School Accountant, Pharo School – Kigali, Rwanda
Organisation Overview
The Pharo Foundation (the ‘’Foundation”) is a privately funded entrepreneurial organization that runs philanthropic programmes as well as a for-profit arm, Pharo Ventures. The vision of the Foundation is an economically vibrant and inclusive Africa. The mission is to achieve this vision by investing in Africa’s human and physical capital, with a strong focus on job creation.
Established in 2011 as a UK-based non-profit, the Foundation has since made a strategic shift to design and implement its own programmes to ensure greater community engagement, better results, and increased accountability. The Foundation has carried out numerous projects in Eastern Africa, focusing on Ethiopia and Somaliland, and is now expanding operations in Rwanda and Kenya. The key strategic pillars for the philanthropic side of the Foundation are Education, Health, Water, and Agriculture.
Aligned with the Foundation’s overall strategy, in Rwanda, the Foundation plans to focus on all four of its strategic pillars: Education, Health, Agriculture, and Water. Within the education sector, the primary focus will be to:
- Run its K-12 schools (Kindergarten up to S6) with a focus on quality 21st-century learning;
- Collaborate with the government to implement key government priorities in education; and
- Promote TVET education.
About the School
The anticipated Pharo School will be located in one of the most vibrant metropolitan areas in Kigali City. We anticipate attracting a substantial number of students from communities around the school and some other areas of Kigali City. This will be the first in tens of schools that The Pharo Foundation Rwanda is planning to launch in and around the Kigali area.
Position Summary
In anticipation of the launch of the first-ever Pharo School in Rwanda, the Foundation is seeking to recruit a proven School Accountant to manage finance duties for the school.
The School Accountant role is challenging for a self-driven individual who seeks to leverage their knowledge and understanding of the local accounting principles and tax regulations and ensure compliance with the required regulatory standards. The incumbent will be accountable for maintaining financial processes within the school through effective implementation of policies, systems, robust internal controls, and accurate and transparent record keeping.
Role: School Accountant
Reporting to: Principal
Functional Relationships: Senior Finance Officer (Rwanda) and Finance and Administration Manager (Rwanda)
Direct Reports
- None
Key Duties and Responsibilities
- Prepare quarterly and yearly variance reports and seek explanations with the help of the School Principal.
- Prepare school monthly financial reports and support the country office in providing financial school data as may be requested.
- Prepare monthly and termly fee reconciliations.
- Prepare and process all financial expenses for the school and submit them for further review and approval.
- Make payments from petty cash only when approved and perform reconciliation regularly.
- Prepare school payroll and submit it to the country office for processing.
- Scan and archive financial supporting documents every week.
- Post daily transactions in the accounting system regularly and seek reviews and approvals as required.
- Ensure all electronic and paper filing records for all accounting transactions and banking information are fully documented, well structured, transparent, and easily accessible.
- Ensure that the budget holders use the correct project codes while reviewing and processing financial transactions for approval.
- Work closely with the School Principal and Operations and Logistics lead to manage the school budget.
- Ensure the documentation for all accounting transactions is complete, transparent, and robust.
- Ensure program monthly controls are adhered to and executed effectively.
- Support the review and development of financial policies and ensure their implementation maintains integrity and transparency.
- Reconcile cash/bank accounts within three working days after the end of the month.
- Maintain proper inventory records and management of the school assets by ensuring they are secure and tagged.
- Ensure that all school supplies that have been paid for are fully delivered.
- The line manager may require other ad-hoc finance-related tasks.
Skills, Qualifications, and Behavioural Competencies
-
- Minimum three years’ experience in working in a similar capacity.
- Degree in Accounting or Business Management.
- A candidate with a CPA background will be an added advantage.
- Familiar with basic accounting and bookkeeping theory, e.g., .debits/credits and assets/liabilities.
- Experience using an accounting software package (Xero is ideal but not mandatory).
- Experience in using Microsoft Excel, Word, and Outlook.
- Proactive and able to manage workload with minimal guidance from the line manager.
- Methodical with an attention to detail.
Application Procedure
Review of applications will begin as soon as they are received, and only complete applications will be reviewed. If an outstanding applicant is identified early in the search process, we reserve the right to appoint before the deadline. For this reason, we encourage interested and suitably qualified candidates to apply at the earliest possible time. Due to the high volume of applications, we regret that we will only be able to contact shortlisted candidates.
Please send the information listed below, as a single PDF file, to the following email address: recruiting.rw@pharofoundation.org with the subject line “SCHOOL ACCOUNTANT_RWA.”
- A detailed CV and cover letter. State in your cover letter where you heard about this position, e.g., through the website, jobs board, etc.
- An essay of no more than 1,000 words to respond to the following:
- What experience have you gained that makes you the most qualified candidate for the role?
- What challenges do you foresee as a School Accountant in managing increasingly complex financial accounting tasks in a growing international organisation, and what steps will you take to resolve these based on your experience and knowledge?
- A one-page list of five references with current addresses, phone numbers, and email contacts.
- Make sure to submit your application before July 29, 2022 at 5.00 PM CAT.
