Senior Associate - Business Services and Outsourcing (BSO) job at BDO Uganda

Job Purpose:

The Senior Associate will be responsible for a portfolio of clients who have entrusted BDO to manage all or portions of their financial affairs.

Key Result Areas, Roles and Resposibilities.

1. Growth & Profitability

• Contribute towards achieving the firm’s financial targets by maintaining at least 75% annual utilization.
• Identify and escalate opportunities for expanding client services to both existing and new clients.
• Participate in business development initiatives, including preparing proposals and contributing to client pitches.
• Support strategies to improve assignment profitability through efficiency planning and resource allocation.

2. Employee & Leadership Excellence (People)

• Supervise small to medium assignments, guiding and mentoring junior team members.
• Assist junior staff in understanding the firm’s audit, accounting, and tax approach.
• Demonstrate strong team collaboration and effective communication in both client and internal interactions.
• Participate in training and development activities, keeping up to date with industry and regulatory developments.

3. Client / Market Focus & Centricity (Client Service Excellence)

• Plan, organize, and execute client assignments, ensuring timely delivery of high-quality outputs.
• Establish and maintain strong professional relationships with clients and other stakeholders.
• Provide actionable business advisory services tailored to client needs.
• Prepare and coordinate donor-specific audits and assessments.
• Maintain ongoing communication with clients to address needs, challenges, and opportunities for service enhancement.

4. Operational Excellence (Sustainability)

• Execute bookkeeping tasks and prepare accurate accounting reports.
• Review and maintain the integrity of clients’ periodic financial reports.
• Carry out and manage treasury functions on behalf of clients.
• Prepare, review, and deliver client deliverables, ensuring accuracy and timeliness.
• Enhance operational processes by contributing to improvements in audit methodology, tools, and procedures.
• Coordinate with external auditors when required, ensuring alignment and efficiency in audit processes.

5. Compliance / Risk (Quality and Risk Management)

• Identify and analyze client risks regularly in collaboration with the line manager.
• Ensure compliance with professional standards, relevant accounting and auditing guidelines (e.g., IFRS, GAAP), and firm quality control procedures.
• Support the development and implementation of policies, systems, and procedures to maintain strong internal controls for clients.
• Prepare and review financial statements and reports in line with applicable standards.
• Ensure periodic reconciliations between the general ledger and underlying records are completed and reviewed.

6. Perform any other duties as may be assigned by the Assistant Manager/Manager from time to time.

Experience & Qualification:

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, Finance, or other related fields.
• At least Level 2 of ACCA, CPA, or equivalent professional qualification in progress or completed.
• 3 years of relevant experience in accounting, audit, or outsourcing services.
• Working knowledge of IFRS, local tax laws, and accounting software such as QuickBooks, Sage, or Xero.
• Proficiency in of Microsoft Excel.

Job Personal Specifications and Desired Competencies:

• Be able to effectively support all aspects of engagement delivery end-to-end.
• Be a fast learner and analytical thinker.
• Excellent business writing skills.
• Able to work effectively with minimal supervision.
• Team Collaboration
• Time Management
• Integrity and Confidentiality
• Client Service Orientation

• Contribute towards achieving the firm’s financial targets by maintaining at least 75% annual utilization.
• Identify and escalate opportunities for expanding client services to both existing and new clients.
• Participate in business development initiatives, including preparing proposals and contributing to client pitches.
• Support strategies to improve assignment profitability through efficiency planning and resource allocation.
• Supervise small to medium assignments, guiding and mentoring junior team members.
• Assist junior staff in understanding the firm’s audit, accounting, and tax approach.
• Demonstrate strong team collaboration and effective communication in both client and internal interactions.
• Participate in training and development activities, keeping up to date with industry and regulatory developments.
• Plan, organize, and execute client assignments, ensuring timely delivery of high-quality outputs.
• Establish and maintain strong professional relationships with clients and other stakeholders.
• Provide actionable business advisory services tailored to client needs.
• Prepare and coordinate donor-specific audits and assessments.
• Maintain ongoing communication with clients to address needs, challenges, and opportunities for service enhancement.
• Execute bookkeeping tasks and prepare accurate accounting reports.
• Review and maintain the integrity of clients’ periodic financial reports.
• Carry out and manage treasury functions on behalf of clients.
• Prepare, review, and deliver client deliverables, ensuring accuracy and timeliness.
• Enhance operational processes by contributing to improvements in audit methodology, tools, and procedures.
• Coordinate with external auditors when required, ensuring alignment and efficiency in audit processes.
• Identify and analyze client risks regularly in collaboration with the line manager.
• Ensure compliance with professional standards, relevant accounting and auditing guidelines (e.g., IFRS, GAAP), and firm quality control procedures.
• Support the development and implementation of policies, systems, and procedures to maintain strong internal controls for clients.
• Prepare and review financial statements and reports in line with applicable standards.
• Ensure periodic reconciliations between the general ledger and underlying records are completed and reviewed.
• Perform any other duties as may be assigned by the Assistant Manager/Manager from time to time.

• Be able to effectively support all aspects of engagement delivery end-to-end.
• Be a fast learner and analytical thinker.
• Excellent business writing skills.
• Able to work effectively with minimal supervision.
• Team Collaboration
• Time Management
• Integrity and Confidentiality
• Client Service Orientation
• Working knowledge of IFRS, local tax laws, and accounting software such as QuickBooks, Sage, or Xero.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel.

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, Finance, or other related fields.
• At least Level 2 of ACCA, CPA, or equivalent professional qualification in progress or completed.