Concern
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
Closing date: 14 Jun 2010
Location: Sudan (the) - Juba
Location: Sudan (the) - Juba
REF: CON/SSD/CA
Job Title: Country Accountant
Reports to: Country Director
Direct reports: Directly responsible for 2 Finance Officers in Juba. Links with other finance officers in the field (Aweils, Nuba).
Job Location: Juba, with frequent travel to the programme areas in the Aweils and Nuba .
Contract Details:
Grade B
2 years
Unaccompanied
Job Purpose: To maintain effective finance systems for the South Sudan programme to Concern Worldwide standards and to ensure accountability within Concern’s programmes and local partners. The post holder will be a member of the senior management team for south Sudan and will participate in all major decisions relating to the country programme.
Main duties & Responsibilities:
Financial Reporting
- Responsible for the overall management and supervision of the accounts function, ensuring that it produces relevant, timely and accurate reports for field management, Dublin Head Office and for external agencies.
- Preparing detailed management accounts for the use of all management staff who are budget holders and who are responsible for implementing projects or providing support services.
- Providing the Regional Director on a quarterly basis summaries of field financial results in the form of Financial Reporting Pack(FRP)
- Preparing reports on utilization of grants from external donors as they are required
- Ensuring that proper and effective audits of field finances are carried out on an annual basis
Financial Control
- Responsible for ensuring that adequate procedures are implemented so that a proper system of budgetary control can be operated.
- Ensuring that field management prepares and obtains approval for the annual field budget which should reflect as accurate as possible the financial impact of proposed activities.
- Assisting programme managers, Area Coordinator/ACDs in the preparation of budgets which should reflect as accurately as possible the financial impact of proposed activities
- Ensuring that there are adequate procedures for identifying the financial impact of changes in proposed activities and for revising the approved budget for same
- Ensuring that clear reports are provided to field management which enable them to identify variances from approved budget and to take necessary corrective action
Financial Systems
- Responsible for ensuring that the field management systems and records are adequate to identify and protect the assets and interests of the organization and to enhance as far as possible the efficiency and effectiveness of the manner in which assets are utilized.
- Maintain Concern bank accounts
- Ensuring that there are strong and effective controls over cash and bank holdings.
- Ensuring that there is a complete record of headquarter and field capital/fixed assets.
- Ensuring that all programme inventory/stock is properly managed and accounted for.
- Cooperate with field management and where applicable with internal or external auditors in the review and development of field systems.
Other financial duties
- Identify and recruit national finance staff
- Undertaking performance appraisals of finance staff and developing their skills in finance functions
- Reviewing and updating accounting and finance manuals as required
- Identifying accounts training needs of local partners and help develop their finance skills
- Improving controls over transport costs in liaison with programme managers and relevant staff
- Liaise closely with logistics staff on purchases, stock control and insurance.
- To keep up to date on programme priorities and make frequent field trips to monitor finance related issues and procedures.
- Ensuring that all statutory deductions and taxes in respect of national and international staff are complied with and to liaise with relevant authorities in this respect.
Person specification:
Essential:
- ACA/ACCA/CIMA /CPA accredited, or equivalent professional degree
- Minimum of 3 years experience working as an accountant/in a finance function
- Excellent computer skills especially Excel, familiarity with Great Plains or similar accounting package
- General management experience
- Previous relevant overseas experience in an NGO with some experience of working/living in an insecure or otherwise challenging environment.
- Excellent communication skills
- Able to use initiative and work with limited supervision, be organised, motivated and reliable
- Attentive to details.
- Ability to work under pressure
- Ability to work as part of a team
Desirable:
- Previous experience with Concern
- Experience of working/living in an insecure environment
- Familiarity with EC, USAID/OFDA, Irish Aid and other donor reporting requirements
- Training experience
- Experience of working with partner agencies.
- Knowledge of development issues and concepts
- Sense of humour, flexible, and able to communicate easily with people
- Flexibility and tolerance
Concern has a Staff Code of Conduct and a Programme Participant Protection Policy which have been developed to ensure the maximum protection of programme participants from exploitation and to clarify the responsibilities of Concern staff, consultants, visitors to the programme and partner organization, and the standards of behaviour expected of them. In this context staff have a responsibility to the organization to strive for, and maintain, the highest standards in the day-to-day conduct in their workplace in accordance with Concern’s core values and mission. Any candidate offered a job with Concern Worldwide will be expected to sign the Programme Participant Protection Policy and the Concern Staff Code of Conduct as an appendix to their contract of employment. By signing the Programme Participant Protection Policy and the Concern Staff Code of Conduct candidates acknowledge that they have understood the contents of both the Concern Staff Code of Conduct and the Programme Participant Protection Policy and agree to conduct themselves in accordance with the provisions of these two documents.
Concern receives a substantial amount of funding from external donors each year. Increasingly donors are introducing requirements whereby future funding is conditional on Concern ensuring that the names of any new employee or volunteer do not appear on terrorism lists generated by the European Union (List of person, groups and entities to which Regulation (EC No. 2580/2001 applies), the US Government (Office of Foreign Assets Control list of specially designated Nationals and Blocked Persons) and the United Nations (Consolidated List).
Any offer of employment (either paid or voluntary) with Concern Worldwide will not be made pending a clearance check being conducted on the applicant. For additional information please consult our web site or contact the Human Resource Division in our Head Office.
Concern Worldwide is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all sections of the community.
How to apply
To apply:All applications should be submitted through our website at www.concern.net/jobs Application deadline is 14th June 2010
(Please note that due to the urgency of this position, applications will be short listed on a regular basis and we may offer the post before the closing date)
Reference Code: RW_85ZBUW-67