Accountant at 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: Accountant

Job Code: 20003612
Location: Banjul, Gambia
Grade: P3
Department: Economics Affairs and Agriculture
Directorate: Administration & Finance
Line Supervisor: Principal Officer, Finance(P5)

Role Overview

• Under the direct supervision of the Principal Officer Finance, the incumbent shall be responsible for all book-keeping, and supervision of the Accounting Assistant
• Ensure the preparation of monthly bank reconciliations and postings into the general and personal ledgers.
• Oversee asset register and ensure proper filing of all supporting documents on receipts and payments.

Role and Responsibilities

• Supervise the processing of financial claims and expenses in line with ECOWAS financial rules and regulations on a timely basis.
• Create and maintain all vendor master records in the financial system.
• Supervise and train the Accounting Assistants for maximum efficiency and output in a manner as to ensure proper segregation of duties.
• Scrutinize supporting documents for completeness, accuracy, and validity of requests in line with applicable policies, procedures, rules, and regulations.
• Review the work of Accounting Assistants to ensure proper documentation, proper approval, and use of appropriate transaction codes in accordance with the ECOlink, ECOWAS Financial Regulations and the Manual of Accounting Procedures.
• Monitor aging and due dates of payables in a timely manner.
• Act as liaison between Vendors, other departments and the Finance Directorate and offer impeccable customer service.
• Review/reconcile vendor statements regularly.
• Review and/or prepare monthly reports on receivables and collections.
• Prepare and submit monthly reports for management review.
• Investigate Vendors and Employee inquiries and track down delinquent invoices.
• Supervise the timely filing of all related vouchers and records to enable easy retrieval of documents and ensure proper archiving of prior fiscal year documents.
• Retrieve and furnish all relevant vouchers and details for internal and external audits.
• Assist in the review and analysis of various accounting data.
• Assists in the analysis of open item managed accounts in the ERP system (SAP) and initiates corrective action.
• Assist in the collection of data for the preparation of cost estimates and budget proposals for regular budget and extra-budgetary resources.
• Assists with the data extraction for and preparation of various reports to management.
• Assist in monitoring budget implementation and performance.
• Supervise the processing of all approved payments, reconciliations of bank account statements monthly, and postings into the ledgers.
• Maintain and update the Asset Register including proper asset modification in SAP (sales, write-off, Master data modification)
• Maintain records of all donor funds received and prepare reports for Donors as may be required.
• Supervise the postings of all regularization vouchers and returns received from programme Officers.

Academic Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) in Accounting or Finance from a recognized university.
• Five (5) years of progressively responsible experience in finance, accounting, and budgeting.
• Knowledge and technical competence in financial statements consolidation and ability to respond to internal/external audit queries.
• Knowledge of cash management practices, policies, and procedures, and the ability to make appropriate recommendations to improve their accuracy, security timeliness and efficiency.
• Knowledge of various payment systems, banking terminologies, pension fund practices, and relevant financial management processes and policies.

Age Limit:

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

ECOWAS Key Competencies:

• Ability to persuade/influence others to consider a certain point of view, adopt a new idea or implement new methods and practices.
• Ability to lead a team of trainees/junior staff and instill a spirit of teamwork to engage employees and achieve a well-defined set of activities.
• Ability to respect the chain of command in an appropriate manner.
• Ability to resolve challenges that occur with minimal direction and/or to recommend and explain solutions or alternatives for approval.
• Ability to utilize the Code of Ethics to manage self, others, information, and resources.
• Ability to mentor others and create feedback loops with supervisors, colleagues, and subordinates to build strong working relationships and improve performance.
• Contribute to maintaining organizational unit’s performance goals and standards.
• Interpersonal skills with the ability to keep a client informed of progress or setbacks in projects of relevance to the timeline, quality, and quantity.
• Ability to proactively interact with clients and build strong trusting relationships based on mutual respect and regular discussions.
• Ability to establish and sustain professional credibility with clients/stakeholders in a manner that anticipates their needs, mitigates issues and that carefully balances professional obligations with the need to be sensitive and responsive to their needs.
• Ability to counsel, advise, consult, and guide others on matters pertaining to assigned client service responsibilities and established client service standards.
• Demonstrate respect for cultural differences, fairness, and ability to relate well with People from varied backgrounds, nationality, gender, ethnicity, race, and religion.
• Understanding of diverse cultural views especially within West Africa, with sensitivity to group differences; ability to challenge bias and to practice tolerance and empathy.
• Ability to listen actively, consider people’s concerns and apply judgement, tact, and diplomacy.
• Ability to work in a diverse and inclusive interactive environment that benefits from diverse strengths.
• Ability and responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work.
• Ability to encourage, empower, and advocate for people in an unbiased and transparent manner.
• Knowledge of ECOWAS institutions, sectors, programmes, and policies.
• Knowledge of ECOWAS internal operational requirements of programs, projects, services, and systems required to achieve work assignments and meet performance goals.
• Knowledge of rules and procedures of ECOWAS associated assigned responsibilities and ability to explain these clearly to others.
• Knowledge of the ECOWAS culture, structures and performance issues and priorities impacting assigned responsibilities.
• Knowledge of member states development trends, indicators, challenges, and opportunities as it relates to project/programme assigned to own position.
• Ability to study data/information from a variety of sources, identify anomalies, trends and issues, present findings, and make recommendations.
• Ability to break down problems or processes into key parts to identify and solve gaps in service, quality assurance, compliance, and performance targets.
• Knowledge of and ability to apply techniques to generate creative ideas and new approaches to meeting goals.
• Ability to use evidence and research to inform policies and programs and identify relevant and appropriate sources of information, including stakeholders, regional institutions and/or internal committees.
• Demonstrate operational computer proficiency using appropriate tools.
• Ability to make sound use of graphics and tables to effectively present numerical data to write semi-complex technical reports/proposals and edit/check templates, letters, etc.
• Ability to convey information clearly and concisely in a succinct and organized manner through both writing and verbal means,
• Exhibit interpersonal skills, make presentations, express opinions, and debate ideas with others in a constructive manner.
• 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.
• Ability to develop and implement an individual action plan for achieving specific work goals.
• Identify, organize, and monitor tasks throughout to facilitate execution.
• Ability to contribute and/or lead on projects as per accepted project management standards and techniques, to co-ordinate contributions by others to set and meet deadlines.
• Ability to organize work, set priorities, and work within timelines, giving attention to details, stakeholders, indicators, and risks.
• Ability to identify, collect and assess indicators to monitor performance and to take proactive remedial action as required.

Salary
USD62,213.20 Annually.

Application Closing Date
15th May, 2024.