General Ledger Accountant - Nigeria at British Council

Location: Lagos, Sub Saharan Africa, NG
Pay band: 6
Contract Type: Indefinite
Department: Finance
Alternative locations the role could be based: Nigeria

Role Purpose

• The post holder manages the end to end review and reconciliation of accounting information across the operation, including general ledger reconciliation activities for the branch and subsidiaries, manages accounting data analysis, audit of financial data for accuracy and completeness, and supports the Senior Financial Accountant with month / annual closing activities and preparation of financial statements in line with IFRS.

Main Accountabilities / Challenges for this Role

• The ideal candidate leads the Record to Report (R2R) activities and all General ledger reconciliation tasks for British Council entities in Nigeria.
• Guarantee integrity of financial data by performance of reviews and reconciliations in line with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), UK Financial Reporting Standards (FRS 102), and all relevant local statutory regulations, including tax-related legislations, foreign exchange policies, etc.
• Manages review of outputs from the AR, AP, and Exams Accountants, and recommends improvement in accounting processes.

Main Accountabilities but not limited to the following:

• The post-holder will manage Audit of Financial Information for Accuracy
• Perform minimum of 2 days a week call-over/review of the previous days’ transactions for accuracy and completeness, and prompt identification and correction of errors.
• Lead on financial data adjustments and entries (e.g., accruals, deferrals, reclassifications, interdepartmental entries) into the ledger.
• You will be responsible for account Reconciliation, Monthly & Annual Closing, and Reporting
• Support monthly / month-end accounts review process in collaboration with Senior Financial Accountant.
• Review, reconciliation, and confirmation of all British Council’s ledger balances (LC1, LC2, LC3).
• Review and substantiate trial balance and Balance sheet positions for all entities.
• Key point of contact for Shared Services Centre (SSC) balance sheet management team.
• Reconciliation of Subledgers: Bank, Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, Fixed Assets, etc. in line with agreed timelines.
• In collaboration with the Tax & Intercompany accountant, review and Reconcile all Tax General Ledger balances for completeness and accuracy.
• Ensure prepayment, accruals, deferrals, stock adjustment, depreciation entries are done in a timely manner and are accurate in line with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), British Council Accounting Manuals, and UK Financial Reporting Standards (FRS 102), resulting in better monthly financial reporting.
• Collaborating with business units and other support functions to gather, analyse, and interpret relevant financial information.
• Ensure that all documents and financial information are recorded on-time and accurately in the accounting system and in line International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), British Council Accounting Manuals, and UK Financial Reporting Standards (FRS 102) for internal and external reporting compliance.
• Be involved in the monthly financial statement close, accounts payable and accounts receivable processes, annual audit, accounting and other financial systems, and accounting policies, procedures, and controls.
• As with any business that experiences peaks and troughs of activity, there is likely to be a need to work outside office hours from time to time.

Role Specific Knowledge and Experience
The successful candidate will need to possess the following requirements:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting or equivalent with at least 4 years’ experience in accounting and financial reporting and similar role
• Fluency in written and spoken English
• Qualified accountant – ACA, ACCA
• Experience in General Ledger management and Record to Report (R2R)
• Good knowledge of transaction taxes and general accounting practices along with international accounting standards (IAS/IFRS)
• Proficient in MS Office applications: Excel, PowerPoint, and Word.

Desirable:

• Master’s Degree
• CFA, CGMA, CIMA, CITN
• Experience in the use of SAP
• Auditing experience.

Essential Requirements:

• Role holder must have existing rights to live and work in the country the role is based.

Salary
NGN8,106,740.00 Annually.