Assistant Financial Accountant

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Family Health Services (FHS), formerly known as PSI Malawi, has partnered with the government of Malawi through the Ministry of Health (MoH) since 1994 in safeguarding the health of Malawians by using private sector approaches to reconfigure healthcare delivery – (i) through directly delivering innovative social and behaviour change communications, social marketing, and social franchising across a wide range of health areas including Reproductive Health, HIV, Malaria and waterborne disease prevention (ii) by playing a market facilitation role, approaching market challenges and opportunities with a system-wide lens that unlocks a self-sustaining market with multiple players that can prioritize, adapt and ultimately thrive without external assistance and funds.

While a local organisation with deep roots in Malawi, Family Health Services is globally connected; mainly through affiliation to Population Service International (PSI), a Washington DC-based non-governmental and non-profit making organization that boasts a global network of members across over 50 countries through which FHS continues to leverage capacities, learnings, and best practice to enhance activities in Malawi. To accomplish its mission, FHS is inviting applications from suitably qualified candidates to fill the following vacant position.

Assistant Financial Accountant 

Job Summary

• The Assistant Financial Accountant is responsible for receiving, reviewing and making payments in accordance with the standing SOPs.
• S/he is also responsible for identifying acquired and/or donated fixed assets from the accounting books and updating them in the Fixed Asset Management System. S/he assists the Assistant Finance Manager in their role as the Fixed Asset Controller as contained in the Fixed Asset Management Policy
• The Assistant Financial Accountant is responsible for receiving, reviewing/identifying and booking receipts in accordance with the standing SOPs.
• S/he is responsible for monthly and annual stock counts and conducting inventory reconciliations.
• S/he is also responsible for managing staff advance reconciliations. S/he reviews the reconciliations for accuracy, completeness and compliance with relevant policy. S/he records the transactions to clear staff advances and reconciles staff advances accounts.

Duties and responsibilities

Successful candidates will be trained to conduct following duties and responsibilities: 

Payments 

• Receives and reviews payment documents for accuracy and completeness and provides timely feedback where insufficiency has been identified in the documents.
• Makes payments through the relevant digital payment platforms (preparing vouchers and uploading in the accounting system, creating beneficiaries in the relevant digital payment platform for approval before initiating the payment).
• For Accounts Payable payments, reviews the payment voucher for correctness and sufficiency of documentation and ensures that the correct invoices are paid in the accounting system.
• Gets payments fully approved and manages custody of documentation until handed over for filling.
• Shares proof of payment with stakeholders where necessary.
• Provides support to audits including documentation and responds to queries if any.
• Reviews and reconciles petty cash.

Fixed Assets Registration and deregistration

• Reviews QBE asset codes to identify new acquisitions.
• Pulls the relevant payment documentation relating to the new asset for confirmation and where the asset is donated, reviews transfer documents from the donor before they can be introduced into the FHS Fixed Asset Management System
• Records/creates new assets in the Fixed Asset Management software
• Obtain approval documents for all disposals (sales, donations etc) and delists the items in the system.
• Keeps sufficient records for all asset disposals.
• Conducts inventory verification exercises.

Receipts

• Records deposits ensure that deposits are properly identified as to the depositor and purpose of the deposit so as to allocate them correctly (staff advances, sales, donor funding etc.)
• Verifies transactions with bank statement.
• Liaises with staff or the bank on any unidentified deposits.
• Prepares receipt vouchers for reviews and approvals before capturing in QBE.
• Posts receipt vouchers in QBE

Staff Advances Management

• Reviews staff advance reconciliations for correctness and completeness.
• Monitors staff advances accounts and makes follow-ups on delayed liquidations.
• Prepares staff advance reconciliation vouchers.
• Posts staff advance reconciliations in QBE.
• Processes staff advance refunds for reconciliations which have excess funds after verification.
• Provides support to audits including requested documentation and responding to queries as necessary.
• Maintains a tracking system for late submissions of advances and compiles a list of late submissions monthly or earlier and share the same with the Finance management for their action.

Inventory

• Perform physical counts of inventory, ensuring accuracy and completeness.
• Compare physical inventory counts to recorded inventory levels.
• Investigate and resolve discrepancies, documenting findings and adjustments as necessary.
• Ensure proper documentation for all inventory adjustments and reconciliations.
• Ensure adherence to internal controls and accounting policies during the inventory counting process.

Qualifications; Education and Experience:

• Holder of Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting or its equivalent from an accredited
• Computer literate.

Professional skills are listed as additional advantages:

• Excellent organizational and time-management skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Outlook).
• Ability to handle sensitive and confidential information with discretion.
• Strong attention to detail and accuracy.
• Good communication skills and the ability to work well in a team.

Mode of Application

Qualified candidates with the specified qualifications and experience should submit their electronic application letters and updated CVs with names and contact details of three traceable referees, through jobs@fhs.org.mw. indicating the job title for the position you are applying for in the email subject line. All applications must be submitted by 16^thOctober 2024 to The Head of Human Resources, Family Health Services, Box 30132, Lilongwe.

Family Health Services is an Equal Opportunity Employer and encourages applications from qualified individuals regardless of religion, color, sex, age, disability, sexual orientation, marital status, personal appearance, political affiliation, family status or responsibilities, ger identity, or expression, pregnancy, or related medical conditions. Family Health Services maintains zero tolerance for child abuse, sexual abuse, or exploitative acts or threats by our employees, consultants, volunteers, contractors, or anyone associated with the delivery of our programs and services and takes seriously all complaints of misconduct brought to our attention.

Disclaimer!

Family Health Service has become aware of scams involving false job offers. Please be advised: Family Health Services will never ask for a fee during any stage of the recruitment process. All active jobs are advertised directly in the newspapers or on vetted career websites. Official FHS emails will always arrive from a @fhs.org email address.

Please report any suspicious communications to safeguarding@fhs.org.mw If you are suspicious of anything, please report through  email to safeguarding@fhs.org.mw or  reportsqm@tip-offs.com<em>;  or write a letter to Tip-Offs anonymous, P.O. Box 1726,

Blantyre; or call/send SMS using Airtel/TNM/Access to 847