Accounts Payable (AP) Accountant at the British Council

The British Council is the UK’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities. We create friendly knowledge and understanding between the people of the UK and other countries. We do this by making a positive contribution to the UK and the countries we work with – changing lives by creating opportunities, building connections and engendering trust.
 
We work with over 100 countries across the world in the fields of arts and culture, English language, education and civil society. Each year we reach over 20 million people face-to-face and more than 500 million people online, via broadcasts and publications. Founded in 1934, we are a UK charity governed by Royal Charter and a UK public body.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Accounts Payable (AP) Accountant

Location: Lagos 
Pay band: 4
Department: Finance
Contract type: Locally Engaged   
Duration: Indefinite  

Role Purpose

• At an unprecedented time of change globally, the British Council seeks an enthusiastic and professional Accountant to manage its accounts payable processes across operations in Nigeria.
• The role is accountable for the operational management of British Council Nigeria’s Accounts Payable activities. Focusing on timely, accurate, complete payables management in line with internal organisational requirements and external regulatory standards, while acting as a trusted partner to the business delivery, operations, and support teams.
• This role supports the Senior Financial Accountant with the end-to-end payables management process across the operation, including Management of vendor balances and vendor accounts, support financial services delivery in Abuja and Kano offices, management of all Accounts Payables controls in line with Period End closure (PEC), Financial Control and Compliance Framework (FCCF), and Year End closing process, etc.

Main Opportunities/Challenges for this Role

• The role presents great opportunity for building a strong, efficient, effective, innovative and value driven purchases and payables management services for the British Council.

The role holder will:

• Manage end to end Accounts Payables activities and processes in Nigeria while ensuring accuracy and completeness of vendor accounts and balances.
• Act as one of the key finance business partners across operations in Nigeria.
• Ensure compliance with key Accounts Payable controls in line with internal Period End Closure checklists, Quarterly Financial Control and Compliance Framework (FCCF) report, etc.
• Management of payroll payment and related processes.
• Management of fixed assets and inventory records.
• Close engagement with procurement and other Business support function to drive innovation and improvement in the P2P processes and systems.
• The finance function has gone through several change programmes, and the post holder will play a key role in sustainability and achieving desired results of the changes and improvement projects, especially those that are Accounts Payable related.
• The organisation requires the financial function to have a level of commercial finance acumen as we expand our income generating activities, streamline our portfolio and target more partnership income. As a result, the role holder will also contribute in driving income target/performance.
• The organisation requires the financial function to have a level of commercial finance acumen as we expand our income generating activities, streamline our portfolio and target more partnership income. As a result, the role holder will also contribute in driving income target/performance.

Requirements
Essential:

• Fluency in written and spoken English
• Qualified accountant – ACA and ACCA – with a minimum of 3 years post-qualification experience in accounting and finance and similar role
• Bachelor’s Degree in any field
• Good knowledge and understanding of transaction taxes – e.g. VAT and WHT
• Good and demonstrable knowledge of P2P and AP
• Excellent written and oral communications skills
• Demonstrates high level of understanding in all areas of the finance and accounting function.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills
• Strong analytical and time management skills.
• Attention to detail and data entry skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel
• Experience of an ERP system

Desirable:

• Experience working with the Big 4 audit firms
• Master’s Degree
• CGMA, CIMA, CITN, etc.
• Practical exposure to SAP

Additional Information:

• All applicants should have a pre-existing legal status to live and work in Nigeria.
• Interviews are scheduled between 21 – 22 December 2021.
• A connected and trusted UK in a more connected and trusted world.

Remuneration
N6,154,368 per annum

Application Closing Date
13th December, 2021.