JOB TITLE: MANAGEMENT ACCOUNTANT DIVISION / DEPARTMENT / LOCATION: International, Southern Africa Region, Zimbabwe, Harare JOB FAMILY: Finance SALARY: National LEVEL: D1 OXFAM PURPOSE: To work with others to find lasting solutions to poverty and suffering COUNTRY PURPOSE: To significantly reduce poverty, inequality and suffering amongst the poor and marginalised in Zimbabwe, Oxfam will, by working primarily through Partners, focus on • Meeting humanitarian needs • Strengthening local capacities • Enabling communities In addition to developing and supporting the strategic and operational capacity of our Partners, we will build alliances and knowledge networks, undertake research and analysis to inform decision making and influence local and global policy makers to facilitate and leverage change. TEAM PURPOSE: To provide a professional, business focussed finance, logistics and administrative management service, delivering a proactive solutions based approach for resolving issues and ensuring that the operational business requirements are effectively managed to deliver organisational results, which are focussed on developing capacity and expertise in partner organisations JOB PURPOSE: To manage the delivery of all financial management activities and requirements as they relate specifically to Oxfam’s internal operations, providing a superior service in the smooth day to day operation of the organisation JOB COMMENT: The interaction and operation of the Management Accountant and the Programme Accountant are independent but complimentary. The Management Accountant’s focus is primarily on Oxfam’s internal financial activities, ensuring that its own operations are efficiently conducted in accordance with required standards, whilst the Programme Accountant focuses primarily on Oxfam’s external financial activities, particularly supporting programme staff in the development and management of donor funding, but also working to capacity build the expertise of partner organisations in financial management areas REPORTING LINES: Reports to: Business Services Manager Staff reporting to: Finance Officer Works with: All Country staff, some Regional staff and relevant external organisations and individuals, especially partner organisations BUDGET RESPONSIBILITY: Nil DIMENSIONS: • Manage small work unit/team, projects, processes, advisory services and budgets, ensuring business service delivery meets expected quality standards and value-add expectations • Role is variable with well-defined targets and/or minimum standards, requiring effective management of non-routine management tasks • Decision-making requires significant levels of judgement based on technical and management experience and is independent within role responsibilities and collaborative outside specialist area • Interpret and apply operational and specialist technical information to deliver superior operational performance • Analyse and interpret financial information and present it in a manner that allows for improved decision making • Analyse, develop solutions and communicate to a wide audience, diverse and complex problems, usually within organisational policy • Contribute to targets and strategies within the department and potentially within the Country Programme • Develop improvements to the department’s services, procedures and systems and input into and influence policies • Support the development, implementation and monitoring of development and capacity building plans • Influence is primarily internal, involving senior staff, but with significant impact, including across the Region and potentially Oxfam-wide • Represent Oxfam externally in business service related forums and associations, but also with partner organisations as appropriate • Work in an environment that is politically and potentially physically insecure, with a high risk of humanitarian crises KEY RESPONSIBILITIES: Provision of Business Services: 70% of role • Manage all aspects of organisational business finance procedures in accordance with corporate and regional standards and compliance requirements, including • complete, accurate and up to date accounting records for all costs • payment authorization procedures • purchasing and management of physical assets • security and management of cash to ensure sufficient funds are available to meet financial obligations • recording and filing systems • financial controls, including bank reconciliation processes • Provide regular management information on the financial status of country programme business operations, including cost analysis of major spend items/areas to ensure they are cost effective • Provide timely, high quality consolidated monthly accounts and financial returns, including- • monthly budget variance reports with including analysis and explanation for variances from YTD budget • monthly financial forecasts, including cash flow forecast • ad-hoc reports as requested • Ensure compliance with Zimbabwean legal and statutory financial reporting requirements and prepare national statutory accounts as required and arrange annual audits as may be required to meet statutory obligations • Prepare consolidated annual budget for the country programme and manage allocated budgets against plans to achieve the best return on available funds • Provide support to all individual teams within the country programme to ensure accurate budgets are in place and are monitored on a regular basis • Work with the Programme Accountant to ensure that programme funding proposals and budget requests include all relevant information • Manage the accounting procedures regarding the receipt and payment of monies provided through donor funding proposals and grants. Ensure that accurate records are kept as they will form the basis of reporting to donors on progress. Provide necessary information and support to the Programme Accountant, who is responsible for the preparation of (the financial aspects of )donor reports • Advise managers on the interpretation and implementation of Oxfam’s financial management and accounting policies and procedures, providing relevant training and support to them and staff, to ensure they operate in accordance