POSITION DESCRIPTION
TITLE: Senior Accountant
JOB LOCATION: Conakry, Guinea
REPORTS TO: Finance and Operations Director
PROJECT: United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Global Health Supply Chain Program– Procurement and Supply Management (GHSC-PSM) Guinea
General Summary and Background
Chemonics seeks a Senior Accountant based in Conakry, Guinea, to support the USAID Global Health and Supply Chain Program – Procurement and Supply Management (GHSC-PSM) project.
GHSC-PSM is the primary vehicle through which USAID 1) procures and provides health commodities, 2) provides technical assistance to improve partner countries’ management of the supply chain, and 3) collaborates with key international stakeholders to support global health initiatives. There are three main task orders for the project: the U.S. President’s Malaria Initiative, Population and Reproductive Health, and Maternal and Child Health. In supporting USG-funded global health activities, PSM will develop and manage a wide array of services for health commodity procurement and related systems strengthening technical assistance encompassing different elements of a comprehensive supply chain.
The Senior Accountant reports to the Finance and Operations Director and is responsible for overseeing the management the financial accounting operations of the GHSC-PSM programs’ field transaction in compliance with USAID regulations and the contract signed by USAID and Chemonics International Inc. (Chemonics). This individual is responsible for establishing and managing all project finance and accounting procedures in line with USAID rules and regulations, and training and supervising other financial team members. The senior accountant is expected to have mastered the accounting role – implementing smooth financial operations, accurate expense tracking, and timely invoicing – with high accuracy and subject expertise. The Senior Accountant also supervises finance team members and is responsible for overseeing the quality, accuracy, and timeliness of the accountant’s work to ensure ensuring compliance with Chemonics, USG, PSM rules and regulations as well as Guinean law.
Principal Duties and Responsibilities:
- Collaborates closely with the Country Director, the Finance and Operations Director, the Chemonics home office country team, and finance department on financial management issues.
- Serves as the primary point of contact with the home office Field Accounting Support Team (FAST) representative.
- Supervises junior finance staff and reviews all financial deliverables before submission to ensure the quality, accuracy, and timeliness of work
- Responsible for the project’s financial compliance with Chemonics, USG, PSM rules and regulations and Guinean law
- Identifies and communicate issues, questions, or concerns to GHSC-PSM leadership, the Finance and Operations Director, and Country Director accordingly
- Supports the Finance and Operations Director in subcontractor management by reviewing and monitoring monthly subcontractor invoices.
- Supervises and provides final approval of monthly payroll on a timely basis each month:
- Prepares the final salary receipt/payroll forms, as well as the pension and social security withholdings, employer contributions, and all applicable benefits and taxes withheld according to local labor law
- Liaises with local income tax authority and remits employee withholdings monthly
- Liaises with local bank, reconcile monthly bank statements, and verify all deposits and withdrawals.
- Explains and trains staff on accounting principles, Abacus accounting software, USAID and Chemonics regulations to staff and consultants, if necessary
- Supervises junior finance staff to ensure their professional development
- Supervises the implementation of Chemonics Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for financial, prepare and submit monthly financial reports for the country director of the GHSC- PSM
- Oversees the final review of project payments and accurate recordings in financial management software of per diem expense reports, requests for payments, vendor invoices, wire transfer requests, and similar financial tasks to ensure adherence to compliance including:
- Ensuring that all supporting documentation and approvals are accurate for payments
- Ensuring the upload and release fo transactions in Abacus throughout the month
- Reconciling all accounts receivable balances monthly
- Reviewing copies of all receipts for all expenses
- Reviewing procurement transactions to ensure that all supporting documentation and approvals are accurate.
- Overseeing bank reconciliation process
- Reviewing Travel and Advance Reports
- Reviewing the monthly wire transfer payment request before submission to the home office country team
- Ensuring monthly submission of country expenditure (locals) reports and any necessary corrections within one week of submission
- Reviews all coding sheets before they are sent to the Finance and Operations Director and Country Director for approval
- Manages and tracks all VAT-related transactions (paid or withheld) and maintain all related files, approvals, and relevant correspondence.
- Ensures financial team diligently maintains project electronic and paper finance filing systems per Chemonics policy including the uploading of transaction GJs on a routine and monthly basis to the sharepoint
- Works with other finance and operations team staff to prepare proper financial documentation using ABACUS software program, and accurately process expenditures for monthly invoicing to USAID.
- Supports the Finance and Operations Director as a liaison to other administrative and technical components to manage project financial budgeting and expenditure progress.
- Establishes standards and procedures to ensure that the compliance programs throughout the project are effective and efficient in preventing, detecting, identifying, and correcting noncompliance with applicable rules and regulations.
- Ensures compliance with organizational policies, procedures and internal controls (e.g. Field Office Guide to Field Accounting and Compliance, Field Office Procurement Handbook, Policy Manual, Global QMS, etc.), and make recommendations on strengthening these policies and procedures.
- Ensure due diligence that funds are not being diverted from their development purpose outlined in the contract and are not vulnerable to corruption, extortion or otherwise benefitting malign groups.
- Updates project procedure and policy manuals as necessary.
- Exhibit Chemonics values and help build culture of “Living our Values” within the team
- Performs additional tasks as required by the country director and program leadership.
Job Qualifications
- Minimum 7 years of experience in financial management for an office of comparable size, preferably on a USAID-funded project.
- University bachelor’s degree in accounting, business administration, or other related field. Advanced degree preferred.
- Knowledge of USAID and procedures, especially procurement and cost accounting principles.
- Demonstrated ability in analyzing financial documents, projections, expenditures, and accruals.
- Skills in program planning, budgeting and financial analysis preferred.
- Familiarity with and proven ability to use standard accounting and spreadsheet software.
- Skilled in leading and managing high-performing teams.
- Demonstrated ability to work with cooperating partners in implementing complex programs.
- Excellent interpersonal, written and oral communications skills;
- Demonstrated leadership, versatility, and integrity.
- Written and spoken fluency in English and French preferred.
- Required to be a Guinean National/Authorized to work in Guinea
Location of Assignment
The location of assignment is Conakry, Guinea. Intermittent local travel may be required.
Supervision
The Senior Accountant will report directly to the Finance and Operations Director or his/her designee.
Apply online in sending updated CV and Cover Letter by 21 February 2023:
For issues related to electronic submission at the website above, please email [email protected]
No telephone inquiries, please. Finalists will be contacted.
Chemonics is an equal opportunity/Affirmative Action employer and does not discriminate in its selection and employment practices. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, disability, protected veteran status, genetic information, age, or other legally protected characteristics.
