Senior Accountant

Job title: Senior Accountant

Reports to: The Executive Director

Start Date: ASAP

Hours: Full-time

Duration: 24 months, Renewable

Location: Lusaka (Primary); Hybrid – Office/Remote

Purpose: 

Responsible for overseeing the accounting, compliance, procurement and general administration of the organization as well facilitating all financial-related training and consultancy to clients.

The Finance and Operations manager will be responsible for providing department heads and the board of directors with financial-related insights that will guide decision-making.

Duties and responsibilities:

Internal controls

• Update the current finance manual and internal control procedures to ensure that they are up to date and that they remain relevant to the operations of the organisation.
• Monitor compliance of all staff members to the finance manual and internal control procedures.

Working capital management

• Prepare and monitor weekly cash flow forecasts to ensure that the cash flows of the organization remain sufficient for day-to-day operations.
• Accounts payables and receivables management.
• Develop and maintain good relations with key clients and suppliers so as to ensure that good relations are maintained.
• Arrange short-term and long-term facilities to finance working capital gaps.

Bank Management

• Manage relationships with bank relationship managers and other relevant staff members
• Conduct weekly and monthly bank reconciliations to ensure the completeness of cash reported in the ERP system.

Budgeting and forecasts

• Coordinate the preparation of annual, quarterly and monthly departmental budgets and monitor them against actual expenditures.
• Preparation of budgets as and when required for all programmes and projects undertaken by the business and controlling expenditure in order to prevent overspending and budget deficits.
• Implement tools and reports that planning, forecasting, monitoring and decision making.

Reporting

• Review the financial transactions posted in Xero to ensure that all accounting records are up to date and posted correctly.
• Analyze costs, pricing, variable contributions, sales results and the company’s actual performance compared to the business plans.
• Preparation of weekly and monthly management accounts and reporting them to department heads.
• Analyze costs, pricing, variable contributions, sales results and the company’s actual performance compared to the annual budget and other Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).
• Preparation of financial data for grant reports as and when required to ensure that the business satisfies grant requirements.
• Overseeing the financial audit process annually.
• To advise senior management based on financials when required to guide their decision.

Regulatory compliance

• Timely submission of all requisite monthly, quarterly and annual regulatory returns and payments
• To inform senior management on any new regulations that concern the business as and when required and the potential impact on the operations of the business.
• Develop and maintain good relationships with regulatory bodies

Department Management

• Cost-effective and efficient supervision of office administration, procurement and logistics functions.
• Oversee operations of the finance department, set goals and objectives, and design a framework for these to be met.
• Delegation of tasks to the accounts and administration team as and when required to ensure that they perform their functions.

Facilitate finance-related training and mentorship.

• Designing and facilitating finance-related training for the BongoHive programmes, projects, masterclasses and other engagements as and when required.
• Mentor startups that go through BongoHive programmes weekly so as to ensure that they are able to manage their finance functions and have the capacity to make financially sound business decisions.

Other Tasks

• Monthly payroll administration and management.
• Work cross-organizationally and functionally to identify and drive business development opportunities alongside department heads.

Qualifications: 

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting/Finance/ Business.
• Professional accounting qualification (ACCA, CIMA, ZICA).
• Not less than 5 years relevant experience in various accounting and finance-related positions with at least 2 years in a management/supervisory position.
• Experience with working with Small to Medium Enterprises (SMEs).
• Good communication skills (verbal and written).
• Experience working with accounting and ERP packages. Experience with Xero will be an added advantage. Very good Microsoft Excel knowledge.
• Ability to work well under pressure with minimal supervision.