Senior Accountant

DAI works at the cutting edge of international development, combining technical excellence, professional project management, and exceptional customer service to solve our clients’ most complex problems. Since 1970, DAI has worked in 150 developing and transition countries, providing comprehensive development solutions in areas including crisis mitigation and stability operations, democratic governance and public sector management, agriculture and agribusiness, private sector development and financial services, economics and trade, HIV/AIDS, avian influenza control, water and natural resources management, and energy and climate change. Clients include international development agencies, international lending institutions, private corporations and philanthropies, and host-country governments.

1. Project Background:

The Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Program is a cross-ministry and multi-donor program to reduce stunting in Zambia. The National Food and Nutrition Commission (NFNC) implements SUN as part of the Government of the Republic of Zambia (GRZ) 1,000 Most Critical Days Program.  SUN 2.0, the second phase of the program, has three major components: (1) Pooled Multi-Donor SUN Fund, (2) SUN Technical Assistance (SUN TA), and (3) SUN Learning and Evaluation. Working in parallel with the SUN Fund, the USAID/Zambia SUN TA program will provide support and direct technical assistance to sub-national local government officials in target districts to plan, implement, coordinate, and monitor integrated nutrition-sensitive and nutrition-specific activities to significantly reduce the rate of stunting among Zambian children under two.

2. Location: Lusaka, Zambia

3. Objective:

The Senior Accountant is a key member of the finance team. S/he will play a pivotal role in assuring adherence to financial policies, project policies and procedures, regulations, controls, and reporting systems. The Senior Accountant will provide accounting support to the project office, and ensure compliance of all relevant accounting and financial reporting functions and local statutory requirements. Responsible for recording costs and day to day general accounting, accounts receivable/payable, payroll, assuring all backup documentation is audit ready, and supporting the Director of Administration and Finance with all financial functions. The Senior Accountant may perform any other related duties as assigned.

4. Tasks and Responsibilities:

Policies & Procedures

• Ensures that accounting practices are carried out in accordance with GAAP standards; project internal controls are implemented in accordance with DAI policies, USAID rules/regulations, and the terms of the contract between USAID and DAI.

Financial Reporting

• Prepares vendor and remittance tax forms, and ensures these are submitted in a timely manner
• Prepares and submits monthly reconciliation reports for review
• Monitors and submits advance, commitment, and grant reports as applicable
• Manages reporting of expenses by office
• Monitors and reports on partner/vendor payment schedules and obligations
• Manages information inputs for any financial reporting requirements, or internal reports as necessary

Financial Management

• Use Field Accounting System (FAS) to record daily financial transactions and electronic project filing system and structure on the project server to save all finance documentation
• Maintain hard copy file management systems and uses DAI’s operations system (TAMIS) and Oracle to complete finance functions as required
• Oversee voucher uploads to DAI’s repository for the electronic archival of financial documentation
• Communicate with the Director of Finance and Administration on troubleshooting technical issues
• Conduct daily reviews of backup documentation using the finance checklists to ensure completeness, accuracy, and full compliance with DAI policies and procedures
• Perform and oversee regular spot audits of project files

General Accounting

• Oversee weekly cash-flow forecasts for approval and fund replenishment wire requests
• Prepare invoices, advances and reimbursements, cheques, and wire transfer payments and VAT Local Purchase Orders for approval and processing, ensuring accuracy and timely execution
• Ensure that requests for payment have appropriate approvals
• Prepare field expense vouchers ensuring accuracy of expense coding
• Prepare payroll, ensuring leave balances and taxes are accurately recorded
• Prepare tax and other statutory remittances
• Prepare and submits field expense extracts and coordinates with the Project Associate to complete field office to home office expense bi-weekly reporting
• Ensure that foreign taxes paid, if any, are tracked, recorded, and reported to USAID, in coordination with the Director of Finance and Administration
• Perform any approved accounting corrections and reversals
• Ensure the timely deposit of cash receipts
• Act as a bank agent securing petty cash replenishments and other cash needs as instructed
• Ensure the safeguard of bank checks
• Record approved costs in the Field Accounting System (FAS)
• Prepare monthly bank reconciliations
• Prepare backup documentation for all project-related transactions, and ensure completeness and appropriate review and approvals are documented
• Ensure petty cash is maintained per maximum petty cash policy, and that all petty cash procedures are followed
• Support periodic cash counts
• Audit travel requests and expense reports for accuracy and compliance and follow procedures to ensure accurate and timely payment and reconciliation of travel advances, reimbursements for staff and partner travel

Other duties

• Escalate any delays or vendor/other issues to the Director of Finance and Administration immediately
• Perform any other duties as assigned by the Director of Finance and Administration

5. Reporting and Supervision:

The Senior Accountant directly reports to the Director of Finance and Administration and may supervise one or more Bookkeepers.

6. Qualifications:

• Certified Accountancy Qualification (completed)
• B.A. Degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration or equivalent.
• Must have current Associate Membership of the Zambia Institute of Chartered Accountants (ZICA)
• 4+ years of relevant experience in an accountancy position
• Minimum 4 years’ experience supporting USAID-funded projects in an accountancy/finance role
• Demonstrated understanding of applicable finance-related USG contracting regulations
• Accuracy in working with large amounts of data
• Ability to respond effectively to the time sensitive inquiries
• Experience with enterprise accounting software, and Microsoft office suite
• An energetic, forward-thinking and creative individual with high ethical standards and appropriate professional image
• An extremely well organized and self-directed individual with sound technical skills, analytical ability, good judgment, and strong operational focus
• Able to maintain good working relationships with team members while retaining high levels of confidentiality and discretion
• Fluency in English is required

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