Afghanaid – Management Accountant

About Afghanaid

Afghanaid is a British humanitarian and development organisation, established in 1983 to serve the needs of Afghans fleeing war in Afghanistan following the Soviet invasion. Now in its 40th year, Afghanaid has become one of the longest serving and most widely respected non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in Afghanistan, and we have worked with millions of deprived, excluded and vulnerable families in some of Afghanistan’s most remote and underserved communities.

Working towards a peaceful and thriving Afghanistan, Afghanaid’s work has evolved to address four main pillars: providing basic services for all; supporting communities to adapt to the ravages of climate change and reduce their exposure to disasters; promoting sustainable livelihoods and food security; and delivering assistance in humanitarian crises. Three guiding principles are mainstreamed in all our programmes to ensure their successful contribution to sustainable development: gender and inclusion, good governance, and conflict mitigation and peacebuilding. In addition, our community-led approach gives ordinary Afghans a voice in their own development, ensuring they are active participants in shaping the future of their country.

With our years of experience, our majority Afghan team, and our deep understanding of local, cultural and ethnic issues, we have earned great trust and respect among the communities we serve. Developing our thematic expertise and the capacity of our staff in correspondence with the evolving needs of the country, international best practice, and opportunities for innovation, Afghanaid’s work has never been more important, as Afghanistan continues to face a severe humanitarian crisis. Through a wide range of development and humanitarian programming, we supported over 1.5 million Afghans in 2023. In 2022, Afghanaid’s year-end income was £18 million, having employed 775 people across the year, 97% of whom were Afghan nationals.

Afghanaid’s head office is located in Kabul, and through a network of field offices and partners we currently implement programmes in 10 of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces, implementing directly in four of the most remote and food insecure provinces: Badakhshan, Samangan, Ghor and Daykundi. We also have a small and dynamic fundraising and communications team based in London.

The Role

Role:

Management Accountant

Location:

London, United Kingdom. Afghanaid’s London Office employs a hybrid work model, with 1-2 days per week in the organisation’s office in North London. Remote working arrangements will be considered for the right candidate.

Salary:

£45,000 per annum

Contract type:

Full-time, permanent contract

Reporting to:

Director of Finance and Operations

Travel:

Annually, 20 to 25% of the year in Afghanistan

A rare opportunity to merge financial acumen with social impact: Afghanaid is looking for a Management Accountant to lead the organisation’s financial excellence, ensuring seamless transactions and pioneering innovative accounting methods. This is an excellent opportunity for someone who has recently qualified with the ambition and determination to move up in their career, or is looking for a new challenge in the international humanitarian aid and development sector.

Job Summary Job Purpose and Role

Reporting into the Director of Finance and Operations, this role spans bookkeeping, budget preparation, and reporting. The ideal candidate would be attracted to regular overseas travel to Afghanistan, and enthusiastic about capacitating and collaborating with Kabulbased colleagues. If you’re a CCAB-qualified finance professional with a passion for making a difference, join us and be a vital force at the forefront of transformative development and humanitarian projects supporting some of the most vulnerable families in Afghanistan.

We are seeking a Finance professional who can work with the utmost accountability and accuracy as part of our senior financial management team. The ideal candidate should have extensive experience in streamlining processes and implementing systems. They should plan to work closely with the Director of Finance and Operations to maintain robust internal controls, ensure compliance with IFRS, Charity SORP and other

statutory/ regulatory requirements and provide robust accounting advice to internal stakeholders. The postholder should be able to manage multiple priorities, meet deadlines, and pay close attention to detail. It is essential that the candidate can communicate effectively across the organisation at all levels, using language and terminology that is both accessible and empowering.

Responsibilities

• Assist Head Office (Kabul) finance with month end procedures and preparation of timely, accurate and complete monthly/quarterly and annual financial accounts (in accordance with UK GAAP and Charities’ SORP), and donor reporting, providing technical guidance as needed.

• Assist in preparation of the annual budget and work plans; monitor the effective implementation of the budget and work plan.

• Participate in finance meetings to ensure quality and compliance and address any financial questions.

• Lead in developing and implementing new accounting techniques and systems or in modifying existing methods and procedures suitable for the UK office (also with Kabul and Provincial Offices as agreed).

• Generate narrative reports detailing findings from analysis and proposed solutions for system improvements.

• Manage daily activities of accounting and finance functions including timely recording of transactions, cash management, banking, payroll, assets, receivables, and payables.

• Ensure financial transactions are fully supported, complete, accurate and consistent with organisational and donor standards.

