Project Accountant at SOS Children’s Villages Rwanda :Deadline: 04-04-22

Key performance areas and main responsibilities:

• Supervises the Project’s Account.
• Oversees, guides and controls financial matters ensuring that the project operates in accordance with Financial Policies and Procedures of SOS Children’s Villages international and are in line with the generally accepted accounting principles.
• Participates in regular monthly meetings to promote open communication, unified and accepted working methods to all Project Heads, Cashiers and other finance related personnel. Promptly points out irregularities and supervises their rectification.
• Ensures that all payments are genuine, are properly supported and accounted for; and all receipts are properly documented and timely banked.
• Proposes and implements (upon approval) new Financial and Administrative procedures and systems improvement aimed at strengthening the Projects’ Financial Control in collaboration with the Chief Accountant through the Project Coordinator.
• Co-ordinates Annual Budget Preparation Process and Finance transfers. 

• In collaboration with the Chief Accountant and the Head of Finance, supports the Project Coordinator to prepare and develop the project’s annual budget.
• Ensures that all Proposals from the project coordinator are timely obtained documented and discussed with the Chief Accountant: and that the proposed project budget is accurately prepared and meet the required deadlines for approvals.
• Periodically checks the approved annual budget expenses and balances and advises the Project coordinator and the other project heads on deviations and variances, and helps to report and suggest adjustments or budget re-allocation where necessary.
•  Regularly checks the bank balances and ensures there are always sufficient finances to run the projects smoothly all the time in accordance to the approved budget.
• Enhances Internal Controls with in the Project.
• Periodically carries out Internal Auditing for the project as per the Internal Audit check list and the requirements of the National Office.
• Checks the Pro-forma Invoices, bills and payment vouchers to see if the expenses are appropriate and within the budget limits, as well as the accuracy of the bills and invoices before payment is made.
• Regularly checks the Bank and Cash Registers as well as the Bank Statements of all accounts so as to ensure that all payments and withdrawals were authentic. Immediately reports any irregularity noted for necessary action.
• Checks all Cash and Bank Registers and their related vouchers monthly for accuracy, ensuring they are correctly reconciled, expenses are correctly coded and all supporting documents are available.
• Assists with the establishment of proper store-keeping records and procedures. Conducts regular checks of all stores of the project and verifies physical balance with the stock cards balance.
• Ensures that all measures to strengthen internal control as recommended by auditors in various audit reports are implemented and adhered to by the Project.
• Performs Detailed Accounting Tasks
• Checks Bank and cash registers of all projects; and the bank statements                                       of the account, and prepares reconciliation statements monthly.
• Checks if all payment vouchers have been properly prepared with relevant accounting codes and numbers and with adequate supporting documents and those entries made in the registers tally with the payment vouchers.
• Proposes budget adjustments/reallocation, if necessary, for approval.
• Keeps records and custody of all used and new cheque books, bank statements, payment vouchers, filled bank registers, receipt books – used and new, finance approvals and other finance documents in an orderly manner for easy retrieval for checking and for audit purposes.
• Regularly monitors the budget balances against the expenses and advises the Project coordinator and the Chief accountant accordingly to ensure that budget allocations are not surpassed, and that all expenses are within the budget limits.
• Regularly checks the accuracy of all bills (telephone, electricity bills, maintenance claims etc.) for accuracy and authenticity, and recommends payment before vouchers are prepared.
• Prepares and provides statistics summaries of the projects for the Quarterly and Annual Reports.
• ETC

DESIRED COMPETENCES AND QUALIFICATIONS.

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting or Finance.
• At least five years of relevant work experience with a not-for-profit organization
• Analytical thinking
• Sound judgement
• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English.
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision
• Proficiency with Excel, Word, and PowerPoint.
• Ability to work with various administrative and program levels in the organization.
• Strong organizational and research skills with a thorough understanding of finance and accounting principles, procedures and techniques.