Country Accountant

The Organisation

Plan International is an independent development and humanitarian organisation that advances children’s rights and equality for girls.

We believe in the power and potential of every child. But this is often suppressed by poverty, violence, exclusion and discrimination. And it’s girls who are most affected.

Working together with children, young people, our supporters and partners, we strive for a just world, tackling the root causes of the challenges facing girls and all vulnerable children.

We support children’s rights from birth until they reach adulthood. And we enable children to prepare for – and respond to – crises and adversity. We drive changes in practice and policy at local, national and global levels using our reach, experience and knowledge.

We have been building powerful partnerships for children for over 85 years, and are now active in more than 75 countries.

ROLE PROFILE

Title    Country Accountant
Functional Area    Finance
Reports to    Country Finance Manager
Location    Yaoundé    Travel required    
Effective Date    1 Octobre 2022    Grade    D1 B

ROLE PURPOSE
[A concise statement, capturing the primary reasons that this role exists and a clear articulation of the context of the role. How will this role contribute to creating lasting change for children?]
To ensure sound financial processes are in place to deliver transparent accounting, accurate & timely cash flow management, financial reporting and analysis, maintenance of its financial records and adequate internal financial controls practices/systems in the country office with support to Field Finance Teams.  
To support the Country Finance Manager (CFM) to implement global and regional financial strategies.

DIMENSIONS OF THE ROLE
[This section provides a summary of the size and authority of the post. It covers the size of the budget held, the numbers of direct reports, other key stakeholders who may depend on it, the type of communication required, the external representation involved and the reach of the role.]
•    Business planning
•    Accounting and Treasury
•    Financial Reporting and Analysis
•    Internal Financial Controls
•    People Management

ACCOUNTABILITIES
[This section is critical for clarifying expectations of the role, providing the framework for its relationship with colleagues and providing areas of accountability against which performance can be managed.
This should include a series of brief statements that define the end results required. E.g. drive, contribute, identify, manage, responsible for, advise/coach, build, develop, provide, conduct, oversee, establish, participate etc.
Statements should ideally be worded so that they will lead to thoughts of measurement.  For example, it is better to state something like “achieve maintenance standards” than “undertake maintenance”.  The former leads to a measure against the maintenance standards.]
Business planning

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•    Participates to the budgeting process and ensures that Country Office (CO)/Biteng PU annual plans are consistent with the approved budgets.
•    Prepare and consolidates Country Office monthly budget Vs Actual analysis and send to the Business Analyst for review and countrywide consolidation

Accounting and Treasury
 
•    Ensures that all purchases and payments are within budget before processing. Also ensure  the correct work breakdown structure (WBS) or account line is used for each transaction
•    Reviews and signs all vouchers (cash disbursement, cash receipt, journals) for completeness, accuracy and consistency with attached supporting documents in compliance with the Operations Manual (OM), Plan policies and local laws.
•    Reviews payroll based on information received from HR, pays salaries and wages timely to staff and LSW to expatriate staff.
•    Monitor/Manage transactions to partners
•    Ensure compliance with local regulatory and tax legislation in respect of financial matters
•    Prepare monthly cash forecast and refresh for Country Office and Biteng PU and submit to the Business Analyst for review and consolidation based on the timetable
•    Monitor inter-company accounts closely and ensure that the account has a zero balance at the month end. Any balance should be explained and ensure the (Good received/Invoice received) GR/IR account has a zero balance at the month end or justify all outstanding amounts not cleared
•    Keep and update bank details and bank accounts signatories for the Country.
•    Support to Program Units and Country Office for the use of SAP
•    Ensure that all expenditures wrongly recorded (NRGRANT) are correct before closing the next month to ensure grant expenditures are not wrongly recorded to sponsorship and vice versa.

Financial Reporting and Analysis

•    Prepare or review periodic financial reports for the Country Office, including monthly and year-end reporting and submit to the Business Analyst (balance sheet accounts…)
•    Review Country Office bank reconciliation and point out all irregularities and correct before closing the next month.
•    Review the staff advance report and ensure that liquidations are performed one week after the end of the mission or activities.

Internal Financial Controls

•    Ensure appropriate financial controls processes, procedures and systems are in place and adhered to in the Country Office

•    Follow up finance-related audit actions for the Country Office.
•    Support the CFM before and during various audit by providing all the documentation needed

People Management

•    Develop, coach and motivate a high performing finance team in the Country Office.
•    Conduct interim and final evaluation of direct report staff based on PMS guidelines.
•    Conduct regular meeting with staff.
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•    Ensures that Plan International’s global policies for Child Protection (CPP) and Gender Equality and Inclusion (GEI) are fully embedded in accordance with the principles and requirements of the policy including relevant Implementation Standards and Guidelines as applicable to their area of responsibility. This includes, but is not limited to, ensuring staff and associates are aware of and understand their responsibilities under these policies and Plan International’s Code of Conduct (CoC), their relevance to their area of work, and that concerns are reported and managed in accordance with the appropriate procedures.

