every four months to produce a financial plan linked to their work plan.

Field Offices (10%):

Arrange for timely fund transfers to the field offices and ensureproper accounting of transfers.
Review transactions and monthly returns of the field offices for error and accuracy.
Check correct procedures are followed for all transactions.
Conduct orientation of new finance staff at all levels in the field offices.
Act as conduit between field offices and Country Office in Abuja on issues resolution.
Provide training and build capacity of the project team based in thefield offices, in order to continuously improve the finance systems.
Support the field offices to close the books of accounts on monthly basis according to the finance timetable.
Support in the preparation and review of bank reconciliations for the field offices.
Carry out regular visits to all field offices to ensure quality in all aspects of finance management and support finance staff.

Human Resources (5%):

Manage all Account Officers in the country office.
Work with the account officersto set personal objectives for continuous development and performance expectations in coordination with the CFM and carry out performance review at regular intervals and at an annual review including the setting of objectives for the year.
Manage and provide active support, capacity building, motivation and leadership to the Account Officers.
Approve timesheet for Account Officers and delivery to the CFM on time.
Manage the Account Officersto coordinate staff absences in covering all gaps and handovers priorto any leave.

Finance Support to Additional Assigned Programme Activities (5%):

In consultation with the Country Finance Manager, take the lead in planning, implementing and review the finance aspect of the additional assigned programme activities.
Ensure all advances are fully retired, budget / expenditure analysis prepared for all the additional assigned programme activities.
Assess and mitigate any financial risk to MC in carryingout these programme activities.
Ensure all individual involved in these additional assigned programme activities are abreast and comply with finance, procurement and other relevant procedures of MC.

Compliance and Internal Control (15%):

Conduct periodic internal Control review and compliance visit to the field offices to ensure all procedures are adhered to.
Identify compliance and internal control weaknesses and make recommendation on the way to correct lapses and forestall reoccurrence.
Produce monthly review report and field visit report including monthly trackers on all internalcontrol and related issues and follow up for prompt resolution.

Person Specification
The successful candidate will have:
Essential:

Qualified ICAN, ACA, ACCA or CIMA Accountant.
Minimum of five (5) years experience in non-profit Accounting preferably with an International Organization, with at least 2 years experience at the management level.

Work-Based Skills and Competencies:
Essential: