We are seeking an experienced, strategic, and highly accountable Head of Accounting / Senior Accountant to lead the organisation's accounting and financial management function.
The successful candidate will be responsible for providing overall leadership for the accounting function, establishing and maintaining robust financial policies and controls, ensuring statutory and tax compliance, preparing accurate financial reports and financial statements, managing project accounting, and providing timely financial information and advice directly to management.
This is a senior leadership role requiring an individual who can independently manage the accounting function, exercise professional judgement, identify financial risks, establish appropriate systems and controls, and proactively advise management. The successful candidate is expected to set the tone and direction for accounting and financial control, rather than operate primarily in an instruction-driven capacity.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES INCLUDE
General Accounting & Financial Records
- Maintain accurate and up-to-date accounting records for the organisation and relevant group companies.
- Prepare and maintain appropriate charts of accounts and accounting structures.
- Record and post financial transactions, expenses, income, and project-related costs.
- Maintain proper documentation and filing of financial records and supporting documents.
- Ensure appropriate separation and tracking of expenses across different companies, projects, and cost centres.
- Maintain the organisation's fixed asset register and other relevant financial registers.
- Prepare payment trackers and monitor outstanding financial transactions.
- Conduct regular bank and account reconciliations, including salary account reconciliations.
- Support the preparation of financial statements and periodic management accounts.
2. Expense Management & Financial Controls
- Review, verify, approve, reject, and provide comments on expense requests in the accounting system, as authorised.
- Monitor staff and management expense advances and ensure timely retirement of expenses.
- Follow up on outstanding expense retirements, reimbursements, receipts, and supporting documentation.
- Review expenses against approved budgets, policies, and supporting documentation.
- Support price verification and cost reviews for office and project expenses.
- Maintain effective financial controls over payments and expenditure.
- Ensure relevant invoices and payment documentation are properly reviewed and processed before submission or payment.
3. Project Accounting & Financial Management
- Establish and maintain project-specific accounts and cost structures.
- Track project income, expenditure, staffing costs, and other project-related financial commitments.
- Prepare project financial reports and final project accounts where required.
- Support project profitability analysis, cost determination, and financial close-out.
- Develop project staffing cost projections and other financial estimates.
- Provide financial information and documentation required for project proposals, bids, budgets, and reporting.
- Work closely with project managers and other teams to ensure proper financial documentation and accountability.
4. Tax & Statutory Compliance
- Coordinate and maintain the organisation's tax compliance activities.
- Prepare and/or coordinate VAT, WHT, PAYE, and Company Income Tax (CIT) computations and filings.
- Prepare PAYE documentation and coordinate statutory payments.
- Maintain the Withholding Tax Register and other relevant tax records.
- Determine applicable project tax obligations and support project-level tax computations.
- Respond to tax queries, desk audit requests, and correspondence from relevant tax authorities.
- Maintain proper documentation for tax audits and statutory reviews.
- Support the preparation and submission of documents required for tax audits and related engagements.
- Manage relationships with tax consultants and relevant regulatory authorities.
The previous role specifically included VAT, WHT, PAYE and CIT responsibilities, including tax audit coordination and statutory payments.
5. Payroll & Staff Financial Administration
- Ensure timely preparation and processing of staff payroll.
- Maintain accurate payroll records and staff payslips.
- Coordinate salary payments and resolve payroll-related accounting issues.
- Support staff loan administration and monitor loan repayments.
- Maintain appropriate records of staff advances, loans, reimbursements, and other financial obligations.
6. Financial Policies, Procedures & Internal Controls
- Implement and maintain the organisation's financial policies, procedures, and internal controls.
- Review financial processes and recommend improvements where necessary.
- Support the development and implementation of financial regulations, guidelines, and accounting procedures.
- Ensure staff compliance with approved financial policies and procedures.
- Contribute to strengthening financial documentation and accountability across the organisation.
- Support continuous improvement of the organisation's accounting and financial management systems.
The previous Accountant developed and supported policies covering travel, petty cash, staff loans, accounting-system changes and internal financial regulations.
7. Accounting Systems & Digital Finance
- Manage day-to-day accounting activities using Zoho Books, Zoho Expense, or other designated accounting platforms.
- Create and maintain projects, accounts, expense categories, and relevant accounting structures within the system.
- Ensure transactions are properly captured and supported with adequate documentation.
- Train and guide staff on appropriate use of the organisation's expense and accounting systems.
- Support the continuous improvement and digitalisation of accounting processes.
8. Management Reporting & Financial Analysis
- Prepare monthly and quarterly management accounts and financial reports.
- Provide management with accurate and timely financial information for decision-making.
- Analyse expenditure, project costs, cash flows, and financial performance.
- Prepare financial schedules, reconciliations, forecasts, and analytical reports as required.
- Provide financial advice to management on accounting, tax, expenditure, and financial control matters.
- Prepare presentations and financial reports for management meetings where required.
The previous role included quarterly management accounts, financial advisory support to management, financial presentations, project cost analysis, and external loan appraisal reporting.
9. Audit & External Engagements
- Support internal and external audits and financial reviews.
- Prepare schedules, reconciliations, and supporting documentation requested by auditors.
- Coordinate the provision of financial documents to external consultants, auditors, and other authorised parties.
- Track and respond to audit queries and ensure timely resolution of identified issues.
10. Financial Support for Business Development
- Lead the financial component of proposals, tenders, bids, and consultancy submissions.
- Prepare and review financial proposals, budgets, cost estimates, financial schedules, and pricing models.
- Work with technical and research teams to ensure that financial proposals accurately reflect project activities, staffing, reimbursables, overheads, taxes, and profitability.
- Review proposed project budgets and assess their financial viability.
- Develop financial forecasts and scenario analyses to support management decisions.
- Provide financial information and supporting documents required for bids and business development activities.
The previous role included providing financial documents for project bidding and collaborating with the research team on proposal development and market research.
Requirements
- Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Economics, or a related discipline.
- Professional qualification such as ACA/ICAN, ACCA, ANAN, or equivalent is strongly preferred.
- Minimum of 5–7 years of progressive professional accounting experience, preferably with significant experience in a senior accounting or finance position.
- Demonstrable experience independently managing an accounting function.
- Strong experience in financial reporting and preparation of financial statements.
- Strong knowledge of Nigerian taxation, including VAT, WHT, PAYE, and CIT.
- Experience managing project accounts and project-based financial reporting.
- Experience preparing financial proposals, budgets, cost estimates, and financial projections.
- Experience developing and implementing financial policies, procedures, and internal controls.
- Experience managing audits and working with tax consultants and regulatory authorities.
- Experience with accounting software; Zoho Books/Zoho Expense experience will be an advantage.
- Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and financial analysis.
- Experience managing or supervising junior accounting personnel.