Job Title: Project Accountant
Organisation: Self Help Africa
Contract Type: Full time, Fixed term 12 month contract
Hours: 37.5 per week
Location: Lilongwe, Malawi
Reports to: Senior Accountant
Salary: As per scale

About Self Help Africa :

Established in 1984, Self Help Africa is an international development organisation that works through agriculture and agri-enterprise development to address hunger, poverty, social inequality and the impacts of climate change. We believe that equitable economic development is key to lifting communities out of long-term poverty, empowering them to take control of their futures and improving their quality of life.

In early 2023 we launched a new five-year organisation strategy, which defines shared mission as the alleviation of hunger, poverty, social inequality and the impact of climate change through community-led, market-based and enterprise-focused approaches, so that people can have access to nutritious food, clean water, decent employment and incomes, while sustaining natural resources.

Our wider organisation also includes social enterprise subsidiaries Partner Africa, which provides ethical auditing and consultancy services, and CUMO, Malawi’s largest micro-finance provider.

Our three core values are:
 Impact: We are accountable, ambitious and committed to systemic change.
 Innovation: We are agile, creative and enterprising in an ever-changing World.
 Community: We are inclusive, honest and have integrity in our relationships.

Job purpose:

The role is to oversee the project finances of a large 2.5m GBP fast paced consortium project funded by FCDO over the course of 6 months. The project will strengthen community resilience & crisis response for 235,809 people in 9 T/As of Nsanje, Chikwawa, & Phalombe.

The role, based in Lilongwe, will oversee the finances of six other international and local NGOs, alongside SHA finances, on the project. This fast-paced project will require engagement in monthly financial reviews at the project steering committee and reporting to FCDO. It will require financial support to partners and engagement with the senior management team of SHA.

This exciting new project requires an experience financial professional able to start immediately to deliver a rapid and impactful project for the country. Reporting to the Senior Project Accountant and working closely with Project Managers and Program Managers of SHA and partner organisations.  The Project Accountant is responsible for the maintenance of timely, accurate, up to date and easily accessible financial information and the provision of training and mentoring to project staff (non-finance staff) of SHA and partners on finance and related matters.

Key Responsibilities:

Financial data management and reporting.

• Read, understand and keep abreast of donor contracts and guidelines to ably guide Project team in interpretation and compliance of donor policies and procedures on budgeting, expenditures and reporting
• Review financial data for accuracy, completeness, and integrity to ensure its in line with UP/SHA and donor policies and procedures.
• Prepare timely and accurate internal and donor financial reports in line with narrative reports, generally accepted accounting practices but also donor requirements to ensure effective project financial management.
• Prepare monthly management accounts for Project managers and SMT’s review
• Take initiative to investigate all project variances on budget variance reports (for assigned projects) and liaise with project managers on timely remedial action to ensure acceptable maximum budget utilization.
• Assist in the uploading and posting of transactions in the Accounting System on daily basis
• Ensure well labelled files are maintained for project payment vouchers, liquidations, journals, invoices, receipts.
• In conjunction with project managers update the Financial Controller and HRA Manager with any information regarding staff grade, funding percentages and salary changes.
• Support project managers with project narratives in relation to expenditure, financial risks and overall project’s risk management.
• Review, reconcile and update project asset listing, stock listing and verify to physical assets and stocks respectively.
• Implementation and provide oversight of all system, policies and procedures to ensure efficient project implementation, compliance to UP and donor policies and procedures; reporting to management on any findings and areas of improvement.
• Monitor the cash and bank balances to avoid projects bank accounts running out of resources.
• Periodically conduct field visits to project sites to familiarize oneself with project activities but also confirm expenditure and provide finance induction, on- site support to staff, partners where necessary in all aspects related to accounting, finance and budget

Month end procedures.

• Monthly prepare timely and accurate bank reconciliations of the assigned bank accounts, monthly Project Financial Monitoring Reports; posting accounting transactions; preparing source documents and ensuring that all invoices are accurate and relevant documents for audit are in place; checking and following up liquidations.
• Monthly review and reconciles all assigned balance sheet accounts and their items, investigate to clear all long outstanding items, raise the necessary journals, and ensure amounts in balance sheet accounts are correct and well supported.
• Assist the Senior Project Accountant with all other month end procedures..

Cash flow management.

• Facilitate sale of forex to replenish operating accounts; ensuring the sale is at a competitive rate.
• In accordance with SHA’s Finance Policy, calculate monthly conversion rate of all foreign currency transactions to facilitate smooth reconciliations..
• Prepare and consolidate where necessary the cash forecasts.

Staff capacity building.

• Provide finance induction to staff in all aspects related to UP’s accounting policies and procedures as well as donors’ requirements.
• Work with project staff to prepare project close out and participate in project close out meetings

Other

• Support Project Managers in developing and consolidating donor and SHA annual budgets.
• Facilitate internal and external audit processes in relation to the project and ensure audit requirements are monitored throughout the project; work with the Project Managers to ensure that audit recommendations are implemented
• Uphold and promote SHA’s safeguarding policy.

Key Relationships:

• All staff and programmes

Qualification:

• Minimum of Degree in the field of Accounting, business administration and or business management
• 5 years’ experience working with a development or humanitarian organization.
• High levels of integrity, honesty, but also a quick learner
• Good computer skills with ability to work with spreadsheets, accounting software packages
• Attention to detail and problem- solving skills

Knowledge, Experience and Other Requirements:

• Ability to work independently and as part of a team
• Demonstrated capacity and willingness to learn – open to learning new ways of doing things
• Professional attitude towards work
• Friendly, customer service orientation
• Pro-active self-starter with ability to lead across teams.

How to apply:

Full job description here.

Qualified and interested candidates who meet the stated requirements must submit a completed Application Form, along with an up to date Curriculum Vitae and Cover Letter here.

The closing date for applications is 12.00 midnight of 7th October 2025. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Important information: 

Self Help Africa is an international development charity and is committed to the safeguarding of all those who we come into contact with or through our work. We are committed to preventing any type of unwanted behaviour relating to our work including sexual harassment, exploitation and abuse, lack of integrity and financial misconduct; and we are committed to promoting the welfare of children and the people we aim to assist with whom Self Help Africa engages. Self Help Africa expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment and uphold the values and behaviours outlined in the Code of Conduct and Child and Adult Safeguarding Policy. We place a high priority on ensuring that only those who share and demonstrate our values are recruited to work for us. Recruitment to all roles in Self Help Africa will include, and be subject to, a criminal records self-declaration, references, and other pre- employment checks, which may include police and qualifications checking. Self Help Africa is committed to the principles of the Misconduct Disclosure Scheme and will request information from previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse or sexual harassment during employment. By submitting an application, the applicant confirms her/his understanding of these recruitment procedures. Subsequently, working or volunteering with Self Help Africa is subject to a range of vetting checks, including criminal background checking.