Head of Accounting Division

Organization Information

Reports to: Director PBFA

Directorate/Department: Finance

Division: Accounting

Number of Direct Reports: 2

Number of Indirect Reports: 15

Number of Positions: 1

Contract Type: Regular

Job Grade: P5

Purpose of Job

Directs and manages the daily operations of the Accounting Division in order to achieve the strategic objectives of the directorate and the AU’s overall goals.

Main Functions

•    Designs and implements policies, programs and projects to achieve the directorate’s strategic objectives.
•    Manages and supervises employees within the division, ensures the timely delivery of the directorate’s goals and effective staff performance evaluation;
•    Designs policies, strategies and programs to contribute to the effective implementation of relevant AU Policy Organs Decisions;
•    Ensures the delivery of the division’s annual targets in line with the directorate’s overall goals and ensures robust and timely monitoring and reporting;
•    Provides technical leadership and ensures efficient functioning of all Units within the Division
•    Manages the work of the Division and supervises direct reports to ensure their effective performance in line with the organization’s performance management policy and system;
•    Engages stakeholders within Members States and Regional Economic Communities (RECs)/Regional Mechanisms(RMs) and relevant international organisations in designing and implementing strategies.
•    Maintains thematic partnerships in support of the mandate of the Division;
•    Maintains regular working relations with senior stakeholders in Member States and partner institutions in the execution of the Division’s mandate.
•    Represents the organisation and communicates its position at conferences.
•    Contributes to the preparation of periodic financial and budget execution reports and monitor budget execution at division level.
•    Ensures the effective management of funds contributed to the organization;
•    Manages risk within the division and recommends mitigation strategies
•    Contributes to the development of the departmental business continuity plan and ensures implementation at division level
•    Maintains a positive work environment that facilitates collaboration and information sharing and is conducive to attracting, retaining, and motivating diverse talent.

Specific Responsibilities

•    Provide strategic leadership for the effective planning and coordination of  both the  internal and external audits and ensure proper application of the Financial Rules and Regulations of the African Union;
•    Supervises and manages the general accounting activities, establishment of effective internal controls while ensuring statutory compliance in all accounting initiatives;
•    Leads end-of-period accounting closure activities and supports the analysis of the periodical business performance, budgets, and forecasts;
•    Plays a leading role in creating and enhancing financial policies and procedures across the accounting department as well as the wider Finance department.
•    Ensures that there is consistency in procedures and policies across the accounting department and that these policies are appropriately set for the achievement of the business’s overall goals and objectives;
•    Engages stakeholders within Member States and RECs in designing and implementing strategies;
•    Manages compliance with International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS) of the complete financial reporting function of the Organization including a number of different and diverse operations and interrelated accounts of the financial system;
•    Monitors changes in regulatory framework of Accounting and initiate relevant updates to the IPSAS Policy Framework, AU Financial Rules and Regulations, Administrative Instructions, Circulars and to the Accounting Manual;
•    Represents the Director as financial advisor to relevant Sub-Committees of the Permanent Representatives of Member States and advise Policy Organs on matters of financial policy implications and service delivery issues;
•    Supervises end-of-period processes and supports the analysis of the periodical business performance, budgets, and forecasts;
•    Prepares annual financial report/statements of African Union Commission and African Union;
•    Oversight duty over the finance unit of Organs, Pan African Universities, regional and representational offices and specialized offices;
•    Produces monthly management report and any adhoc report as requested;
•    Ensures timely reconciliation of bank accounts, payables and receivables & settlement of Travel and Imprest Accounts;
•    Coordinates internal and external auditors for audit of the AU Financial Reports and records and ensures implementation of audit recommendations;
•    Ensures proper maintenance of Chart of Accounts, Master Ledger and GLs;
•    Provides advice, financial interpretations and corrective actions in response to audits and other queries to ensure adherence to AU Financial Rules and Regulations (FRR) and IPSAS.,
•    Custodian of documentation of all financial books and records.

Academic Requirements and Relevant Experience

• Master’s Degree in Accounting, Finance or Business management/Administration or related field with twelve (12) years of relevant work experience, seven (7) years should have been served at managerial level and five (5) years at supervisory level;

Membership of an internationally recognized professional accounting body such. as CA, CPA, ACCA, CIMA is mandatory.

Required Skills

•    Ability to initiate and promote collaborative approaches between geographically and culturally disparate partners
•    Ability to establish and maintain effective partnerships and working relations both internally and externally
•    Ability to develop and delegate clear program goals, plans and actions, including budgets, that are consistent with agreed strategies
•    Ability to effectively lead, supervise, mentor, develop and evaluate staff
•    Proficiency in one of the AU working languages (English, French, Arabic, Portuguese or Spanish), fluency in another AU language is an added advantage

Leadership Competencies

• Strategic Perspective
• Developing Others
• Change Management
• Managing Risk

Core Competencies

• Building Relationship
• Foster Accountability Culture
• .Learning Orientation
• Communicating with impact

Functional Competencies

• Conceptual Thinking
• Job Knowledge and Information Sharing
• Drive for Results
• Fosters Innovation

.TENURE OF APPOINTMENT:

The appointment will be made on a regular term contract for a period of three (3) years, of which the first twelve months shall be considered as a probationary period. Thereafter, the contract will be for a period of two years renewable, subject to satisfactory performance and deliverables.

GENDER MAINSTREAMING:

The AU Commission is an equal opportunity employer and qualified women are strongly encouraged to apply.

LANGUAGES:

Proficiency in one of the AU working languages (Arabic, English, French, Kiswahili, Portuguese, and Spanish) is mandatory and fluency in another AU language is an added advantage

REMUNERATION:

Indicative basic salary of US$ 50,746.00 (P5 Step 1) per annum plus other related entitlements e.g. Post adjustment (46% of basic salary), Housing allowance US$ 26,208.00 (per annum), and education allowance (100% of tuition and other education-related expenses for every eligible dependent up to a maximum of US$ 10,000.00 per child per annum), for internationally recruited staff and a maximum of $3,300 per child per annum for locally recruited staff.

APPLICATION INFORMATION

Applications must be submitted no later than September 19, 2025 11h59 p.m. EAT.

– Only candidates who meet all job requirements and are selected for interviews will be contacted.

– Consideration will be given only to those candidates who have submitted a fully completed online application with a curriculum vitae (CV), an African passport, and the required academic qualifications, such as Diplomas (Bac+2), Bachelor’s degrees (Bac+3), Master’s degrees (Bac+5) and any relevant certificate in line with the area of expertise.

– The African Union is an equal opportunity employer, and female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

– Candidates from least represented countries within the African Union are strongly encouraged to apply for positions that fit their profiles.

These countries include: Algeria, Angola, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Comoros, DR Congo, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Morocco, Namibia, Sahrawi D.R., Sao Tome and Principe, Seychelles, and Somalia.