Assistant Accountant (MISAHEL / PAPS) at the African Union (AU)

The African Union (AU) is a continental body consisting of the 55 member states that make up the countries of the African Continent. It was officially launched in 2002 as a successor to the Organization of African Unity (OAU, 1963-1999). We are an Integrated, Prosperous and Peaceful Africa, driven by its own citizens and representing a dynamic force in the global arena.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Assistant Accountant (MISAHEL / PAPS)

Location: Bamako, Mali
Employment Type: Full-time

Purpose of Job

• Under the supervision of the Finance & Administration Officer, the Assistant Accountant is charged with processing financial transactions and maintaining financial records, and provide support (to the Finance and Administration Officer on finance), on Finance, budget implementation, and Accounting.

Main Functions

• Prepares schedules for month and annual closure of accounts and provide input into the preparation of IPSAS Compliant Financial Statements;
• Settle imprest and make relevant adjustments/reversals in SAP;
• Prepare bank reconciliations on monthly basis and coordinate related audits;
• Perform periodic review of accounts payable and receivable to ensure that outstanding payments are made and recoveries are made for receivables.
• Provide support in preparing budget documents, registering financial transactions, following up on budget implementation

Specific Responsibilities

• Assist in the preparation of periodic Financial Statements of Partners funded program and operational budget;
• Assist to maintain and generate accurate financial records, in line with the approved accounting standards, guidelines, AU Financial Rules and Regulations
• Analyze all financial supporting documents received and ensure their proper filing;
• Reconcile receivables and payables from partner’s funds and operational budget;
• Ageing analysis of Imprest and travel claims on a regular basis to keep clean and up to date;
• Review of the financial returns from Regional, Specialized Offices and Organs to ensure that all payments, receipts and adjustments under programs are adequately supported by documents;
• Reconcile expenses to source documents, ensure that commitments on Imprest and travel advances do not outstand for long period;
• Ageing analysis of receivables and payables from Partners’ funds and operational budget;
• Assist on preparation of responses to external and internal audit queries and assist in the implementation of audit findings;  
• Assists in the preparation of financial reports and assists in performance of various clerical duties;
• Settlement of Imprest, travel claims and other advances for Partners funded programs and operational budget
• Manage the petty cash under the supervision of the Supervisor
• Preparation of Bank reconciliation reports and investigate and follow up all outstanding items on statement reports of bank reconciliation under the supervision of the Supervisor
• Post journal entries into the SAP system and reconcile interoffice accounts;  
• Follow up with internal and external audit reports related to any reconciliation issues raised in reports;
• Prepare Financial Reports for consideration by the Supervisor;  
• Ensure that accurate and complete accounting, reporting and internal control systems are functioning and that all relevant records are maintained accurately;  
• Perform any other duties as may be assigned.

Academic Requirements and Relevant Experience

• A Diploma in Accounting or Finance or related filed, with three (3) years of relevant work experience in the areas of Accounting / Finance.

Or

• Bachelor's Degree in Accounting or Finance or related filed, with two (2) years of relevant work experience in the areas of Accounting/finance.

Required Skills:

• Conscientious in observing deadlines and achieving results
• Work experience in accounting packages is an added advantage.
• Work experience in SAP an added advantage
• IPSAS knowledge is an added advantage
• Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to organize and to work in a multicultural environment.
• Excellent computer skills ; Microsoft Office, Internet Explorer, etc.
• Good skills in planning and organization
• Strong communication ability both orally and in writing
• Proficiency in one of the AU working languages, fluency in another AU language is an added advantage.

Leadership Competencies:
Core Competencies:

• Teamwork and Collaboration
• .Learning Orientation
• Communicating with Influence
• Functional Competencies
• Job Knowledge Sharing
• Continuous Improvement Orientation.

Application Closing Date
21st June, 2024.