Accountant, Global

Accountant, Global

Reports to:      COO

Location:          Boston, MA area

Start Date:      September – October 2021

Who we are

D-tree International is on a mission to radically improve health in low and middle income countries by strengthening health systems through innovations in digital technology. D-tree works through partnerships with Ministries of Health and NGOs to support partners to understand local health system challenges and opportunities, and integrate technology into these systems to improve the accessibility, quality and accountability of healthcare delivery, ultimately leading to high-performing health systems that improve health and wellbeing for all. A key aspect of our work is our end-to-end partnership, in which we also support partners to use systems thinking to roll out, implement and monitor programs and facilitate a culture of data use among multiple stakeholders.

D-tree has received funding from USAID, the Gates Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation, Foundation Botnar, Conrad Hilton Foundation, Crown Family Philanthropies, Human Development Innovation Fund, Packard Foundation, UN Foundation and more than 20 international NGOs. As a pioneer in the field of digital health, D-tree has supported more than 8,000 health workers serving over 5 million families in 16 countries throughout sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. Evaluations have demonstrated improved heath impact through D-tree’s digital programs, including 27% reduction in maternal mortality, 50% increase in facility delivery rates, four-fold increase in postpartum follow-up, 70% increase in contraceptive prevalence rates and 15-fold improvements in health worker performance. In Zanzibar, D-tree is supporting the government to develop and institutionalize digital health initiatives at national scale, transforming service delivery and improving care for millions of people.

In the past three years, we have tripled our operating budget and are looking for the right candidate to support and lead several areas of financial and operational excellence to help us succeed with future expansion.

Who you are

You are professional, motivated, and a self-directed team player. You are someone who is just as comfortable traveling to D-tree country offices in East Africa to train colleagues on accounting best practices and D-tree policies and procedures as you are sitting in a conference room in Boston or Dar es Salaam representing D-tree to auditors. You function well in situations with ambiguity and are able to make decisions with partial information and push to deliver high quality work within deadlines.  You are also comfortable working with and coaching a team with various levels of experience in different time zones and multicultural settings.  You are also comfortable working on a largely remote basis.

What you will do

You will be an integral member of the expanding D-tree global operations team, supporting project managers and financial admin staff for our work globally. You will provide financial management support to D-tree country offices and become our Quickbooks “guru” helping streamline efficiencies by championing accurate and timely accounting functions. The position works with field offices to ensure consistent and accurate financial transactions, adherence to procurement and financial policies and looks for ways to improve internal controls and accelerate month and quarterly accounting close cycles to enable use of financial information for decision making as well as internal and external reporting.

Responsibilities

Financial & Accounting

• Maintain accurate and up-to-date financials in accounting system, currently Quickbooks (QBs), including review of field office transactions together with US based finance manager
• Support analysis and projections of D-tree spending for proposal and pipeline budgeting and accuracy / completeness
• Record and initiate US accounts payable transactions ensuring proper approvals are in place and policies are followed; coordinate payments with COO and her designee/s
• Solidify month and quarter end closing process that enables D-tree to report on financials internally and externally in a timely manner (by the 10th of the month at the latest)
• Execute bank, mobile money and petty cash reconciliations for accounts in USA as well as D-tree country offices (currently Tanzania and Malawi)

• Assist with preparation of recurring (monthly and quarterly) and year-end reconciliations and audit schedules for annual audit/s
• Act as liaison and / or occasionally lead for global finance team on country based or grant specific reviews and audits (quarterly or annually as needed) together with field based finance managers
• Monitor list of global bank accounts, signatories and balances
• Contribute to policy revisions and solidify financial compliance processes
• Create and maintain US based inventory and oversee inventory systems in place in country offices for accuracy and integrity and ensure quarterly reconciliations with QBs
• Respond to internal and external accounting inquires in a timely and professional manner
• Assist with procurement processes and ensure maintenance of procurement records
• Provide guidance and lead improvements on ways to improve the field accounting function for multiple projects and multiple donors for various use (external reporting, internal projections, consolidated and country level audits)
• Provide training, guidance and support to D-tree field teams on QBs and D-tree financial policy and procedures
• Investigate issues/problems/questions from country office financial team, make approved adjustments and corrections in financial system as needed;
• Assist in the process of opening and closing field offices, as necessary
• Assist research, coordinate and train colleagues for eventual accounting software migration in next two operating years (2022 and 2023)

