Project Accountant job at Babies and Mothers Alive Foundation (BAMA)

Position Purpose

The Project Accountant will ensure the integrity, transparency, and accountability of all financial operations for the WeCare Project. This role is central to providing accurate financial management, rigorous budget monitoring, and compliant procurement and logistical coordination. The accountant will maintain strict adherence to Enabel and BAMA Foundation financial policies, support the Project Coordinator in strategic financial decision-making, and deliver timely, high-quality financial reporting to ensure the project's resources directly contribute to improving maternal and newborn health outcomes.

Roles and Responsibilities

a) Financial Management and Reporting

• Process requisitions, payments, and receipts related to the project, ensuring timeliness and accurate coding to project budgets.
• Enter all project-related financial transactions into the financial management system.
• Verify financial documentation for disbursements, ensuring numerical accuracy and proper authorization before payments are made.
• Ensure that all financial transactions align with the approved budget and work plans, ensuring expenditures are allowable, reasonable, and coded correctly to expense and donor categories.
• Prepare monthly bank reconciliations and reconciliations of project-related control accounts.
• Assist project staff in determining the allowability and correct allocation of costs under the Project funding.
• Submit timely financial reports and accountabilities for project expenditures.
• Work with the Finance and Administration Manager to provide regular expenditure reports for the project, including financial analysis on grant utilization and partner sub-agreements.
• Support the preparation of grant budgets for the Project, providing relevant financial data and guidance.

b) Statutory Compliance

• File tax returns and account for all tax-related transactions for the project in the set timelines, including WHT and VAT.
• Ensure compliance with financial policies and donor regulations, particularly for grants funding the Project.

c) Administrative and Logistics Support

• Maintain organized financial records and documentation for all transactions related to the Project.
• Work closely with the Logistics Officer to track inventory and equipment for the Project, ensuring proper asset management.
• Support MRP staff in reviewing and submitting correct fund requests for field activities.

d) Internal Controls and Compliance

• Support the implementation and enforcement of financial policies and procedures to strengthen accountability in operations.
• Work with program teams to ensure proper financial controls, fraud prevention measures, and transparency in fund utilization.
• Conduct periodic financial reviews and internal audits to ensure donor compliance and improve efficiency in project expenditures.

e) Other Duties

• Provide additional financial and administrative support as assigned by the Finance and Administration Manager, management, or the Project Coordinator to facilitate the smooth running of the project.

Qualifications, Skills, and Competencies

Academic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration (Finance option), Commerce, or a related field.
• Professional certification or progress toward certification in CPA, ACCA, or equivalent is a strong added advantage.
• Additional training in donor financial management, grants management, or NGO financial compliance is an advantage.

Professional Experience

• Minimum of 3–5 years’ relevant experience in finance and administration within an NGO, INGO, or donor-funded project environment.
• Proven experience in project financial management, including budgeting, expenditure tracking, reconciliations, and financial reporting.
• Experience working with donor-funded health or development projects is highly desirable.
• Demonstrated experience in statutory compliance, including handling VAT, WHT, and other tax obligations.
• Experience supporting procurement, logistics, and inventory/asset management within project operations is an added advantage.

Technical Skills

• Strong knowledge of accounting principles, financial controls, and internal audit processes.
• Proficiency in financial management systems and accounting software (e.g., QuickBooks, Sage, or similar).
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and good working knowledge of Word and PowerPoint.
• Ability to prepare and review financial reports, bank reconciliations, and accountabilities accurately and on time.
• Good understanding of donor compliance requirements, budget controls, and grant reporting standards.

Core Competencies

• High level of attention to detail and numerical accuracy.
• Strong organizational and time-management skills with the ability to meet tight deadlines.
• Ability to analyze financial data and provide clear, practical financial guidance to non-finance staff.
• Strong problem-solving skills and ability to identify and address financial risks.
• Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively with program and logistics teams.

Behavioral and Personal Attributes

• High level of integrity, accountability, and confidentiality in handling financial information.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to work with multidisciplinary teams.
• Proactive, results-oriented, and committed to continuous improvement.
• Willingness to travel to project implementation areas, including the Busoga Region, as required.
• Commitment to BAMA Foundation’s mission, values, and safeguarding standards.

• Process requisitions, payments, and receipts related to the project, ensuring timeliness and accurate coding to project budgets.
• Enter all project-related financial transactions into the financial management system.
• Verify financial documentation for disbursements, ensuring numerical accuracy and proper authorization before payments are made.
• Ensure that all financial transactions align with the approved budget and work plans, ensuring expenditures are allowable, reasonable, and coded correctly to expense and donor categories.
• Prepare monthly bank reconciliations and reconciliations of project-related control accounts.
• Assist project staff in determining the allowability and correct allocation of costs under the Project funding.
• Submit timely financial reports and accountabilities for project expenditures.
• Work with the Finance and Administration Manager to provide regular expenditure reports for the project, including financial analysis on grant utilization and partner sub-agreements.
• Support the preparation of grant budgets for the Project, providing relevant financial data and guidance.
• File tax returns and account for all tax-related transactions for the project in the set timelines, including WHT and VAT.
• Ensure compliance with financial policies and donor regulations, particularly for grants funding the Project.
• Maintain organized financial records and documentation for all transactions related to the Project.
• Work closely with the Logistics Officer to track inventory and equipment for the Project, ensuring proper asset management.
• Support MRP staff in reviewing and submitting correct fund requests for field activities.
• Support the implementation and enforcement of financial policies and procedures to strengthen accountability in operations.
• Work with program teams to ensure proper financial controls, fraud prevention measures, and transparency in fund utilization.
• Conduct periodic financial reviews and internal audits to ensure donor compliance and improve efficiency in project expenditures.
• Provide additional financial and administrative support as assigned by the Finance and Administration Manager, management, or the Project Coordinator to facilitate the smooth running of the project.

• Strong knowledge of accounting principles, financial controls, and internal audit processes.
• Proficiency in financial management systems and accounting software (e.g., QuickBooks, Sage, or similar).
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and good working knowledge of Word and PowerPoint.
• Ability to prepare and review financial reports, bank reconciliations, and accountabilities accurately and on time.
• Good understanding of donor compliance requirements, budget controls, and grant reporting standards.
• High level of attention to detail and numerical accuracy.
• Strong organizational and time-management skills with the ability to meet tight deadlines.
• Ability to analyze financial data and provide clear, practical financial guidance to non-finance staff.
• Strong problem-solving skills and ability to identify and address financial risks.
• Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively with program and logistics teams.
• High level of integrity, accountability, and confidentiality in handling financial information.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to work with multidisciplinary teams.
• Proactive, results-oriented, and committed to continuous improvement.
• Willingness to travel to project implementation areas, including the Busoga Region, as required.
• Commitment to BAMA Foundation’s mission, values, and safeguarding standards.

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration (Finance option), Commerce, or a related field.
• Professional certification or progress toward certification in CPA, ACCA, or equivalent is a strong added advantage.
• Additional training in donor financial management, grants management, or NGO financial compliance is an advantage.
• Minimum of 3–5 years’ relevant experience in finance and administration within an NGO, INGO, or donor-funded project environment.
• Proven experience in project financial management, including budgeting, expenditure tracking, reconciliations, and financial reporting.
• Experience working with donor-funded health or development projects is highly desirable.
• Demonstrated experience in statutory compliance, including handling VAT, WHT, and other tax obligations.
• Experience supporting procurement, logistics, and inventory/asset management within project operations is an added advantage.