• Reconcile the inter-branch account to ensure that all transactions have been identified and captured in the corresponding branch at the end of each month.

• Ensure the proper management of bank accounts and maintain regular communication with bankers.

• Facilitate in external and internal audits and compilation of annual audit file.

• Assist with periodic reviews of exchange movements and make recommendations to minimise the organisational foreign currency losses and maximise gains.

• Ensure safe custody of cash, documentation and other valuables in the UK Office finance section and coordinate weekly and monthly cash counts, including spot counts.

• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to integrate AI and other new technologies into finance operations, streamlining processes and increasing efficiency.

• Provide training and support to team members on utilising new technologies and systems to improve financial operations.

• Visit Afghanaid’s Head Office in Kabul generally once per quarter, and Provincial Offices as required, to better understand the working environment and support and train team members.

• Undertake any other duties as and when required by the line manager and/or overview manager.

Candidate Profile

Education & Professional Qualification

• CCAB Recognised ACCA/ CIMA/ACA qualified / Diploma in Charity Accounting / CIPFA Certificate in Charity Finance & Accounting or substantial equivalent experience.

Professional Skills, Competencies, Values and Attitudes

Afghanaid seeks an excellent accountant, with strong financial management and reporting acumen; combined with curiosity and initiative, excellent interpersonal and communication skills, and sound judgement and decision-making skills.

Specifically, the holder of this position should also demonstrate the following:

• Native fluency in written English, with a demonstrable ability to write and lay out high quality documents and reports for diverse audiences.

• Proficient in budget development, monitoring & control as well as financial reporting and analysis.

• Excellent conceptual and analytical skills able to distil key ideas with clarity and precision.

• Excellent communication skills with the ability to persuasively present ideas.

• Ability to lead and influence others with diplomacy and tact.

• High-level proficiency in relevant ERP software packages and office applications, including spreadsheets, word processing, PowerPoint and Outlook.

• Personal integrity with initiative and drive to get things done and achieve results in a fast-paced and challenging environment.

• An outgoing and engaging personality, with an awareness of cultural and gender sensitivities and a sense of humour; able to build trust, work and live collaboratively with others and manage relationships with a variety of stakeholders in a diverse multicultural environment.

• Strong organisational and coordination skills, able to work with significant levels of autonomy, manage personal priorities and meet tight deadlines.

• Business-oriented, with a commitment to build Afghanaid’s agility and strengthen its reputation.

• Flexible and dynamic, with the ability to deal with difficult, often ambiguous, and unprecedented situations and creatively solve problems.

• Resilience to travel and work in isolated and possibly insecure locations.

• Demonstrated commitment to continuous learning and professional development.

• Commitment to the vision and mission of Afghanaid.

Other Information

Afghanaid’s core values are creativity, fairness, and honesty. Our staff are passionate about our work and proud of our organisation. Teamwork is fundamental to our standards and demonstrated by taking initiative, assisting others, and taking on additional responsibilities and tasks if necessary. We are results driven, committed and motivated to achieve targets and take accountability for our own actions.

How to Apply

All correspondence, at this stage, should be via Oxford HR. To apply for this post, click on the “Apply” button on the job advert page, complete our online application form, and submit your CV and cover letter as two different documents, which should be prepared before applying as they will be considered in the application process. The cover letter should be no more than two pages long and explain why you are interested in this post and how your skills and experience make you a good fit.

The document should be saved in PDF in the following format: Your First Name-Your Last

Name-Document Name-Date (mmyy) e.g.,

Pat-Jones-CV-032024-Afghanaid or Pat-JonesCoverLetter-032024-Afghanaid.

Timeline

Closing Date: 21 April 2024

First stage interviews: Early May 2024

Final interviews: Late May 2024

Selection Process

All candidates will receive an update regarding their application after the closing date. We advise candidates to add the role email to their safe senders list and regularly check their spam folder.

Equality Statement

Equality and diversity are at the core of Afghanaid’s values. Staff are expected to work collectively and individually to promote a constructive and sensitive approach to others from a variety of backgrounds, where the work of others is valued and respected.

Queries

If you have any queries on any aspect of the appointment process, need additional information, or would like to have an informal discussion, please email at afghanaidmanagement-accountant@oxfordhr.com in the first instance.

About Oxford HR

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Oxford HR is a global leadership consultancy dedicated to searching for and supporting remarkable leaders and teams in purpose-led organisations.

We understand the nuances of purpose-led leadership because we’ve worked in organisations across the breadth of the sector ourselves. We’ve also worked with such organisations since 1995; so we appreciate just what benefits impactful people can bring.