Project Accountant Full-Time

The Plan International is hiring a Project Accountant.

The Organization

Plan International is a rights-based development and humanitarian organization working for better lives for all children. We are independent of government and have no political or religious affiliation. Our purpose is to strive for a just world that advances children’s rights and equality for girls. We have been building powerful partnerships for children for more than 80 years, and are now active in more than 70 countries.

Our global strategy has a specific focus on girls, as they are often the most marginalized and most often left behind. We have committed ourselves to the ambitious target of reaching 100 million girls over 5 years, to ensure they can learn, lead, decide and thrive. This is our contribution to reaching the sustainable development goals, and in particular the goals on gender equality. Our organization is transforming itself to meet this enormous challenge everywhere we work.

In Mozambique we are working to eradicate early marriage and early pregnancy through projects that focus on adolescent girls in Inhambane, Zambezia, Nampula and Cabo Delgado. These projects are programmed along four strategic pillars: Girl Education, SRHR, YEE and Protection. Our work is gender transformative and includes influencing work at national and sub-regional level.

Role Purpose

The purpose of the role is to provide timely and reliable Project financial information and analysis that leads to effective decision making.

Management Scope, Reporting Lines, Key Relationships

Direct reports – None

Reports to: Project Manager with matrix reporting to the Head of Finance

Key relationships

Internal

• Program Area Accountants.
• Projects Accountants.
• Senior Finance Accountant.
• Senior Grants Accountant.
• Grants Accountant.
• Functional departments Heads at PIMz.
• Plan Inc. National Organizations.

External

• National and Local authorities.
• Tax munity Beneficiary.
• Partner organisations.
• Other INGOs.

Level of contact with children

• Mid contact: Mid interaction with children.

Physical Environment

• Typical Office environment with 10% travel in project sites.

Accountabilities and main work activities

• Manage the Project cash flow and prepare cash flow forecasts in accordance with policy;
• Support the emergency responses finance team to ensure that financial resources are optimally used for the benefit of Plan families and their communities.
•  Review cash disbursement vouchers.
• Review purchase requisitions and orders for project.
• Review payment for budget availability and correct coding.
• Monitor budget versus expenditure for the Project.
• Ensure timely processing and disbursement of payments to suppliers.
• Manage the project bank account in line with provided guidelines and cash management.
• Manage general ledger accounting system.
• Prepare monthly bank reconciliations related to the project.
• Prepare monthly Financial and Management reports for project.
• Ensure adherence to donor’s financial controls, processes, procedures and requirements.
• Continuous review of internal control processes and procedures.
• Follow up finance-related audit actions.
• Conduct annual physical asset verifications of the project.
• Carry out surprise petty cash counts at least once per quarter.
• Project support visit and reporting.
• Management of project finance and the reporting processes.
• Partner support visits and partner capacity building.

Safeguarding Children and Young People and Gender Equality and Inclusion (GEI)

• Understands and puts into practice the responsibilities under Safeguarding and GEI policies and Plan International’s Code of Conduct (CoC), ensuring that concerns are reported and managed in accordance with the appropriate procedures.
• Ensures that Humanitarian Program staff are properly inducted on and understands their role in upholding Plan International’s safeguarding and GEI policies.
• Ensures that Plan International’s global policies for Safeguarding Children and Young People and Gender Equality and Inclusion are fully embedded in project design, during implementation and as principles applied in day-to-day work of Programme team.
• Ensures that Plan Mozambique contributes to Plan International’s global efforts to ensure safeguarding and GEI, including making sure that relevant reporting and data are submitted.

Leadership Competencies

• Setting and communicating ambitious but realistic work goals and priorities, explaining how these contribute to Plan International’s purpose.
• Setting high standards for self and others’ behaviour, inside and outside work. Championing our values and commitment to rights, gender equality and safeguarding. Supporting the health, well-being and both physical and psychological safety of our staff, including their safety to speak out.
• Holding self and others to account for what we have agreed, dealing with poor performance quickly, firmly and constructively.
• Creating a positive team spirit, helping people work well together, to reflect and continuously improve the efficiency and quality of what we do.
• Collaborating with team members, colleagues and partners in finding creative solutions to problems by sharing information, experience and ideas and actively seeking their input.
• Motivating and developing others by taking an interest, giving constructive feedback and praise, ensuring they are properly trained and helping them develop their potential.
• Positive about change and supporting others in adjusting to it, helping them understand.

