Are you passionate about quality, impactful, evidence-based, scalable programs for children? Do you want to use your expertise to bring about lasting change for children and be a part of an inspiring, dynamic global movement?

The Senior Accountant will be responsible for the overall accounting and book keeping functions of the field offices. In addition, the position will be responsible for efficient and effective management of SC cash flows, updating and reconciling the accounting ledgers, managing the end of period procedures, and ensuring the generation of accurate and timely monthly financial reports to Country office. The position is also responsible for technical supervision of the region’s Accountant.
Sounds interesting? Read more below

Key Areas of Accountability:
A) Financial Systems, Financial and management Accounts reporting.
• Responsible for Agresso financial systems package trouble shooting, coordinating data and transactions processing and providing user technical support and training in Agresso usage for both finance and non-finance staff within the Area program offices.
• Ensure that the Agresso ledgers for all projects are maintained up to date and that transactions are posted and are reconciled to correctness in projects, donors, activities, and expenditure codes in order to facilitate efficient and timely reporting to management and donors.
Review and conduct monthly and timely reconciliations of debtors, creditors, bank accounts, all cash disbursement accounts to identify differences and discrepancies in the accounts and prepare adjusting journals to make the relevant corrections and make timely monthly reports to the Country Office.
• Weekly review of the region’s shared costs and their appropriateness.
• Ensure the Production, interpretation and presentation of monthly financial and management budget Vs Actual expense reports to Area management for decision-making.
• Ensure the project management teams have the most updated financial data with budget performance; build the capacity of the project teams in best practices for proper financial management during the life cycle of the projects/awards/grants.
Prepare and submit timely Area office monthly funds requests to the country office for funding and ensure the field office has adequate funds for operations all through the year.
• Prepare periodic donor tailored financial reports as stipulated in the donor guidelines
• Work with Project Managers, Head of Budgeting and Reporting and the Awards team to ensure that budgets are appropriately phased and that SOF loaders are timely prepared for upload into Agresso.

B) Supplier, service providers’ accounts and Receivables management
Maintain a system to track financial commitments and outstanding contract amounts by staff and third parties transacting with SC and ensure that they are diligently executed when due.
• Ensure that all cash and cheque payments for goods and services rendered to Save the children are paid as they become due as per the provision of the finance manual.
• Ensure all payables and receivables accounts are reconciled on monthly basis to known schedules. This also includes timely review of partner advance accountabilities.
• Prepare and consolidate the deductions of PAYE , withholding tax and withholding VAT and make timely submissions of the schedules to Country office every month

C) Risk Management and assurance
• Monitor and advise management on any necessary required changes in the operational policies and ensure SCI complies with the statutory regulations
Continuous review of financial and operational risks in the region and give feedback and recommendations to staff and to management. Recommend to management any controls that may be necessary to close any foreseen risks.
• Coordinate in close contact with the Internal Audit and Compliance sections to ensure that the external statutory and donor audits of SC is undertaken and that the management letter issues for awards within the region are followed up and resolved/implemented.
• Advise both finance and non-finance staff over matters of internal control compliance periodically review the suitability of the existing controls to ensure they are adequate to minimise the risk exposure of SCI and that they reinforce the proper implementation of programs.
• Provide a strategic network with banks and other implementing partners where applicable to ensure the bank accounts and Treasury are run and kept with as minimal risk as possible.
Review the Cost allocation methodology transactions to ensure the recovery is fair and accurately done each month according to the defined and agreed parameters.
• Support in the external awards specific and entity wide audit process in liaison with the Country Finance Manager

D) Human resources Management
• In liaison with Human Resources department, develop the directly supervised staff to an effective and motivated team by implementing a continuous professional development programme.
• Periodically assess capacity development needs for direct reports and develop systems adequate to develop and improve the capacity of staff.
• A member of the procurement committee of the Area coordination office to provide technical advice to the team.

E) Networking with other departments for support and office coherence
• Closely work with the Logistics department of country office and Area office to ensure there is value for money for SC procurement of supplies and services and that there is minimal risk working with suppliers and service providers.
• Provide guidance to members of the area management team on matters of budget management and compliance to donor reporting.
Provide support to the Country office Finance management team in the periodic review of the processes in the field office and aligning them to the SCI –Uganda finance strategy.

To be successful for this role you will bring/have the following:
• At least a Bachelor’s Degree in Commerce, Accounting or Business Administration from a recognised university. MUST be a member of an Accounting professional body with qualifications such as ACCA, CPA, CIMA, ICSA etc.
• At least 5 years relevant progressive working experience working with International NGOs in a humanitarian and development setting, of which 3 years should be at finance management level
• Strong accounting skills and experience, including management of the general ledger, journal entries, payroll, payables and balance sheet analysis.
• Strong background in external donor reporting for an international NGO and experience working with major donors like USAID, SIDA, EU, KOICA, NORAD, DANIDA, Master Card Foundation, UN etc
Good financial management skills with knowledge of computer Accounting Packages and good understanding of Government budgets and tax policies.
• Proven ability to work with a team under minimal supervision and being able to prioritize work and meet tight deadlines.
• Planning, organising and negotiation skills
• Experience of working with local partners and District Local Government in Health, Education, HIV/AIDS or Child Protection program delivery
• Ability to speak local language and directly interact with target group will be an added advantage
• Strong analytical skills and strategic planning abilities.
• Ability to establish and maintain conducive collegial relations and perform effectively as a member of a team.
• Willingness to travel and work in hard-to-reach areas, occasionally under strenuous conditions.
• Computer literacy and excellent documentation skills are a must.
• Availability and willingness to work extra hours during times of humanitarian responses.
• Highly developed cultural awareness and ability to work well in an international environment with people from diverse backgrounds and cultures
• Ability to intervene with crisis management or troubleshooting as necessary.
• Highly developed interpersonal and communication skills including influencing, negotiation and coaching