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Project Accountant at United Purpose and Self Help Africa

  • Full Time
  • Blantyre, Malawi
  • Applications have closed
  • Salary: 000

United Purpose and Self Help Africa

In August 2021, United Purpose and Self-Help Africa merged at a Global Level. In Malawi the country programmes have merged together under one organogram. The merger of United Purpose and Self-Help Africa has given us a unique opportunity to create an organisation built on our shared values and ideals and one that draws on our collective experience, knowledge and skills to expand and improve our work across the countries we work in. This is never more evident than in Malawi as it is also the only country where both UP and SHA operate.

United Purpose/Self Help Africa is implementing a Social Support for Resilience (SoSuRe) project with funding from EU from 1st March 2021 to August 2023. This is in partnership with Save the Children Italy. It is targeting 68,231 (29,566 current beneficiaries and 38,665 will join after retargeting) Social Cash Transfer Program (SCT) beneficiaries in Mulanje and Zomba districts.

Project Accountant (Blantyre-based within Project Management Unit (PMU), with extensive regional travel)

Job PurposeThe Project Accountant is responsible for the maintenance of timely, accurate, up to date and easily accessible financial information and the provision of training and mentoring to project staff (non-finance staff) on finance and related matters. Reports to Financial Controller and Consortium Director (matrix), line manages Accounts Assistant. The contract will be for approximately 10 months up until around August 2023

Key duties and responsibilities:

  • Read, understand, and keep abreast of donor contracts and guidelines to ably guide Project Managers in interpretation and compliance of donor policies and procedures on budgeting, expenditures, and reporting.
  • Review financial data for accuracy, completeness, and integrity to ensure it is in line with UP and donor policies and procedures.
  • Prepare timely and accurate donor financial reports in line with narrative reports, generally accepted accounting practices but also donor requirements to ensure effective project financial management by the Project Manager.
  • Prepare monthly Budget Variance Analysis (BVAs) for project managers and MT review; Take initiative to investigate all project variances on budget variance reports and liaise with project managers on timely remedial action to ensure acceptable maximum budget utilization.
  • Facilitate internal and external audit processes in relation to the project and ensure audit requirements are monitored throughout the project; work with the project manager to ensure that audit recommendations are implemented.
  • Prepare project staff on project close out procedures; Review, reconcile and update project asset listing, stock listing and verify to physical assets and stocks respectively.
  • Preparation of timely and accurate reconciliations of all applicable balance sheet items, monthly Project Financial Monitoring Reports, and donor financial reports and Assist the Financial Controller with all other month end procedures.
  • Monitor the cash and bank balances to avoid projects bank accounts running out of resources.
  • Periodically conduct partners visits to check on compliance of donor policies and procedures on budgeting, expenditures and reporting
  • Periodically conduct field visits to project sites to familiarize oneself with project activities but also confirm expenditure and provide finance induction, on- site support to staff, partners where necessary in all aspects related to accounting, finance and budget.

 The successful candidate will have:

  • Minimum a degree in accounting or any related
  • At least 5 years of experience as accountant, two of which should be in a supervisory role; experience as a Consortium finance technical lead person will be an asset.
  • Fair knowledge of EU or any other major donor.
  • Be detail oriented and organized and be acquainted with international financial management best practice and EU and or other major donor funding requirements a great advantage.
  • Have good command of English to respond orally and in writing to inquiries about project’s finance
  • High levels of integrity, honesty, strong ethics but also a quick learner
  • Good computer skills with ability to work with spreadsheets, accounting software packages; Knowledge of the SAGE Accounting System or any other accounting package is a plus but is not mandatory
  • Strong analytical and organizational skills
  • Attention to detail and problem-solving skills
  • Flexible, dependable, and ability to maintain confidentiality.
  • Ability to work independently and as part of a team
  • Professional attitude towards work
  • Proactive and results oriented
  • Friendly, customer service orientation

Method of Application

Qualified and interested candidates who meet the stated requirements must submit a completed Application Form. Please note that CVs and cover letters will not be accepted.

Please visit https://united-purpose.org/s/UP-Job-Application-Form-2wtb.doc to download the Application Form, and then submit the completed form via email only to;

applicationsmw@united-purpose.org  When submitting, please cite the position you are applying for in the subject title.  Any applications that do not include this in the title will not be considered. Please also ensure that the application and cover letter is saved as per the following example: [your name] _Project Accountant_application. No hard copies / physical applications will be accepted.

Closing date for the receipt of completed application forms is 12:00 Midnight of 23rd September 2022. Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

United Purpose / SHA takes the safety and well-being of all those we work with, and our staff, very seriously. We have a zero-tolerance policy on abuse. Our recruitment is safe, meaning that we recruit staff with the highest values and standards of ethical behaviour. United Purpose/ SHA has a Safeguarding Children and Vulnerable Adults Policy, which reflects our commitment to protecting the people with whom we work. All candidates will be expected to comply with this policy and its procedures.

For more information about SHA/UP, please visit our website at https://selfhelpafrica.org/ie/ or   www.united-purpose.org/malawi/