Bussiness Management Competencies

• Articulates the purpose, values, and global strategy to a range of audiences. Can explain how Plan International will deliver on its objectives through the theory of change and communicates the implications for their team.
• Understands the purpose, lines of accountability and decision-making capacity for each structural element of the organisation. Helps their team to understand where they sit within the organisational structure.
• Manages partner relationships effectively by: anticipating future need; appointing based on programme and organisational needs; communicating Plan International’s core standards; undertaking assessments and reviews.
• Aware of the programme and project management procedures relevant to their role.
• Considerate of the political, economic, social and cultural climate of the local operating environment and the implications for our work and are aware of the local business environment, including financial, employment, and business laws.
• Understands digital enablers to improve team performance and working practices. Encourages digital behaviours through role modelling, the personal development processes and capability building. Uses digital and technological tools to support the management of risk, activities and resources, and people and information.

Technical expertise, skills and knowledge

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree (Hons) in Commerce or Business Administration majoring in Accounting.
• Professional qualification in accountancy (CPA, ACCA) at intermediate or affiliate level.

Skills 

• Minimum of three years working experience as an Accountant in a busy organization and at a responsible supervisory level is essential.
• INGO experience is an added advantage.
• Communication skills, appropriate to the audience.
• Problem solving.
• Excellent interpersonal skills.
• Proficient in computer skills and use of relevant accounting software package.

Technical Competencies

Knowledge

• Mastery of the approaches to humanitarian/programme/project logic, trends in own and related fields of work and a range of effective strategies, approaches and practices.
• Advanced understanding of the development needs and their vulnerability of our Primary Impact Groups from birth to adulthood, the root causes of the issues affecting them, and the key actors most relevant to their interests and therefore to our work.
• Advanced knowledge of the rationale and practical implications of being rights-based, gender transformative, participatory, working in partnership; evidence-based and working to strengthen civil society.
• Shapes strategy, policy, standards and plans related to own field(s) of expertise, clearly aligned with our purpose, relevant needs and stakeholder interests.
• Ensures that strategy, policy, standards and plans related to own field(s) of expertise are based on rigorous internal and external evidence, including examples of effective practice.

Skills

• Providing clear direction and support to team members in the event of a crisis.
• Identifying, assessing and nurturing mutually beneficial relationships to engage with and influence key actors and stakeholders, including government, inter-governmental organisations, civil society, youth organisations and the private sector.
• Using on-going monitoring and assessment, working closely with project teams to improve the quality of implementation.
• Interpreting and contextualising data, assesses results and draws conclusions to inform initiatives and clearly communicating the results of evaluation and lessons learned as appropriate.
• Numeracy and the ability to interpret financial data, in order to provide management support to budgetary processes including planning, monitoring and reporting.
• Ability to communicate effectively and build high performance teams in support of achievement of organisational objectives.
• Ability to interact and work effectively with others at all levels.
• Good analytical and administrative skills.
• Strong skills in facilitation and negotiation.
• Strategic thinker.
• Team player.
• Strong experience in report writing.
• Ability to prioritize work effectively for execution with limited resources.
• Ability to work independently without close supervision.
• Strong planning and organizational skills.
• Strong Communication skills.
• High level advocacy skills.
• Proficient in computer skills and use of relevant software and other applications.
• Excellent English and Portuguese oral and written skills required.

Behaviour

• Acts decisively and adapts plans quickly to respond to emerging situations and changing environments.
• Helps others to recognise and manage stress by showing empathy, prioritising workload and role modelling self-care in stressful situations.
• Promotes and guarantees safety and security behaviours and procedures for self and the team.
• Takes the time and patience to understand the concerns of other people and takes care of them as individuals.
• Avoids any negative impact of implementation – Do No Harm.
• Promote individual and organisational learning through systematic reflection processes, documentation, dissemination and knowledge management.
• Adapting to local political frameworks and processes including in fragile contexts, conflict or political transitions and changes to national, regional human rights frameworks and mechanisms, and governance processes.

We are open and accountable

• We create a climate of trust inside and outside the organization by being open, honest and transparent. We hold ourselves and others to account for the decisions we make and for our impact on others, while doing what we say we will do.

We strive for lasting impact

• We strive to achieve significant and lasting impact on the lives of children and young people, and to secure equality for girls. We challenge ourselves to be bold, courageous, responsive, focused and innovative.

We work well together

• We succeed by working effectively with others, inside and outside the organization, including our sponsors and donors. We actively support our colleagues, helping them to achieve their goals. We come together to create and implement solutions in our teams, across Plan International, with children, girls, young people, communities and our partners.

We are inclusive and empowering

• We respect all people, appreciate differences and challenge inequality in our programmes and our workplace. We support children, girls and young people to increase their confidence and to change their own lives. We empower our staff to give their best and develop their potential.