Project Accountant – FASTER Project

About CRS

Catholic Relief Services carries out the commitment of the Bishops of the United States to assist the poor and vulnerable overseas. Our Catholic identify is at the heart of our mission and operations. We welcome as part of our staff and as partner’s people of all faiths and secular traditions who share our values and commitment to serving those in need. Since 2000 CRS Zambia has been implementing a number of programmes to support vulnerable communities in Zambian. Recent programming areas include: nutrition, agriculture, food security, HIV/AIDS, WASH, financial inclusion, and early child development.

Background

Through the Faith-Based Action for Scaling up Testing and Treatment for the Epidemic Response (FASTER) project, CRS plans to catalyze a game-changing enabling environment and create operational guidance, tools, training, and practical evidence that will allow provinces, districts and sites with high unmet need to address key gaps in the child and adolescent HIV treatment cascade. FASTER is funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) through the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) to accelerate pediatric ART in four African countries. To accelerate efforts to end pediatric HIV in Zambia, CRS will address structural and policy barriers, innovate, and facilitate scale-up of what works. FASTER will work with the Ministry of Health (MOH), national technical working groups, and other pediatric implementers nationwide.

NATURE AND SCOPE

The Project Accountant shall ensure that all Donor funds are handled prudently and in line with donor expectation. He/she will assist in the development of the annual budget based on donor funding and the expected activities to be conducted. The Position will report on the budget monthly and outline key highlights, challenges, or issues of concern. The Project Accountant will ensure that monthly activities agree with the set budget that is in place. The incumbent will ensure that financial reporting by the partners meet donor expectations as well as CRS requirements. The position will ensure that reporting tools are married/in agreement with CRS standards. The position will conduct regular field visits to gather financial data and will take note of any weaknesses in reporting to develop relevant trainings to close the gaps in financial reporting and for capacity building. He/she will also liaise with the Grants and Compliance Manager to ensure adherence to applicable policies and procedures as well as to maintain high quality standards in financial reporting. This position involves liaising with all FASTER supported facilities and requires high communication and influence skills and as well as knowledge acquisition and transfer.

Financial Management

• He/she will review partner ageing reports and provide feedback on key highlights and issues noted to the Program Managers and Partners.
• He/she will ensure that there are no delinquent balances
• He/ she will resolve any questioned / disallowed costs in a timely manner
• The incumbent will request advances and review liquidations to ensure accuracy as per budget lines and adherence to policy.
• He/she in line with CRS investment processes and will ensure Partners are funded as needed and huge cash balances are not maintained at Partners.
• He/s she will also ensure costs are acceptable as per USG regulations and charged as required to respective budget lines monitoring budget lines and enforcing budget flexibility

Partner Monitoring and Assessment

• The incumbent will undertake field visits to offer technical support/assistance as per the SRFM schedule as well as follow up on any ICIP actions to ensure closure
• The incumbent will participate in partner assessments and conduct ongoing monitoring of partner agencies as per CRS Sub-recipient Financial Monitoring Policy (SRFMP).
• He/she will verify adherence to accounting standards and analyze if there is sufficient internal control in the project. The monitoring is scheduled by the Deputy Finance Manager – Projects and Reporting and will be as scheduled

Partner Capacity Building

• The incumbent will highlight key areas of concern when liquidations are being done. He/she will go and assist in areas where weaknesses have been noted for rectification and training. When assessments are being carried out, assist areas where challenges or discrepancies are understood, and the incumbent provides technical assistance to remedy these areas

Project Budgeting

• The incumbent will assist in the preparation of the project budgets and will conduct cash forecast on a quarterly basis for planning purposes.
• He/she will attend budget review meetings every month to highlight issues noted and for information sharing.
• The incumbent will develop financial reports and invoices for donors and will follow up on payments from donors.
• The incumbent should also ensure budget maintenance in CRS reporting system as well as monitor burn rates.

Basic Qualifications

• B.A. degree in Accounting, Finance, Economics, Business Administration with courses in accounting, or a qualification in accounting (CPA/ACCA or equivalent).
• Minimum of two years’ experience in a position with similar responsibilities, preferably with an international or local NGO, or a financial/banking institution.

Travel – Must be willing and able to travel up to 50 %.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Excellent analytical skills with ability to detect and report inconsistencies
• Conscientious, accurate and thorough with great attention to detail
• Ethical conduct in accordance with recognized professional and organizational codes of ethics
• Proactive, resourceful, solutions oriented and results-oriented
• Ability to work collaboratively

Preferred Qualifications

• Knowledge of the relevant public donor regulations preferred.
• Proficient in MS Office packages (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Visio), Web Conferencing Applications. Knowledge of oracle financial accounting package or similar financial reporting software preferred.

Agency-wide Competencies (for all CRS Staff)

These are rooted in the mission, values, and guiding principles of CRS and used by each staff member to fulfill his or her responsibilities and achieve the desired results.

•  Integrity
• Continuous Improvement & Innovation
• Builds Relationships
• Develops Talent
• Strategic Mindset
• Accountability & Stewardship

Supervisory Responsibilities (none)

Key Working Relationships:

Internal: Project Director, Grants and Compliance Manager, Project Officers, MEAL Officer, Head of Programs, Finance Manager, Head of Operations.
External: FASTER Partners, External auditors and government stakeholders

***Our Catholic identity is at the heart of our mission and operations. Catholic Relief Services carries out the commitment of the Bishops of the United States to assist the poor and vulnerable overseas. We welcome as a part of our staff people of all faiths and secular traditions who share our values and our commitment to serving those in need. CRS’ processes and policies reflect our commitment to protecting children and vulnerable adults from abuse and exploitation.
Agency-wide Competencies (for all CRS Staff):
These are rooted in the mission, values, and guiding principles of CRS and used by each staff member to fulfill his or her responsibilities and achieve the desired results.

• Trusting Relationships
• Professional Growth
• Partnership
• Accountability

CRS’ talent acquisition procedures reflect our commitment to protecting children and vulnerable adults from abuse and exploitation.
CRS is an Equal Opportunity Employer

Disclaimer: This job description is not an exhaustive list of the skill, effort, duties, and responsibilities associated with the position.

Important Note: By applying to this job, I understand and acknowledge that CRS requires its staff to treat all people with dignity and respect and to actively prevent harassment, abuse, exploitation, and human trafficking. Further, I understand that if I am a successful candidate, I will be subject to a comprehensive background check, and my personal/professional references will be asked to evaluate my behaviors related to the above safeguarding-related topics.
Equal Opportunity Employer

Applicant Instructions: Please email a cover letter, and curriculum vitae which should include three references to: [email protected]. Please include the position you are applying for in the subject line.

The closing date for applications is 25th December 2020. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for an interview.