KEY RELATIONSHIPS
[This section refers to people inside and/or outside of the organisation that the post-holder needs to have contact with, and why. This should include virtual presence.]
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•    Has high contact with all country office and program unit Account staff to perform his/her assignment

TECHNICAL EXPERTISE, SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE
[This section details the skills, knowledge and expertise the postholder will be required to demonstrate in doing the job well.
This should include clear levels of technical expertise and skills that support our work at national, international, and global level.]
Essential
•    Please add the minimum requirements that an applicant must possess before being considered.
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•    A University Degree –Bachelors Finance, Accounting or related fields recognized institution with CPAII or CPAK/ ACCA or equivalent working experience in the field of accounting and finance of at least 5 years preferably with INGO.
•    Experience with financial information systems and MS office especially Excel and Word.  
•    Strong management accounting and networking skills, experience in managing teams
•    Relevant post qualification experience
•    In depth knowledge of financial systems, financial management and reporting

Desirable
•    Please include those requirements that are desirable.
•    Strong analytical thinking
•    Communication skills, appropriate to the audience
•    Problem solving
•    Strong team-building and motivational skills
•    Strong negotiating, facilitating and influencing skills
•    Proficient in computer skills and use of relevant software and other applications, e.g. word processing, spreadsheet, database, web-based system
•    Working knowledge of written and spoken English and French.

PLAN INTERNATIONAL’S VALUES IN PRACTICE
We are open and accountable
•    Promotes a culture of openness and transparency, including with sponsors and donors.
•    Holds self and others accountable to achieve the highest standards of integrity.
•    Consistent and fair in the treatment of people.
•    Open about mistakes and keen to learn from them.
•    Accountable for ensuring we are a safe organisation for all children, girls & young people
We strive for lasting impact
•    Articulates a clear purpose for staff and sets high expectations.
•    Creates a climate of continuous improvement, open to challenge and new ideas.
•    Focuses resources to drive change and maximise long-term impact, responsive to changed priorities or crises.
•    Evidence-based and evaluates effectiveness.
We work well together
•    Seeks constructive outcomes, listens to others, willing to compromise when appropriate.
•    Builds constructive relationships across Plan International to support our shared goals.
•    Develops trusting and ‘win-win’ relationships with funders, partners and communities.
•    Engages and works well with others outside the organization to build a better world for girls and all children.

We are inclusive and empowering

•    Seeks constructive outcomes, listens to others, willing to compromise when appropriate.
•    Builds constructive relationships across Plan International to support our shared goals.
•    Develops trusting and ‘win-win’ relationships with funders, partners and communities.
•    Engages and works well with others outside the organization to build a better world for girls and all children.

PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT
[In this section, state “typical office environment”, or conditions such as “must work outside in an extremely hot and humid climate”. Also note if any protective equipment is required.]
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Travel requirements
This position requires 5% of travel within Plan program units and outside the country, 95% office related activities in CO
LEVEL OF CONTACT WITH CHILDREN
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Low contact: No contact or very low frequency of interaction
Mid contact: Occasional interaction with children
High level: Frequent interaction with children

Low contact- the job responsibilities of this position does not require the post holder to have any one-to-one contact with children on a daily basis. There would be occasional contact with children and it is expected that children shall be protected at all times

Location: Yaounde

Closing Date: 14-09-22

Equality, diversity and inclusion is at the very heart of everything that Plan International stands for.

We want Plan International to reflect the diversity of the communities we work with, offering equal opportunities to everyone regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation.

Plan International is based on a culture of inclusivity and we strive to create a workplace environment that ensures every team, in every office, in every country, is rich in diverse people, thoughts, and ideas.

We foster an organisational culture that embraces our commitment to racial justice, gender equality, girls’ rights and inclusion.

Plan International believes that in a world where children face so many threats of harm, it is our duty to ensure that we, as an organisation, do everything we can to keep children safe. This means that we have particular responsibilities to children that we come into contact with and we must not contribute in any way to harming or placing children at risk.

A range of pre-employment checks will be undertaken in conformity with Plan International’s Safeguarding Children and Young People policy. Plan International also participates in the Inter Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. In line with this scheme we will request information from applicants previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment during employment, or incidents under investigation when the applicant left employment. By submitting an application, the job applicant confirms their understanding of these recruitment procedures.

Please note that Plan International will never send unsolicited emails requesting payment from candidates.