Principal Accountant, Finance at the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is a regional group of fifteen West African countries. Founded on 28 May 1975, with the signing of the Treaty of Lagos, its mission is to promote economic integration across the region.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Principal Accountant, Finance

Location: Abuja, Nigeria
Institution: Ecowas Parliament
Grade: P5
Status: Permanent
Directorate: Directorate Of Admin.& Finance
Division: Finance Division
Line Supervisor: Director, Administration. & Finance
Supervising: Accountant, Financial Reporting & Treasury, ·  Budget Officer

Role Overview

• Under the supervison of the Director, Adminsitration and Finance, the incumbent will  ensure efficient and effective management of the financial resources at the Parliament.

Role and Responsibilities

• Plan, co-ordinate and supervise the work of the Finance Division and its staff;
• Supervise all budget and financial operations;
• Implement Accounting Policies and ensure compliance with ECOWAS Financial Regulations; ensure that best Accounting practices are in operation as well as adequate control over the assets of the Institution;
• Assist the Director of Administration and Finance in the collation and preparation of the Parliament’s annual budget;
• Ensure compliance with accounting procedures in the preparation of accounting documents;
• Prepare quarterly budget performance reports and forecasts for the management and Bureau as well as for financial control and internal audit purposes;
• Prepare mid-term and end of year budget performance reports for the Parliamentary Committee on Economic Policy and Budget Control;
• Manage and ensure that all financial activities leading to preparation of final accounts are carried out in proper fashion, including preparation of Bank Reconcialtion, recording and management of Fixed Assets, recording and management of Receivables and Payables, as well as Inventory Control;
• Prepare on a timely basis the annual final accounts of the Parliament for examination by the External Auditors;
• Liaise and follow-up with the ECOWAS Commission with respect to funds requests and funds releases for the operations of the Parliament;
• Follow-up on all audit related to finance from the Auditor General and the External Auditors;
• Perform any other duties as may be assigned by the supervisor.

Academic Qualifications And Experience

• Master's degree in Accounting and Finance from a recognized University.
• 10 years of progressively responsible experience in a complex organizational environment, in budget formulation, financial monitoring, accounting and financial reporting, of which at least 2 years relevant international work and 2 years at a supervisory level;
• Demonstrated practical knowledge of relevant financial accounting principles and concepts to perform tasks in accordance with the generally accepted Accounting Principles and Standards of relevance to public sector and international organizations;
• Demonstrated professional competence and mastery of subject matter; accounting best practices, financial policies (e.g. revenue, accounts payable);
• Knowledge of financial and budgetary principles and practices, budget development and financial administration of resources;
• International work experience in finance and budget operations would be an added advantage;
• Professional Qualifications such as ACCA, ACA will be an added advantage.

Age Limit:

• Be below 50 years old. This provision does not apply to internal candidates.

Ecowas Key Competencies:

• Ability to lead in assigned programmes and projects by providing the necessary managerial and operational expertise required for the fulfillment of the organization’s mandate;
• Ability to lead by example and organize teamwork to encourage cooperation to achieve targeted results, champion and build momentum for change and to bring about employee engagement;
• Ability to respect chain of command in an appropriate manner;
• Excellent self-management skills, demonstrating ethics and integrity, confidentiality and displaying due regards for internal controls of rules, delegations and transparency;
• Ability to bring together complementary skills/expertise, assess individual contributions and recognize/address accomplishments and shortcomings in a manner that brings continued success to the organization;
• Knowledge of program management at the level usually acquired from a certification in program management.
• Ability to research benchmarks and trends to bring about the best recommendations for the development and improvement of programs/projects that will best serve the community/organization;
• Well-developed networking and interpersonal skills to seek feedback, information and data from a network of professionals from multiple countries/sectors/organizations and to identify and prioritize the most critical community requirements;
• Ability to manage and co-ordinate client management initiatives and make recommendations;
• Ability to develop and implement best practices in client services;
• Ability to develop and implement stakeholder management plans, programs and initiatives to obtain buy-in on new initiatives, to better understand dissenting views, to obtain resources and to increase perceptions of success.
• Ability to be diplomatic, tactful and respectful of other people from varied backgrounds, understanding diverse cultural views especially within West Africa with the ability to convert diversity into opportunities to improve program/operational outcomes;
• Ability to create a diverse and inclusive interactive environment that benefits from diverse strengths bringing together innovative practices;
• Ability to remain objective in managing conflict regardless of cultural differences /positions, gender differences, and encourage other staff to overcome cultural and gender bias and differences;
• Ability and responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work;
• Ability to serve the interest of culturally diverse multinational teams/organizations/communities and persons with disability without prejudice and bias
• Understanding of the ECOWAS organizational structure, associated dynamics and expectations as required to collaborate, participate, contribute and lead effectively;
• Knowledge of the ECOWAS mandate, strategic plan/priorities as well as the economic, political and social situation and trends in Member States, as pertains to own scope of work;
• Knowledge of ECOWAS best practices, program management approaches and research techniques to lead and/or contribute to the development or assessment of programs, projects or initiatives;
• Knowledge of the ECOWAS rules and procedures in order to appropriately interpret and apply directive or text, provide technical advice, coach others and assess performance.
• Ability to analyze a situation by using indicators to assess the costs, benefits, risks, and chances for success in making decisions;
• Ability to pull together information from different sources to identify the cause of problems, consequences of alternative causes of action, potential obstacles and ways to avoid the problem in the future;
• Ability to break down very complex situations/information into simple terms to explain recommendations and conclusions aimed at solving problems or improving operations/programs/projects;
• Ability to develop new insights into situations, apply innovative solutions to problems and to design new methods of addressing issues or disconnects where established methods and procedures are inapplicable or no longer effective.
• Ability to communicate with impact, clearly and concisely in a succinct and organized manner conveying credibility & confidence when making presentations, setting expectations and explaining complex issues;
• Ability to listen intently and correctly interpret messages from others and respond appropriately;
• Accomplished technical writing and editing skills;
• Exhibit active listening skills to encourage stronger communication amongst team members and to  drive employee engagement in all institutions and agencies;
• Ability to give constructive feedback, provide recognition, address shortcomings and motivate direct reports to work at peak performance;
• Proficiency in information communication technologies(ICT);
• Fluency in oral and written expressions in one of the ECOWAS official languages of the Community (English, French & Portuguese). Knowledge of an additional one will be an added advantage.
• Organizational and project/program management skills with significant experience identifying timelines, targets, costs and resources necessary to deliver on operational/program/project outputs in line with result based management approach;
• Ability to set effective goals and targets for self, others, and the work unit and adjusting work or project priorities in response to changing circumstances;
• Ability to use participatory approach in project planning and identify gaps affecting the achievement of program/project expectations and to design and implement intervention plans required to build the desired task;
• Ability to implement rigorous monitoring and evaluation practices and to set in place regular reporting schedules relevant to key outputs;
• Ability to plan, organize, control resources, and to comply with policies, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals.

Annual Salary
UA66, 123.98, USD104, 330.42

Application Closing Date
31st October, 2020.