Regional Program Accountant, EECA

THE POSITION 

Under the direct supervision of the Finance and Grants Manager, the Regional Program Accountant supports implementation of programs, in the East Europe and Central Asia Region. The Regional Program Accountant is responsible for overall financial program cycle support  ensuring that the country office financial management, for the regional countries (Kyrgyzstan, Ukraine, Tajikistan, Mongolia, Montenegro, Armenia, Moldova, Romania and Serbia), is performed following IDLO policies and procedures and respective donors’ rules and regulations.. The incumbent interacts with internal as well as external functions, to also ensure that there is proper management of donor grant and contract agreements by ensuring that financial data correctly represents approved program activities and that coding of expenses is done in line with approved budgets. S/he will ensure there is adequate availability of funds within the field office at any one time and that appropriate procedures are in place to minimize risk to foreign exchange exposures. 

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBLITIES 

Specifically the incumbent will be responsible for:

1. Accounting & Compliance

• Review monthly country office financial management reports; Ensure revenue and expenditure are booked correctly into the accounting system.
• Ensure timely month-end close, reports package is accurate, and all data are reconciling with the accounting system (MS Navision) 
• Review and audit country office financial reports and transactions in line with IDLO policies and procedures; ensure that all reports comply with respective donor rules and regulations.
• Perform compliance checks to verify that costs recorded are program related and necessary documentations are available as proof of receipt of services or goods.
• Monitor distribution and allocation of costs between projects ensuring compliance to grant documents and IDLO chart of accounts. Identify misallocations and recommend corrective actions.
• Support assigned country offices during the month end closing procedures, facilitating the accurate and verified data is duly incorporated into the HQ financial system (MS Navision).
• Prepare monthly consolidated financial management reports documenting the outcome of the financial review, highlighting findings and recommendations proposed. Work closely with the country office finance team to implement corrective action.

2. Grants, Budgets & Reporting

• Prepare budgets incorporating relevant qualitative information; provide recommendations for cost allocations between direct and indirect costs and assist with budget re-alignment.
• Monitor expenditures against budgets and cash flows on a monthly basis; identify issues as they arise and propose appropriate preventative interventions and solutions in a timely fashion, in collaboration with budget holders
• Prepare financial reports for donors analysing budget vs actual and ensure that expenditures are corresponding to donor regulations and agreed framework.

3. Treasury & forex management

• Monitor donor grants and issue invoices to facilitate drawdown of funds; administer wire fund requests to donors in a timely manner and ensure that necessary funds are available to implement program activities;
• Review and approve consolidated monthly wire cash request from the country office for processing; ensure that all funds required are properly allocated in line with planned program activities.
• Monitor country office exposure to foreign currency fluctuation and advise appropriate actions to minimize any risk.

4. Staff guidance and training

• Coach country office finance team providing necessary technical guidance on accounting issues.
• Provide expert advice and training on various donor rules and regulations.
• Guide team members, as the focal point for Program Finance, on IDLO financial policies and procedures.

5. Audit

• Focal point for program audit activities and liaise with internal / external auditors providing the technical input and all necessary documentation required during audits.

6. Field office training and support 

• Act as the primary liaison for the field office in advising the staff regarding applicable finance IDLO policies and procedures. 
• Assist in the implementation of various finance policies and procedures as part of the Continuous Improvement Process - CIP. 
• Visit the field offices for monitoring and compliance checks and follow up on audit recommendations and propose ways of improving on compliance & accountability. 

7. Filing and document management 

• Ensure that all original documents are properly coded and placed in files in sequential order using the transaction numbers, for ease of future reference. 

IDEAL CANDIDATE PROFILE 

Education 

• Minimum of university degree in Accounting, Commerce or Finance is required. 
• Professional certification in Accounting and/or Audit is highly desirable. 

Experience 

• Minimum of 4-6 years of progressive responsible experience ideally within an international/ intergovernmental/international non-government organization; specific regional experiences will be an advantage. 
• Substantial professional experience with all aspects of financial accounting, including application of international accounting standards - IPSAS. 
• Hands on experience in improving the effectiveness of finance functions and processes. 
• Experience in delivering training on financial procedures will be an advantage.

Language 

• Fluent oral and writing skills in English and Russian is essential.

Specific knowledge, skills and competencies 

• Experience of using accounting systems/software and MS Office applications. Experience using MS Navision will be an added advantage. 
• Strong client service ethics; solid team-oriented interpersonal skills, including facilitation. 
• Ability to work independently and manage multiple priorities simultaneously in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment. 
• High degree of accuracy to ensure correctness of financial information. 
• Ability to effectively interact with a wide variety of people including senior managers on complex issues. 
• Ability and willingness to travel to field offices including unstable contexts. 
• Good team player, positive attitude, and comfortable in working in multi-cultural settings. 
• Keen sense of ethics, integrity and commitment to IDLO's mandate. 

TERMS AND CONDITIONS 

For this internationally professional / locally recruited position, IDLO shall offer the selected candidate an  Affiliate contract of  36 months, with possibility of extension subject to performance and availability of funding. 

IDLO shall also offer a yearly basic salary of EUR 42,000  to a level commensurate with experience and qualifications, and a benefits package including provident fund contribution, medical and mission insurance, leave entitlements in accordance with IDLO Employee Regulations and Rules. Relocation and installation support are also available for internationally recruited employees.

Salaries and benefits paid by IDLO to employees are exempt from taxation in Italy. IDLO employees are responsible for compliance with income tax laws of their country of nationality or residence and/or of any other relevant fiscal jurisdiction.

Applications will be screened on regular basis; a qualified applicant might be recruited before the deadline. In the interest of making most effective use of resources, only the short-listed candidates will be contacted during the selection process.

DISCLAIMER 

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of the work being performed by the Contractor assigned to this work. This may not be an exhaustive list of all duties and responsibilities. 

The Director-General of IDLO reserves the right to amend and change responsibilities or even to cancel the recruitment to meet business and organizational needs as necessary.