Accounting Assistant

IMPORTANT NOTES
This position is subject to local recruitment pursuant to article 9 (3) of ECOWAS Staff Regulations (revised 2021). Candidates shall be recruited from ECOWAS citizens who are resident in the member state where the position has been advertised.
Applications should be sent to: oagacctasst@ecowas.int 

Deadline for submission of application: 27th November 2024

Download the application form by clicking on the link in parentheses (JOB APPLICATION FORM), and fill it out correctly.

Method of assessment: Assessment of internal qualified candidates may include a written exercise
and competency-based interview.

MANDATE OF OAG

The Office of the Auditor General of ECOWAS Institutions (OAG) is an independent assurance office established to assist the ECOWAS Governance Bodies, in particular, the Council of Ministers and Audit Committee to carry out their oversight functions and promote good corporate governance, accountability, and value for money in all Community Institutions, Specialized Agencies and Offices. Deriving its mandate from the ECOWAS Council of Ministers, it is tasked to conduct Community-wide Financial Audits, Compliance Audits, Performance Audits, Investigations, and other Special Audits. The OAG structure comprises an Audit Directorate, a Directorate for Program Performance Audit, and an Internal Services Division. It is headquartered in Abuja, Nigeria.

ROLE OVERVIEW

Under the supervision of the Finance Officer, the incumbent shall assist with the activities in the area of accounting as stated in the roles and responsibilities below.

ROLE AND RESPONSABILITIES

• Assist in the year end closing of accounts and preparation of the OAD financial statements;
• Monthly exports and review of the trial balance of the year in review and note areas with issues;
• Assist in analyzing of all general ledger accounts (Payables, receivables, Income & expenses) and adjust/propose corrections where necessary;
• Preparation of journal vouchers and post into accounting system;
• Amortization/expensing of utilized prepaid accounts;
• Clearing of GL open items;
• Respond and provide requested information/documents to external auditors on issues raised during the year-end audit and recommend/ propose ways to correct them;
• Assist the Accountant in liaising with external auditors in closing of accounts and preparation of reports;
• Assist other divisions (accounts payables, bank reconciliation, receivables and grants) with issues/proposed adjustments raised during the financial year audit;
• Receive vendor invoices, scan/import the images, verify data extraction is accurate, and route the documents into electronic workflow for processing;
• Verify and post scanned invoices using appropriate transaction codes in SAP;
• Identify and prevent duplicate invoice processing;
• Identify missing vendor workflow and initiate the vendor create process;
• Process invoices in accordance with SAP requirements and ECOWAS financial policies and procedures;
• Obtain and attach additional documentation as required for special expenditures including capital expenses;
• Monitor opportunities to optimize timing of payments, based on payment terms;
• Process disbursements in accordance with schedule;
• Reconcile supplier statements and monitor vendor account balances;
• Enter and post cash receipts into accounting software system (SAP) using the appropriate transaction codes;
• Post all payments made or received by wire transfer timely and accurately;
• Prepare accurate bank reconciliation statements on a monthly and timely basis;
• Respond to internal and external (vendor) inquiries in a timely and in a professional manner;
• Assist in resolving invoice discrepancies with the vendor;
• Process payable documents for donations in accordance with their legal and compliance policies;
• Process and release cheques for related invoices and claims promptly;
• Verify outgoing checks for accuracy;
• Assist in the archiving of department documentation;
• Process staff expense claim and travel return forms in a timely manner;
• Provide general filing and administrative support to the finance department;
• Assist in maintaining detailed records of budget estimates, obligations, and available balances, producing forecasts of expenditure; reconcile divisional accounts with central accounts;
  Perform other tasks as assigned by the Supervisor.

ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

• Brevet deTechnicien Superior (BTS) or Ordinary National Diploma(OND) or equivalent certificate in finance specialty or a related field from a recognized Institution.
• 5 years of progressively more responsible work experience in finance, budget, accounting, or related area;
• Demonstrated professional competence to extract, interpret, and analyze a wide variety of accounting data and to resolve data discrepancies and other problems;
• Knowledge of transactional based accounting activities such as budgeting, payroll, vendor claims processing, reconciliation, and financial reporting as related to assigned responsibilities;
• Ability to identify and resolve accounting data discrepancies and operational problems.

AGE LIMIT

• Be below 50 years old. This provision does not apply to internal candidates.

ECOWAS KEY COMPETENCIES

• Ability to assume a credible presence when explaining rules, standards and expectations (e.g., deadlines) to ensure compliance and work expectations are met;
• Ability to motivate self and/or others to engage in discussions that will result in recommendations to improve processes, templates or other work tools;
• Ability to engage in positive approaches to teamwork, participate actively in discussions and the achievement of team goals;
• Ability to take responsibility for own career and performance with the occasional guidance from the supervisor/mentor;
• Ability to build capacity of self and others by sharing knowledge, tools, expertise, and experience with others to remain proficient and well informed in the execution of assigned role.
  Interpersonal, listening and multitasking skills with a good understanding of client service responsibilities and role in representing ECOWAS values in all interactions;
• Ability to take initiative to resolve routine problems associated with assigned tasks using good judgment in involving colleagues or superiors as required;
• Ability to work as part of a team with the ability to explain client interactions to resolve concerns, problems and improve services;
• Ability to manage own time effectively and organize own work area in a manner that will meet performance expectations related to assigned client services;
• Ability to direct people to the appropriate source for further information and ask for help when overwhelmed with client demands.
• Ability to apply culturally relevant and appropriate approaches with people from diverse cultural backgrounds;
• Good diversity management skills to interact with individuals in a manner that is culturally appropriate and in accordance with ECOWAS rules/policies;
• Ability to recognize preconceived notions and stereotypical views of certains groups and individuals and to successfully adopt inclusive and culturally appropriate behaviors;
• Ability and responsibility for incorporating gender perspectives and ensuring the equal participation of women and men in all areas of work;
• Knowledge of diversity management as it relates to daily work expectations and assigned tasks.
• Knowledge of the ECOWAS mandate and operational goals of relevance to assigned responsibilities;
• Ability to keep up to date with Departmental activities, schedules and goals of pertinence to own work team, functional area;
• Knowledge of ECOWAS procedures relevant to assigned work and the ability to apply sound judgment in their application;
• Demonstrated strong interest and commitment to ECOWAS values and activities in daily assumption of duties.
• Excellent ability to maintain, process and provide accurate information as part of assigned tasks;
• Ability to organize files and information for easy retrieval and record keeping;
• Ability to spot mistakes, act promptly to correct them and learn from experiences;
• Knowledge and ability to challenge and question fundamental assumptions regarding accepted ways of doing things in the spirit of improvement.
• Ability to use current technology to communicate effectively e.g., office software programs, including spreadsheets, word processing and graphic presentation software; ability to type and format presentations, reports, manuals, newsletters, website content and proficiency in information communication technologies (ICT);
• Well-developed information sharing skills using technology and in accordance with established processes and practices;
• Advanced verbal assertiveness and communication skills with a demonstrated ability to acknowledge and understand the validity of others’ viewpoints and to respond in a constructive manner;
• Proficiency in information communication technologies(ICT);
• Fluency in oral and written expressions in one of the ECOWAS official languages of the Community (English, French & Portuguese). Knowledge of an additional one will be an added advantage.
• Ability to allocate time for specific task in a manner that will meet deadlines and quality/quantity expectations.
• Good organizational skills with an excellent ability to break down work into smaller parts and focusing on the most important steps first;
• Ability to contribute to maintaining organizational performance standards throughout implementation of new processes, practices and plans adopted by the Department and of relevance to assigned tasks;
• Ability to monitor progress and to consider new goals in the context of assigned responsibilities;
• Ability to follow through with commitments made to others.