Accounts Officer at Plan International

Plan International is an independent development and humanitarian organisation that advances children’s rights and equality for girls.

We believe in the power and potential of every child. But this is often suppressed by poverty, violence, exclusion and discrimination. And it’s girls who are most affected.

Working together with children, young people, our supporters and partners, we strive for a just world, tackling the root causes of the challenges facing girls and all vulnerable children.

We support children’s rights from birth until they reach adulthood. And we enable children to prepare for – and respond to – crises and adversity. We drive changes in practice and policy at local, national and global levels using our reach, experience and knowledge.

Dimensions of the Role

• The Project Accountant Assistant will support the Project Accountant in the coordination of project financial and accountant related activities required for the implementation of the Team Up Project.
• Under the direction of the Project Accountant, the position holder would assist in the day-to-day activities of planning, managing, coordinating, and superintending operations, support, monitoring and reporting tasks.
• The post-holder will be based in the Tamale office and the role will involve travel to project communities where the project operates for approximately 40% of her/his time.

Accountabilities
The Account Assistant will among many other tasks perform the following:

• Operation of the corporate accounting software to meet Plan’s spending and financial reporting requirements. To do this, the role will:
• Prepares journal, journal entries and receipt vouchers using the corporate accounting software
• Processes Payment Vouchers and Journal Vouchers through SAP on time and in accordance with the Operations Manual
• Ensures that transactions are complete and accurate with self-explanatory and understandable description
• Maintains a record of vouchers borrowed by staff and ensures that they are returned and filed appropriately.
• Supports the monthly general ledger closure process.
• Ensures that the general ledger balances of the balance sheet accounts (ie, deposits, prepayment, advances, accruals, etc) agrees with the sub ledger balances.
• Files all Disbursement Vouchers/Journal Vouchers systematically no later than the following month, with all supporting documents attached and duly stamped with PAID, date and check number indicated and maintain good filing for all vouchers in a limited and restricted area
• Support internal Financial Controls and process payments to ensure Plan attains value for money at all times. To do this, the role will:
• Ensures that the documentation for payment is acceptable and accurate with all arithmetic calculations being correct.
• Approved payment request should be processed within two working days upon receipt
• Prepares the Withholding tax and VAT schedule where relevant before payment is done.
• Cancels (stamped PAID) all vouchers (payment, journal and receipt) and its supporting     documents to forestall re-use.
• Ensures Cheques should be exact in both words and figures and match with the supporting documents.
• Ensures online transactions/cheques are authorised by designated authoriser
• Ensures that cheques issued and vouchers cancelled follow the requirements in the Operations Manual (OM).
• prepares monthly bank reconciliation by the 10th of the ensuing month.
• Provides Support for Advance Management to ensure advances are properly accounted and liquidated as required. To do this, the role will:
• Prepares and maintains the sub ledger for all advances (travel, purchase etc.).
• Ensures timely liquidation of staff advances.
• Ensures that more than one advance is not be given to a staff at a time.
• Make available weekly to the Project Accountant a list of all un-liquidated advances and       supports with the follow up of these advances.
• Ensure that Plan’s Child Protection Policy and related procedures are adhered to in all aspects of work.
• Perform others tasks assigned by the supervisor.
• Ensure that Plan’s gender policy is properly implemented especially through the day to day work.
• The holder of the position has no authorization and will liaise with Project Accountant for all related finance and administrative procedures under the leadership of the Specialist.

Responsibilities

• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision.
• Ensures that Plan International’s global policies for Safeguarding Children and Young People and Gender Equality and Inclusion are fully embedded in accordance with the principles and requirements of the policy including relevant Implementation Standards and Guidelines as applicable to their area of responsibility.
• This includes, but is not limited to, ensuring staff and associates are aware of and understand their responsibilities under these policies and Plan International’s Code of Conduct (CoC), their relevance to their area of work, and that concerns are reported and managed in accordance with the appropriate procedures.

Key relationships

• Country Director
• Project Manager
• Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist
• Regional, District and Project Coordinators
• Education Specialist

Technical expertise, skills and knowledge
Essential
Qualifications & Experience

•  Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, management, economics
• At least 2 year’ experience in a similar role
• Good experience in project reporting requirements
• Good in excel

Key skills & Competencies

• Good management skills
• Excellent written and spoken skills in English
• Calm and positive under pressure and in difficult situations
• Sound problem-solving skills
• Good team player
• Good negotiating, facilitating, and influencing skills
• Proficient in Microsoft applications especially excel and pivot tables.
• Good communication skills both oral and written
• Good accounting, analytical, and judgment skills
• Good supervisory and coordination skills
• Ability to deliver to tight deadlines

Personal Attributes

• Timeliness and proactive in the discharge of duties
• Good planning organizational abilities
• Communicates in a manner that inspires confidence and professionalism
• Good supervisory and listening abilities
• Open to feedback and willingness to adopt to new approaches and processes
• Ability to inter-face with all levels of management
• Analytical and attention to detail
• Good team player
• Safety and security conscious
• Good presentation and attention to details