Activity Fund Accountant

Job Description    

Project:    USAID Green Annamites
Office:    ECODIT, 5th Green Plaza, Da Nang, Vietnam
Positions:    Activity Fund Accountant
Duty station:    Da Nang, Vietnam
Work area:    The Activity Fund Accountant will be based in Danang, Vietnam
Starting date:    As soon as possible
Probation period:    2 months

ECODIT is seeking Activity Fund (AF) Project Accountant candidates for its USAID-funded Green Annamites Activity implemented in Quang Nam (QN) and Thua Thien Hue (TTH) provinces in Central Vietnam.

PROJECT OVERVIEW

The purpose of the Green Annamites activity is to assist Vietnam’s transition to climate-smart, low emission, and resilient development that protects people, landscapes, and biodiversity in Vietnam’s priority forested provinces. The project’s overall period of performance is September 26, 2016 to December 16, 2020, subject to the availability of funding, and includes three main tasks:

• Increased application of low emission land use: conserve the existing carbon sink; stop emission from small scale deforestation and degradation, and unsustainable agricultural practices; and increase carbon sequestration from restoration of degraded landscapes. A key component of Green Annamites’ intervention strategy is the focus on livelihood improvement and value chains, aiming at generating sustainable revenue streams for communities living in forested areas and in or around protected areas.
• Strengthen biodiversity conservation: mitigate threats to the globally significant biodiversity in central Vietnam, including poaching and activities that destroy habitats for wildlife and cause habitat fragmentation (e.g., deforestation, forest degradation, and conversion of natural forest into plantation)
• Increase resilience for vulnerable communities: ensure that results of activities supported under the two other components are not affected by climate change impacts. In addition, under this task the Program conducts standalone activities to build resilience for vulnerable communities. Much of these activities reflect findings and recommendations from the climate vulnerability assessment findings.

Key program results include improving the livelihoods of 20,000 forest dependent people; improving biodiversity of over 400,000 hectares of natural forest, mobilizing at least $20 million in public and private resources for sustainable livelihoods and forest conservation; and avoiding and/or removing the equivalent of at least 7 million metric tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

Under the supervision of the Director of Finance and Administration (the “DFA”) and the oversight of the Activity Fund Manager, the AF Accountant will work in close collaboration with Activity Fund and Finance team members, Home Office Accountant, other project staff and partners if required.

The Accountant is primarily responsible for compliance with all finance policies and procedures related to reporting and payments under the Activity Fund.

The Accountant assures the integrity of all financial transactions in the field.  He/she is primarily responsible for compliance with ECODIT accounting procedures and USAID rules and regulations on project expenditures, ensuring costs are allowable, allocable and reasonable per the Contract.  He/she shall receive, review and maintain all finance-related documentation and ensure files are complete. He/she will send backup documentation to ECODIT HO on a regular basis.

The position is based in Da Nang, Vietnam and may be required travels to field locations when needed.

Specific Responsibilities

Frequent accounting tasks:

• Review and coordinate approval of milestones and deliverables for payment requests of grantees and sub-contractors received from relevant AF team-member-in-charge; feedback to the relevant AF team member for any necessary follow-up to ensure the adequate supporting documents of the payments.
• Review and finalize activity payment documents, ensure the supporting documents meet the standards of internal and external finance regulations for reasonability and allowability.
• Use ECODIT accounting system to prepare accounting vouchers and seek approvals of the DFA and the COP, enclosed with the bank payment order if any, before processing any transaction.
• Ensure the payments to vendors, sub-contractors, grantees, consultants and staff are arranged in a timely fashion.
• Ensure the accuracy and transparency of all financial documents, with cross-checks on procurements regulations, Activity Fund manual and any other related operations guidance and local government tax laws, before submitting for approval of the DFA and the COP.
• Maintain direct contact with HO Finance Department for any payment requests submitted to HO.
• Organize accounting and supporting documents in a well-defined structure and filing system; check and ensure the full original documents are on file before sending the scanned copies and hard copies to the ECODIT Home Office in Washington DC and as directed.
• Keep track of the advance status of employees, sub-contractor’s employees, grantees and other counterparts for activities and follow up on outstanding advances regularly to ensure timely advance clearances.
• Coordinate with the Project Accountant for Operations to consistently meet ECODIT HO Finance Department deadlines for field expense reports and data submitted, periodical wire transfer requests, cash and bank reconciliation and other deadlines as requested.

Reporting tasks:

• Coordinate with the Project Accountant for Operations to ensure the timeliness of all financial reports for internal and external use as required by the COP or the DFA, including but not limited to the following types of reports:
  
  • All AF tracker reports when requested.
  • VAT reports from the sub-contractor or grantee if applicable.
  • Inventory reports from the sub-contractor or grantee if applicable.
  • Other financial reports required by USAID and the local counterparts when requested.

• Support the DFA in providing the available financial data when necessary.

Other tasks:

• Support the Activity Fund Manager to administer the contract management systems of the projects to ensure proper contractual reports generated and prepared; ensure all contractual information are entered in timely fashion.
• Maintain the Activity Fund database and tracker, including records of awards issued, milestones and deliverables achieved and payments disbursed, and ensure that hard copy and electronic records are accurate, complete, up to date and in compliance with USAID regulations and ECODIT standards.
• Provide orientation for all stakeholders of the program about the financial regulations (cost norms, payment procedures, and other general financial regulations, program financial forms, etc.) when needed.
• Give prompt feedback to the supervisor about any findings or errors or risks in finance practices found during implementation of the program.
• Perform other duties as required by the DFA.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting/ Finance or other relevant.
• 4-6 years working experience in Accounting and Finance.
• Good knowledge in local tax laws
• Having experiences in VAT refund, specifically for ODA project is a preference.
• Experiences with USAID-funded project is preferable.
• Accounting System knowledge preference: QuickBooks, Sun System, Phoebus, or other accounting software.
• Proficiency in Excel and Microsoft Office products
• Good at English (Speaking, Listening, Writing & Reading)
• Works well under pressure.
• Strong project accounting background.
• Strong analytical and problem solving skills.
• Team player and have ability to work independently.
• Ability to travel to the Project Areas when needed.

HOW TO APPLY

Interested candidates should send application including:

• A cover letter
• Latest CV, and
• Three references.

By December 31st, 2018 to the following address: [email protected]

No phone contact please. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for interview.