with expected requirements and standards • Undertake internal audits and spot checks to assess and review adherence to financial management guidelines and support the conduct of external audits (both from Oxfam Internal Audit Team and independent auditors), and implement recommendations and provide progress reports as required • Liaise with bankers, tax assessors and other relevant authorities as required • Work closely with Logistics staff to ensure that logistics systems adhere to all necessary financial operating requirements and standards • Proactively review and identify any potential issues which would interfere with reporting requirements and/or meeting compliance standards and take appropriate action to resolve them • Manage assigned staff members, effectively implementing all Oxfam staff management policies and procedures, ensuring that staff team members have the necessary skills and abilities to deliver effective results and their personal development and potential is maximised Organisational Development and Capacity Building: 20% of role • Support the development of staff development plans to improve the financial management skills of Oxfam staff (particularly programme staff), to ensure they have the required skills and abilities to provide capacity building and knowledge transfer to partner organisations in this area • Support the implementation of identified staff development and internal capacity building work, as it relates to financial management activities • Support the development and implementation of a detailed plan for building the business services capacity of partner organisations, specifically relating to financial management and accounting procedures. This will include needs assessment, capacity building approach and delivery plan including tools and methodologies, performance standards, and evaluation approach • Undertake personal training, coaching and capacity building to partner organisations to develop their own expertise as required. Ensure that partner organisations work in accordance with Oxfam acceptable standards and objectives • Support the conduct of regular performance assessments and reviews of partner organisations, including undertaking audits, to ensure that the capacity building programme is delivering agreed results, making necessary adjustments as circumstances change • Participate in regular meetings with partner organisations to ensure that the working relationship between them and Oxfam is positive, open and conducive to the successful achievement of agreed objectives General Management: 10% of role • Contribute to the development and implementation of departmental and organisational strategy and develop and coordinate operational plans and programmes to achieve strategy • Stay up to date with organisational policy and procedures relating to all financial functions and ensure that staff are informed of any changes so they can work efficiently and to required standards. Proactively develop suggestions for improving policy, procedures and systems • Support the operational planning and implementation of Corporate and Regional finance initiatives to ensure rollout in an appropriate manner for the Country • Provide cover for the Business Services Manager as required SKILLS AND COMPETENCE: Essential: • Relevant academic qualifications in financial management, commerce, economics or related field • Significant knowledge and experience of all core financial management activities, including accounts payable, cash management, budget development, statutory requirements (particularly related to Zimbabwean standards) and standard accounts • Strong numeracy skills and experience using a computerised financial management information system (such as PeopleSoft), and good computer skills (Excel especially, Word, Lotus Notes) • A critical focus on providing a superior service level to managers and staff and delivering agreed results within time and budget constraints and to expected standards • Strong people management abilities, able to manage and develop other people’s professional standards and potential • Good organisational and personal management skills, with ability to prioritise work issues to meet deadlines with minimal supervision and adjust to constantly changing situations while maintaining focus on delivery and follow-through • Good analytical and conceptual thinking skills with a proven proactive approach to identifying and resolving problems and suggesting improvements that continuously seek to provide a better service to Oxfam. Strong attention to detail • Ability to represent Oxfam in a professional and competent manner with external individuals and organisations • Excellent personal communication skills, in written and verbal English • A high level of self-awareness, personal energy, stamina and flexibility. Ability to work creatively, effectively and under own initiative • Good presentation and facilitation skills, able to work with and train other staff with differing levels of skills • Proven experience as a team worker and demonstrably cooperative with members of other teams, responding quickly and accurately to queries and issues • Commitment to Oxfam’s overall aims and policies and experience of promoting gender equity and diversity and the interests of marginalized people in all aspects of Oxfam’s work Desirable: • Fluency in spoken and written local languages • Ability and willingness to travel if required • May need to work after hours or at weekends Kindly follow this link on the intranet to view and apply for these positions https://jobs.oxfam.org.uk/ and quote the reference for the position. The job description is not incorporated into the employment contract. It is intended as a guide and should not be viewed as an inflexible specification as it may be varied from time to time in light of strategic developments following discussions with the post holder. The post holder will be expected to work to agreed objectives, which should facilitate achievement of key responsibilities in accordance with the performance of the review process.
Posted on: Fri, 21 Mar 2014 17:50:17 +0000
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