Senior Accountant at African Management Initiative (AMI)

Job Description

• AMI is expanding rapidly. With support from international social impact investors, we have established offices in Nairobi, Johannesburg, Kigali and Dakar, and worked for an impressive portfolio of clients in East, West and Southern Africa. We have trained over 35,000 individuals in 36 African countries to date.
• AMI is now looking for a Senior Accountant to be based in Nairobi to support the financial operations across the company. This requires an accountant able to work as part of multi-disciplined team in a fast-paced environment.
• The Senior Accountant will be responsible for effectively and accurately handling the day to day finance and accounting functions with adherence to accounting standards. Reporting to the Group Finance Manager, the role requires a commercial, well-organised team player, with a desire to do things right the first time and will liaise with external and internal stakeholders.

Responsibilities:

Financial Reporting and Management:

• Supervise Accounts assistants and provide guidance when necessary.
• Assist in preparing monthly performance reports for the company and subsidiaries, including analysis and commentary on performance against budgets and prior year.
• Perform month-end closing activities such as account reconciliation, revenue recognition, expense accounting, etc.
• Ensure financial records comply with company policies and accounting principles, identifying and addressing any material errors or discrepancies.
• Play a key role in the preparation of year-end and statutory accounts.
• Ensure monthly reconciliations are performed for all bank accounts, credit cards, petty cash, etc.
• Maintain proper records and listings of prepayments, accruals, and other relevant accounting records.
• Ensure supporting documents are accurately maintained on NetSuite ERP.
• Analyze expenses to identify cost-cutting opportunities and drive value for the AMI Group.
• Oversee the fixed asset register and reconciliations, including monthly depreciation.
• Manage Accounts Payable/Accounts Receivable processes, including entering daily invoices/bills/journal entries, conducting weekly check runs, and preparing monthly accruals across the group.
• Regularly reconcile key accounts and confirm the accuracy of account postings and other financial records.

Cash Flow Management:

•  Prepare weekly cash flow statement reports and effectively control expenditure and cash flow.
•  Manage working capital and cash flows to maintain a healthy liquidity position for the business.
• Oversee accounts receivable and payable activities.
• Ensure timely payment of vendor invoices and check requests in accordance with authorization and approval policies, and follow up on any outstanding invoices.
• Review aging reports and proactively communicate with customers regarding overdue balances.
• Manage petty cash payments appropriately across the group.

Compliance:

• Assist in preparing documentation for annual financial audits and act as a key liaison with the external auditor.
• Review and analyze current accounting systems and internal controls, providing suggestions for improvement as necessary.
• Ensure compliance with local VAT, income tax, withholding tax (WHT), and statutory reporting requirements across the group, liaising with tax and other advisors as needed.
• Prepare tax schedules for monthly tax filings, ensure timely tax payments, and maintain proper tax accounting.

Requirements
Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor’s Degree in business administration, finance, accounting, or a related field from a recognized university.
• Qualified Accountant (ACCA, CPA).
• At least five (5) years’ experience in finance.
• Experience with new system implementation and experience with NetSuite is preferred.
• Experience working for fast-growth, rapidly-scaling companies is an added advantage. 

Skills & attributes

• Strong verbal, written, and communication skills.
• Have good judgment and organized with the ability to prior​itize.
• Strong people management and analytical skills.
• Good financial modelling and forecasting skills.
• Knowledge of cross-border trading and tax planning preferred.
• Have a high sense of accuracy and attention for detail.
• Strong problem-solving and reporting skills.
• Highest level of personal and professional integrity.
• IT savvy with exceptional Microsoft Excel skills with ability to analyse and interpret data.