Project Accountant

Africa Health Collaborative Project of Addis Ababa University

Context

The Africa Health Collaborative (AHC) is a pioneering initiative aimed at strengthening primary healthcare across Africa and empowering the continent’s health sector through transformative education and innovation. It involves eight African Universities/Institutions (Amref International University (AMIU)-Kenya, Moi University Kenya, The African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS), Addis Ababa University (AAU), The African Leadership University (ALU) -Rwanda, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST)- Ghana, University of Cape Town (UCT), and Asheis-Ghana), and University of Toronto (UofT), each in partnership with Mastercard Foundation. AAU has launched the Africa Health Collaborative Project at the College of Health Sciences (CHS). It is a 6-year project focusing on three pillars of work to achieve the AHC’s objectives:

• Health Employment (HEMP) aims at equipping the primary healthcare workforce in Ethiopia with relevant skills that productively match the health and well-being needs of the Ethiopian population.
• Health Entrepreneurship (HENT) aims at launching entrepreneurial ecosystems and platforms in Ethiopian Universities to optimizing and scaling health startup, creating jobs with a focus on youth and women, while addressing critical gaps in primary healthcare to accessibility, affordability, and quality.
• Health Ecosystem (HECO) aims at developing a dynamic and sustainable health ecosystem network that integrates local knowledge, supports policy development, and equips actors with the skills needed for sustainable health sector growth, transformation, and job creation across Africa.

The project wants to hire qualified and experienced staff on a contract basis for the following position.

II. Position/title: Project Accountant

Employment status: Full-time Contract

Duration of Employment: 6- years; annually renewable contract depending of employee’s performance

Primary Work Location: Addis Ababa University, College of Health Sciences

Travel out of Addis Ababa: To National Partner Universities (Debre Berhan, Wollo, Wolkite Universities)

Department/Project: Africa Health Collaborative Project of AAU

Job Role: The Project Accountant will provide professional accounting services and prepare all project related budget, payments, and evaluate the processes and act to solve problems if any; perform accounting and administrative work for the Collaborative programs; advise the Project Senior Accountant on the progress of the project performance and recommend timely interventions; prepare quarterly and annual work plans and progress reports; support the preparation of timely financial plans; and perform other duties as assigned.

Objectives of the Assignment: The objectives of the Project Accountant are providing support to the Project Senior Accountant for the successful implementation of the project financial system; allocating, posting and reconciling accounts payable and receivable; producing error-free accounting reports and present their results; and summarizing and reporting monthly, quarterly, and annually financial status of the Collaborative programs.

Target Groups: University undergraduate and postgraduate students receiving scholarship, trainings and other supports from the Collaborative programs, local partner universities, and other stakeholders involved in the Collaborative program activities.

Scope of work: This position is a full-time contract employment. The scope includes but not limited to:

Planning: Participate in preparation of the Collaborative programs’ budget, development of frameworks and tools for allocation, transfer and financial reporting.

Training: Support the Collaborative training programs, and support the Project Senior Accountant on the provision of trainings to the Collaborative local partner universities’ Finance Assistants/Accountants on required project financial management tools, procedures, reporting, etc.

Database: Create a financial database (state-of-the-art accounting system) and record and document the Collaborative programs’ financial status and maintain and strengthen internal controls.

Networking: Support the development of a system to support the financial management of local partner Universities’ Project Accounting.

Monitoring and Evaluation: Support the development and implementation of financial monitoring and evaluation strategies, frameworks, and tools that will ensure regular and accurate accounting systems; keep accounting books and systems up to date; review accounts on regular basis to ensure the balances are complete and accurate; and direct internal and external audits to ensure compliance.

Reporting: Prepare quarterly and annual financial statements/reports by providing elaborated details progresses against the Collaborative programs’ budgetary plans’ achievements against targets, and highlighting actions taken against encountered problems and obstacles.

Available position: One (1).

Salary and benefits: Attractive- as per the Collaborative Project Scale

Education Requirements: Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting and Finance, Accounting, or related fields

Minimum Experience Requirement: Eight (8) years of experience as an Accountant, Finance Expert, Finance Officer for a Bachelor’s Degree holders, or five years (5) years experiences for a Master’s Degree holders in one of the above fields, or related.

Competency Requirements

Core competencies

• Ability to plan, organize, and control resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals,
• Ability to develop new and useful interventions,
• Proven track record of working with projects hosted at government organizations/institutions,
• Demonstrated experience in providing strategic support, capacity building, and mentorship to project accounting team,
• Developed experience in Governmental as well as Project Accounting and Auditing principles and practices,
• Electronic data processing applications to accounting functions,
• Ability in budgetary, accounting and reporting systems,
• Ability to work within the team and support other colleagues to achieve the overall project goals,
• Ability to listen, adapt, persuade and transform, and
• Ability to get things done before the deadline.

Functional competences

• Ability to identify and execute opportunities to improve financial operational efficiency,
• Strong math skills for budget and other financial calculations,
• Proficient in Excel, Word processing and PowerPoint.
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and stakeholder management skills,
• Ability working in cross-functional teams and provide actionable recommendations to emerging issues,
• Capability for decisions within established accounting policies and procedures, and
• Capability to establish and maintain effective relationships with supervisors and other employees and the general public.