COMESA - Accounts Officer (AO)

The Inter-Regional Coordinating Committee (IRCC), on behalf of COMESA, is looking for a : Accounts Officer (AO)

Post Level : GS9 (IRCC Salary Scale)
Terms of service : Fixed Term appointment
Duration of appointment : One year, renewable yearly, and NOT TO EXCEED 27 JULY 2014
Duty Station : IRCC Secretariat, COMESA, Lusaka, Zambia
Entry date : on, or as soon as possible as from, 1 Sep 2011.
Vacancy Notice No. : IRCC/2011/05
Eligibility : Natural persons eligible under Annex IV of the ACP – EU Cotonou Partnership Agreement . See also Annex A2b of the EU practical Guide1 to Contract procedures for EU external actions Deadline for application : 22 August 2011 (17h00 Lusaka time)

General
The IRCC Accounts Officer (AO) will work under the direct supervision of the IRCC Financial Analyst and the overall supervision of the Coordinator and Head of IRCC Secretariat.

Duty Station:
The IRCC Accounts Officer will be based in COMESA Secretariat, Lusaka, Zambia, with frequent missions to the region.

Duties

The required services will consist mainly in assistance to the day-to-day financial management of the IRCC support programme and, in an ad hoc manner, general assistance to projects accounts and audit exercises of those projects of the IRCC regional organisations financed under the European Development Funds
with specific reference to the financial execution of contracts ( Programme Estimates, Services, Works, Supplies contracts). In this regard, the specific tasks of the IRCC Accounts Officer will include:

1. Preparing payment requests (with the relevant monitoring of previous payments, contractual requirements and EDF procedures etc) for review by the IRCC FAA and thereon signature of the Imprest Accounting Officer;
2. Liaising, through the IRCC FAA, with the Budget & Finance division of COMESA Secretariat and the Internal Audit unit to ensure the smooth processing of payment requests (including the drawing up of Local Purchase Orders; Goods Received Notes, etc);
3. Maintaining periodic records of accounts, inclusive of budget follow-up at global project and individual commitments levels, for timely submission to management;
4. Assisting in the preparation of project documents including budgets for submission for project funding.
5. Ensure timely replenishment of project funding;
6. Prepare for disbursements with regard to goods and services purchased and preparation and submission of regular updates of services contracts ( short term experts) mobilised under imprest account ;
7. Participate in the successful implementation of project activities e.g. seminars, meetings etc by ensuring that each payment is released on time;
8. Preparation of accurate monthly and annual financial reports for the project and monitoring cash flows on the project account;
9. Maintaining a proper computerised system (SARA EDF PE and SUN system) and ensure coherence between the EC requirements using the SARA budget monitoring system and the SUN accounting system (Internal COMESA accounting system) and also prepare for the COMESA Secretariat the projects\' accounts in SUN software;
10. Verifying the existence of adequate and reliable supporting document for commitment, payments and recoveries (with the relevant monitoring of previous payments, contractual requirements and in respect of EDF and COMESA procedures);
11. Verifying the contractual and financial details of each invoice payment request and interim or final itemised statement of account submitted to Budget and Finance by the imprest administrator with particular reference to ensuring that the budget items are respected;
12. Preparing and drawing up requests for payment of the initial allocation(advance/prefinancing), for replenishment and for closure;
13. Verifying, identify and resolve possible discrepancies in SARA records of the cash flow situations of the bank accounts and petty cash held by the PE for the implementation of the various projects; by preparing bank reconciliation statements according to SUN records;
14. Working with other staff of the Budget and Finance Section and Project Managers to ensure early administrative closure of EDF funded Projects;
15. Carry out the financial and accounts requisites for preparation of IRCC Conferences, Meetings, Workshops and supervise/effect on site verifications and disbursements
16. Assist the IRCC FAA to service the audits exercises
17. Ensuring records are properly filed and secured.
18. Perform any other cognate tasks or duties assigned by the IRCC FAA or the IRCC Coordinator

Qualifications and Experience :

• Degree in accounting , or full ACCA (or equivalent) or a comparable academic qualification or comparable professional experience
• At least 5 years experience in fields and assignments relevant to the post with responsibility positions on financial and administrative management of donor projects ( over EUR 2 million)
• Minimum 3 years of experience in financial and contractual management and audit, especially with EDF funded projects over EUR 2 million
• Very good knowledge and recent practice of 9th and 10th EDF financial rules and regulations and the EU Practical Guides to contracts and programme estimates
• Extensive practice and knowledge of computerized accounting systems with emphasis on SARA and Sun accounting systems
• Regional experience in the Eastern and Southern Africa – Indian Ocean region or ACP countries is desired, previous experience with NAO or RAO office is an advantage - Proven experience of working in a team
• Proficient knowledge of standard computer software (MS word, Excel and project management software)

Language :
Fluent in spoken and written English with good reporting, interpersonal and communication skills; Good working knowledge of French will be an advantage

Remuneration

• The indicative ALL-INCLUSIVE annual salary at IRCC GS9 level at single rate (no dependents) ranges from US$ 17 204 to US$ 24 730. The exact positioning on the scale is determined solely by the Contracting Authority based on a set of factors including the number of years of qualified
  specific experience.
• For primary dependents annual allocations are as follows :
  o US$ 230/child
  o US$ 2 888/family in case of children enrolled full-time an educational establishment
• Due to constraints under the EDF financing made available for this post the maximum remuneration may not exceed the equivalent of EUR 1 532.- per month under the EDF IRCC PE funding.
• No other remuneration or allowances are foreseen.

How to Apply

• Candidates are invited to fill , in their own handwriting, the application form available on the COMESA website under Opportunities>>Job Application format
• Candidates will submit, in a single envelope, the application form, together with a Motivation Letter, such that they are received before 22nd August 2011 at 17.00 hours, EITHER by recorded delivery (official postal service) OR hand delivered (including courier services) to :
  
  The IRCC Coordinator
  IRCC
  COMESA,
  Comesa Centre,
  Ben Bella Road PO Box 30051,
  10101 Lusaka,
  ZAMBIA.

The envelope should carry the following information:

1. The address for submission as indicated above;
2. The reference code of the Vacancy Notice No.
3. The words "Not to be opened before the short-listing session"
4. The name of the candidate

Additional information

• Applicants will be contacted only if they are short-listed and/or under serious consideration
• Applications received after the deadline will NOT be accepted.
• A written test may be held for some positions. Reference materials including candidate\'s own work and material may be used if properly cited.
• It is expected that commencement of contract and work should start on, or as soon as possible as from, 1 September 2011.
• The post(s) will be funded from resources of the 10th European Development Fund under the the IRCC Support programme (financing decision no. FED/2009/021-403), signed between the EU and COMESA. The funding will be channeled -through annual programme estimates and successive renewals of the post until the 27 July 2014 is therefore subject to such funds being made available in due time.