Senior Accountant

Qualifications, Skills and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting or Finance.
  
• CPA(U) and or ACCA certification.
  
• 5+ consecutive 5 years of experience as an accounting manager or senior accounting position.
  
• Experience in managing a small accounts team of 4-5 staff.
  
• Experience in preparing financial statements, reconciliations and preparing for audit.
  
• Work experience in a school would be an added advantage.
  

The Skills

• Should have a high-level of proficiency in using MS-Excel and MS-Word.
  
• Proficient in use of an ERP system or accounting software.
  
• Should be proficient in planning, organizing and coordinating.
  
• Should possess excellent written and inter-personal skills.
  
• Strong analytical skills and orientation to detail.
  
• Ability to work with minimal supervision and under pressure.
  
• Demonstrated ability to manage a team to deliver against milestones, with accuracy.
  

• Income accounting, reconciliations and follow up on receivables (Scrutiny and Verification)
  
• Ensure student registers are updated for enrolment by all schools and verify the accuracy of student enrolment numbers on a weekly basis.
  
• Verify that revenue accountants are generating invoices based on accurate student enrolment, that all bank deposits are reconciled on a daily basis with student registers, receipts are generated daily, and there are no uncredited deposits at the end of every week.
  
• Generate and verify revenue entries for the accounting system, obtain sign off from the CFO, and ensure accurate postings in the accounting system.
  
• Ensure and verify reconciliations between bank, class attendance registers, student information system and accounting information system on a daily, weekly and monthly basis
  
• Generate accurate enrolment and debtors lists on a weekly basis and distribute to the Head-teachers, CFO and CEO. Follow-up with head-teachers on a daily basis to ensure collections are completed in accordance with the fee policy.’
  
• Generate accurate enrolment and debtors lists on monthly basis for sharing with the Finance and Audit Committee of the Board.
  

Payables and Payroll

• Put in place a payments’ tracking system. Approve and monitor payments to ensure payments are done in accordance with targets for processing time. Take corrective action with staff when target times are exceeded.
  
• Ensure VAT filings are done in a timely manner, respond to any URA queries and ensure collections from URA .
  
• Reconcile all payables accounts on a monthly basis and propose resolution of long-standing outstanding balances.
  
• Ensure payroll is processed in a timely manner, review for accuracy and changes and submit to Board members for approval no later than the 25th of each month.
  

Cash and bank

• Oversee timely preparation and verification of bank reconciliation statements on a monthly basis of all collection accounts with timely follow up/reversal of long reconciling items. Ensure all bank reconciliations are completed by the 5th of every month
  
• Verify petty cash purchases are in accordance with finance policies. Raise exception queries with head-teachers or department heads.
  
• Ensure proper recording of fixed deposits and timely booking and receiving of interest income as per the control sheet.
  
• Ensure proper controls on petty cash including surprise cash count and reconciliation on periodic basis.
  

Fixed Assets

• Ensure the fixed assets register (with full information) is updated and in line with the accounting information system records
  
• Update the depreciation expense as per the fixed assets schedule on a monthly basis
  
• Ensure that all assets in all the units are properly tagged and insured.
  

Budgeting and Reporting

• Assist during budget exercise to in the completion of budget templates, follow up on timely collection of data on budgetary assumptions in liaison with the relevant units/ departments.
  
• Assist in the generation of periodic financial reports (monthly/quarterly/annual)
  
• Timely prepare schedules for internal, interim and annual audits and support completion of annual statutory audit of financial statements
  
• Support timely filling of company and income tax returns as per the statutory set timelines
  

Management

• Manage the team being a role model for the staff and oversee their work for accuracy and timeliness
  
• Provide value adding financial information and analysis,
  
• Address risks raised by internal and external audits,