HEALTH POVERTY ACTION

JOB DESCRIPTION

Job title:Program Accountant

Reporting to:Head of Finance & Administration

Job purpose:To ensure effective financial control and oversight of designated project / country office accounts. To assist with donor reporting and year end financial statements.

Background:Health Poverty Action is an international development charity registered in the UKwith working in 13 countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America. It is funded by a range of donors including the European Commission, DFID, Global Fund and a number of trusts and the general public.

Health Poverty Action has two regional office and country offices and project offices with about 450 staff. Health Poverty Action is a registered charity with a small office in Vauxhall with around 20 staff. The turnover of the organisation is approximately £9.5m.

Main Functions:

To review monthly accounting returns from designated overseas offices, ensuring that Health Poverty Action’s Global Finance Policies and Procedures are adhered to.

To provide support in the preparation of donor reports.

To work closely with the program officers to ensure effective oversight of country office finances

To carry out internal audits where required.

To be responsible for the insurance policies covering staff

To assist the Head of Finance in any other duties that may reasonably be required

Responsibilities:

  • Review monthly accounts submitted by overseas offices and feedback to the PO/PFOs and in-country staff with corrections.
  • Reconcile and consolidate project and country office accounts with UK accounts to produce expenditure reports for the financial year to date.
  • Support PO/PFOs in the preparation of donor finance reports and reconcile donor reports back to Quickbooks before submission.
  • Support PO/PFOs and in-country staff in the preparation of annual internal budgets.
  • Support in-country staff with the preparation of year end accounts and review all year end submissions.
  • Liaise with PO/PFOs and support in-country finance staff on the set up and correct use of QB company files, ensuring that analysis is sufficient for all donor reporting needs (including match funding).
  • Carry out spot checks. internal audits and finance reviews in overseas offices at the request of the Head of Finance and Heads of Programmes
  • Agree and complete finance review follow up workplans with the in-country finance staff and Country Director and put in place monitoring systems to ensure that the plans are followed.
  • Support staff in processing travel/health insurance claims, and keep a record of all claims made.
  • Liaise with Programmes department to help prepare documentation for donor audits.
  • Provide finance support on donor reporting and budgeting as required.
  • Work with finance staff in regional and country offices to increase capacity
  • In the absence of the Head of Finance, purchase foreign currency for transfer to field offices.
  • Respond to questions from field offices and PO/PFOs on finance and accounting matters.
  • In the absence of the Finance Assistant, process purchase ledger payments and field cash transfers
  • Assist with the checking of year end returns and preparation of year end financial statements.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Qualifications and experience

Required;

AAT (or similar)

At least a years’ experience of financial accounting preferably in a small NGO

Advanced Microsoft Excel skills

Able to deal with variable workload and additional requests

Fast learner, capable of understanding and implementing new systems quickly

Ability to work independently

Flexibility and willingness to take on new tasks when required

Willingness to travel abroad occasionally as required.

Desirable

Significant experience in using QuickBooks, Sun Systems or similar

Spoken and written Spanish / Chinese

BASIC TERMS AND CONDITIONS

35 hours per week

25 days annual leave

£22,398 pa plus London weighting £3,356