Finance Assitant/Accountant 8 (Lagos) (17781) at ABT Associates

Organization Overview

The International Health Division is committed to the improvement of health and healthcare delivery around the world.  Serving both the public and private sectors, our efforts include health policy research and evaluation, health promotion and disease prevention, health finance, and health systems management.  Our impact is felt in policies that ensure healthcare access for women, children, and individuals with special needs, in strengthening health infrastructures, and HIV/AIDS solutions.

Job Summary
To support the project in the areas of budget formulation, financial planning, accounting/budget execution, and management advisory services.

Key Responsibilities

• Communicating effectively with the State Team Leader Manager (STL) and the Finance and Administration Manager (FAM), regarding contract documents, change orders, and other contract modifications, approvals, and any additional services related to billing.
• Reviewing all payments to be made at the state level for completeness, appropriateness, authorization and availability of funds.
• Ensuring proper maintenance of all state books of account under the supervision of the FAM.
• Supporting the preparation of monthly, quarterly and annual state financial/expense reports including bank and cash reconciliations to be submitted to PATHS2 National Country Office (NCO) in Abuja.
• Preparing final invoice packages for approval by the STL and FAM, containing draft and final invoices for all billable state-level expenditures and including all required backup documentation.
• Handling the timely preparation and submission of taxes due and filing of tax returns, while ensuring that contracts are issued to clients in compliance with HR guidelines at the state level.
• Maintaining state-level payroll and budget spending records, in coordination with the FAM and NCO Operations Department.
• Working closely with the FAM to provide the state technical team members with advice on activity budgets, relative to procurement of goods and services invoicing and reimbursable expenses, while maintaining a continuous line of communication to clear any financial issues.
• Assisting all program staff to reconcile variances that occur in the application of cash and other spending in the course of implementing activities that are in line with the state work plans.
• Reviewing staff timesheets on a weekly and monthly basis, ensuring timeliness, correctness, and compliance with policies and procedures of Abt Associates Nigeria.
• Preparing balance sheet account reconcilements, as directed by the FAM and with approval of the STL.
• Providing support for annual audits, which may include research and reconcilement.

Skills Prerequisites

• Bachelors Degree in Accounting, Business Administration, or other relevant field preferred
• At least 2 years of professional accounting experience, preferably in a development work setting.
• Proficient communication, interpersonal, analytical and organizational skills.
• Demonstrated self-management skills and ability to work with limited supervision.
• Intermediate to advanced computer literacy, including experience in Microsoft word processing, spreadsheets and accounting software, with knowledge of QuickBooks software or other accounting platform, a plus.
• Knowledge of standard contract terms, including hourly, lumps sum, not-to-exceed and how they are applied in the billing process.
• Ability to work well with others under deadline situations and respond to changes in priorities.
• Good written and verbal communication skills and strong organizational skills desirable.
• Strong service orientation and ability to work effectively in a challenging and diverse socio-economic and cultural environment.

Minimum Qualifications

• (2+) years of experience and bachelor degree OR the equivalent combination of education and experience.