Locations: Uganda-KampalaNigeria-AbujaMadagascar-AntananarivoMali-BamakoCote d’Ivoire-Abidjan-Rwanda-KigaliSouth Africa-JohannesburgBenin-CotonouCameroon-Yaounde
MAIN PURPOSE OF JOB:
The GSU Shared Services Accountant will support MSH’s global financial operations by providing accurate and timely accounting services across multiple programs, departments, and country offices. The role involves processing financial transactions, maintaining compliance with donor and organizational policies, and ensuring the integrity of financial data.
MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
1 – Business continuity and shared services
- Provide compensating controls for countries/projects with inadequate finance structures to manage segregation
- Act as the finance team in countries/projects with no finance staff or provide specialized support when required:
- Process and review financial transactions
- Record transactions into the accounting software
- Prepare all financial reports for internal and external stakeholders.
- Ensure all financial transactions comply with donor regulations and organizational policies.
- Maintain accurate documentation for audits and donor reviews.
- Perform monthly and annual reconciliations of balance sheet accounts in QuickBooks and CostPoint for all supported countries
- Provide robust surge support to country finance teams during periods of increased demand or special projects
- Set up the accounting function at country/project start-up by conducting robust onboarding sessions for finance and accounting staff, equipping new hires with required knowledge and skills to perform effectively, reviewing system requirements and delivering a fully operational accounting system (QBO, Transaction Pro, Inventory Management Systems etc.)
- Manage the close-out of finance and accounting functions in countries/projects in collaboration with the country office finance leads, ensuring that all expenses are recognized, assets and liabilities are reconciled and accurate, and bank accounts are closed/transitioned as appropriate
- Manage both cash accounts and accounts payable of projects/countries in start-up and close-out where local capacity is absent
2 – MSH business systems enhancement and maintenance
- Serve as the administrator for MSH’s financial management systems (QuickBooks, Costpoint, Inventory Management): Manage access and controls, provide training, and troubleshoot errors for all country office and HQ users
- Create QuickBooks company files for all new countries and projects
- Process Costpoint timesheet expense allocation, generate reports for country office use and troubleshoot issues for supported countries
- Coordinate the deployment and rollout of key global finance and accounting initiatives in line with MSH’s strategic plans
3 – Financial Management
- Contribute to the development, update, and management of MSH global financial processes and manuals, including the Country Office Finance Manual, Chart of Accounts Manual, specific training manuals (QuickBooks, Costpoint etc.), Inventory Management manual, among others.
- Oversee the implementation of and adherence to MSH’s internal controls by country offices
- Partner with country office teams to imbibe MSH’s values in all finance and accounting responsibilities
- Provide guidance and support external reporting requirements, including the review and preparation of annual and special purpose financial statements in supported countries
4 – Internal and External Liaison and Coordination
- Act as a strategic link and focal point connecting corporate departments with country offices.
- Coordinate and ensure country offices’ execution of organizational priorities and timelines set by corporate finance
- Manage relationships with outsourced service providers including payroll and accounting
QUALIFICATIONS
REQUIRED MINIMUM EDUCATION:
- Bachelor’s degree in Accounting or a related field
PREFERRED:
- Professional Accountancy Qualification (e.g. ACCA, CPA, ICAN)
- Master’s degree in Accounting or a related field
REQUIRED MINIMUM EXPERIENCE:
- 6 years of progressively responsible experience in finance/accounting in a similar organization
- Prior work experience with U. S. Government and non-USG, foundations, or other donors.
KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS:
- Experience in the use of accounting software (QuickBooks preferred).
- Experience in solving complex issues through analysis
- Experience in developing and building the capacity of finance and accounting staff
- Demonstrated ability to independently analyze balance sheet and expense account transactions
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office
- Understanding of the tenets of cash control and asset management and must be able to complete timely and accurate account reconciliations.
COMPETENCIES:
Excellent written and oral communication skills in English
Excellent interpersonal skills; demonstrated ability to interact professionally with culturally diverse staff.
Demonstrated ability to thrive in a matrix management environment.
Strong results orientation, with the ability to challenge existing mind-sets/status-quo
Excellent strategic, analytical, problem-solving, and systems-thinking skills with the ability to make sound judgments and decisions
MSH is an equal opportunity employer and will not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender or gender identity, religion, creed, citizenship, national origin, age, veteran status, or disability unrelated to job requirements. MSH will take affirmative action to ensure that qualified applicants are employed and that employees are treated without regard to their race, age, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran and disability status. In compliance with U.S. Department of Labor Executive Order 11246, Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act, and Section 4212 of the Vietnam Era Readjustment Assistance Act, MSH has developed and maintains an affirmative action program and plan.
