Project Accountant

Lawyers for Human Rights (LHR) are an Ethiopian civil society organization re-registered on September 19, 2019 before the FDRE Civil Societies Organizations Agency in accordance with Proclamation No. 1113/2019. The objectives of the Organization includes increasing the participation and contribution of lawyers in the area of human rights through trainings and other capacity building activities, supporting lawyers across the nation and help exchange of ideas, information and experience for better protection of human rights and prevalence of human rights, litigating strategically in courts and other relevant organs to ensure protection and promotion of human rights recognized under the FDRE Constitution and other laws, creating awareness for justice organs on international human rights instruments ratified by Ethiopia, providing free or low cost legal services for victims of human rights violation particularly disadvantaged communities, influencing the government to enact new laws or amend existing ones to give full protection for human rights, familiarizing the idea of human rights defenders (HRD) among the lawyers etc.

To achieve its objectives, LHR has been engaging with national and international stakeholders in the past years including OHCHR East Africa Regional Office (EARO), National Endowment for Democracy (NED), Open Society Initiative for Eastern Africa (OSIEA), USAID Justice Activity Project, Freedom House (FH), Civil Rights Defenders (CRD), French Development Agency (AFD), Project Expedite Justice (PEJ), and Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS).

Currently, LHR is implementing a project entitled “Advancing Human Rights through Legal Aid Services”, with the objective of making legal aid services accessible to detainees in the early stages of criminal proceedings in police stations. In addition to this, supporting emerging CSOs is one of the project components.

LHR has been assisting Elibat Charitable Organization in the implementation of the project “Improving the Rights of Incarcerated in Correctional Facilities in Addis Ababa” with the support of Agence Française de Développement (AFD). The project aims to address the human rights violation against women incarcerated in the main prisons in Addis Ababa, namely Kaliti and Klinto.

JOB Review

LHR is looking for a Project Accountant, who will be responsible for cash management, documentation, making authorized payments, recording, summarizing, and analyzing financial statements of the project with a demonstrated knowledge of financial policies, procedures, donor compliance and systems with excellent communication, analytical and organizational skills.

The Project Accountant will collaborate with the project team in the head office staff and provide a comprehensive and effective financial and administrative service to the HO. The Project Accountant will assist the Head of Administration and Finance in ensuring that it is well supported in all areas of Finance & administration, contributing to the work efficiency of the organization.

Job Description

Duties and responsibilities of the employee:

• Prepared Cash and Bank Transaction vouchers/Journals, Cash and Bank Reconciliations.
• Post payments correctly under the appropriate budget lines and codes.
• Performs monthly desk review of the financial documents to ensure completeness of supporting documents received for early spot of irregularities.
• Prepare and update monthly staff benefits, tax schedules, and follow up the payments as well as the tax settlement.
• Ensures that all entries are properly documented, and all transactions are backed up with complete required documentation that is properly dated and signed.
• Maintains bank and cash transactions journal.
• Prepares check requests vouchers and payment vouchers ensuring that all supporting documents are completed before payment.
• Makes sure that backup documentation for cash disbursements is duly approved and on file prior making cash payments.
• Prepare all the necessary documents in line with assigned projects and facilitate external and internal audits and financial reviews.
• Facilitate on liaising with auditors to ensure annual monitoring is carried out smoothly and accordingly.
• Participate in producing accurate quarter and final financial reports to specific deadlines.
• Participate in office management: Maintain the office petty cash, office inventory, and stationary supplies and utility services maintenance.
• Handle petty cash funds.
• Prepare on time a petty cash replenishment document with the cash count balance.
• Information Management: Develop and maintain relevant databases and filing systems for optimal management of information and contacts.
• Prepare and organize documents of financial & administration.
• Photocopying, scanning, printing, and filling all financial documents.
• Keep a smooth working relationship in the office.
• Undertakes other duties as required that might be assigned by supervisors.

Disclaimer:

This job description is only a summary of the typical functions of the job. It is not an exhaustive or comprehensive list of all possible job responsibilities, tasks, and duties. The responsibilities, tasks, and duties of the jobholder may differ from those outlined in the job description and other duties, as assigned, may be part of the job.

Required Skills and Experience

• BA degree in Accounting, Finance, Management, or other relevant subject
• At least 4 years’ experience and a minimum of 2 years project related work experience
• CSO/NGO experience has a plus advantage.
• Good written and spoken English.
• Flexibility and ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines in changing situations.
• Experience in using accounting software (QuickBooks, Peachtree,) is a requirement.
• Ability to manage filing systems quickly and systematically.
• Use of excel, word processing, email is a requirement.