Senior Accountant

The Clinton Health Access Initiative, Inc. (CHAI) is a global health organization committed to saving lives and reducing the burden of disease in low-and middle-income countries, while strengthening the capabilities of governments and the private sector in those countries to create and sustain high-quality health systems that can succeed without our assistance. For more information, please visit: http://www.clintonhealthaccess.org

Project Description:

CHAI seeks a Senior Accountant for an anticipated Community Health Assistant (CHA) Program whose objective is to increase access to cost effective, quality basic health and HIV services at community level and in health posts across selected provinces of Zambia.

Dynamic individuals with strong financial management experience, organizational skills, and ability to handle fast-paced work environments with immense responsibilities are sought for this role. S/he will work closely with the Associate Director, HRH, Finance Manager, CHA Program Manager and other staff to ensure resources are effectively and efficiently budgeted and managed.

Availability of position is contingent upon approval of funding.

The Senior Accountant will be responsible for overseeing the finance and administration functions of the project and ensure compliance with project and USG procedures. Specific responsibilities may include but are not limited to:

Finance duties and responsibilities:

• Support preparation of monthly cash financial reports including bank reconciliations and other supporting documents for submission to the Finance Manager and HQ Finance Team.
• Prepare cash flow forecasts and submit the cash needs on a monthly basis to the Boston Office.
• Maintain and closely monitor accurate cashbooks for all the bank accounts.
• Ensure accurate recording of expenses, in Quick Books, for Finance Manager’s approval before posting.
• Participate in developing, maintaining, and revising policies and procedures for the general operation of the finance and compliance functions and related activities to prevent illegal, unethical, or improper conduct and ensure compliance with national laws and CHAI wide policies and procedures.
• Ensure adherence to systems and controls, make recommendations for improvements/adjustments.
• Participate in the CHAI budgeting process and offer guidance and advice to the Program on budget related issues.
• Work with the Finance Manager to support expenditure tracking, forecasts, and donor reporting to submit to the program donors in a timely manner.
• Work with the program team to project accurate spends, and communicate to the program donors, if spends vary.
• Assist in preparing for all internal and external audits and participate in the audit process.

Payroll duties and responsibilities:

• Prepare, analyze and implement CHA and SUN Fund payroll transactions in a timely manner.
• Prepare and/or analyze periodic payroll reports, payroll schedules, and payroll related journal entries using established policies, procedures, and guidelines on a timely manner.
• Monitor local taxes, Social Security contributions, employee benefit contributions, garnishments, and other deductions to ensure accuracy of individual pay.
• Ensure all statutory deductions and monthly returns are remitted on time.
• Prepare and/or reviews the accuracy of payroll related journal entries and performs account reconciliation and analysis while ensuring supporting documentation is accurate and in compliance with organizational policies.
• Evaluate and implement appropriate payroll policies and controls and payroll processing and system enhancements to increase efficiency.
• Coordinate with payroll service provider on issues affecting organizational payroll.

This job description summarizes the main duties of the job. It neither prescribes nor restricts the exact tasks that may be assigned to carry out these duties.

• Bachelor’s Degree in business administration or accounting, along with full ACCA/ZICA (Master’s degree would be an added advantage)
• At least 5 years of professional experience managing financial and contractual aspects of donor-funded development projects
• Demonstrated ability for developing and managing large budgets and in-depth knowledge of U.S. government and particularly USG cost accounting standards is a must
• Demonstrated knowledge, skills, and/or experiences in accounting, financial planning and management, and procurement of USG-funded projects is needed
• Demonstrated skills, abilities, and experience to communicate effectively orally and in writing
• Must be a member of Zambia Institute of Chartered Accountants (ZICA)