Internal Audit / Review – global offices

•  Contribute to internal audit function for D-tree that oversees country office transactions including but not limited to:
• • Review supporting back-up documentation for a selection of transactions across our program portfolio each month to ensure adherence to policies and proper documentation is in place
  • Review electronic filing to ensure invoices, receipts, proof of purchase are: filed in the appropriate folders, readable, properly approved, appropriately named etc.
  • Ensure field teams are up to date on bank, cash, mobile money, exchange rate tracking tools
  • Monitor general ledger activity and ensure accounting transactions are timely and accurately posted
  • Review monthly financial reports (expense and balance sheet entries) and provide feedback to the field offices on issues and corrections to the account data
• Reconcile various balance sheet and expense accounts to ensure accurate postings, communicate improvement measures with field finance teams
• Coordinate with global support and country office finance and administrative staff to ensure compliance with D-tree policies, procedures and grant and contract terms

Payroll Administration

• Lead processing and administration for monthly payroll (including expatriates and international assignees)
• Together with HR Manager, stay abreast of payroll & labor laws for US based operations in multiple states as well as country offices (currently Tanzania and Malawi – but potentially new locations during periods of growth and expansion) and elevate operating and policy considerations to COO
• As needed, navigate new state registrations to accommodate team growth and document reporting implications and deadlines to ensure compliance
• Research and implement new time tracking system together with finance manager
• Maintain labor distribution reports, leave tracking balances and accurate, timely recording of data in QBs
• Conduct payroll reconciliations with tax returns (941s in US) and ensure reconciliations and filings are accurate, completed on deadline and submitted to relevant authorities for Tanzania and Malawi
• Ensure timely cost of living research and suggestions are completed for contract renewals (together with HR Manager and finance team in field offices)

Examples of work tasks you would have contributed to and led in the last 6 months:

• Research and work with payroll administrator to ensure proper set up for expatriate employees (state / federal exemptions are coded correctly and organization has proper documentation on file and advise on UI)
• Support local audit in Tanzania
• Act as procurement reviewer for large phone purchase and ensure adherence to procurement policy and proper documentation was done
• Contribute to drafting QBs tips document and deliver training to finance staff
• Begin researching cloud based timetracking system with finance manager
• Research and register D-tree to facilitate employee working and living in WA state
• Work with Tanzania based finance staff to hear QBs pain points and suggest ways to optimize data entries
• Review and update cost policy statement with finance manager and COO
• Participate in regular regional finance manager meetings
• Review D-tree cost policy and historical financials and assist highlight areas that need attention to prepare for org’s first single audit

What we are looking for

We are looking for a motivated, passionate individual who is willing to wear multiple hats and do what it takes to help our organization be successful. The following attributes are a general overview, but we will consider individuals who do not meet all of the details below if you have the right skillset and attitude.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required (accounting, business management, public administration or related field)
• At least three to five years of progressive experience in non-profit bookkeeping, accounting or administrative management with increasing levels of responsibility
• Familiarity with multi-office, multi-national / currency organizational environment
• Familiarity and working knowledge of diversely funded nonprofit (such as US Federal grant and contract regulations, UN agencies and foundations) working internationally and the issues relevant to D-tree’s operations
• Knowledge / exposure to Single Audits (formerly A-133)
• Excellent attention to detail (ability to pay attention to small details and focus on quality and consistency while also understanding the big picture)
• Excellent organizational skills and persistent follow through on tasks (both your own and tasks pending from colleagues)
• Must be able to work independently, multi-task, collaborate with a distributed team, be persistent and work under tight deadlines with minimal supervision
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, especially Excel
• Prior experience with Quickbooks
• Desire and ability to travel internationally up to 10% of the time
• Comfortable working remotely and in a small office environment

Personal characteristics

• Accountability & Reliability - Takes ownership and responsibility for decisions, actions, and results; delivers on commitments.
• Initiative – Must display a sense of urgency to effectively and efficiently complete a varying workload in a timely manner. Can initiate actions independently, handles unexpected situations, and volunteers to assist others.
• Adaptability – Ability to adapt to change and respond to challenges positively. Able to manage a variety of different tasks as needed for the position. Can develop and / or learn new processes/systems quickly, and embraces the challenge of unfamiliar tasks.
• Problem Solving – Ability to proactively identify issues and take action by analyzing all the information skillfully to persistently purse positive outcomes. Uses sound judgment about when to take action and when to seek guidance.
• Compliance & Quality – Must ensure accuracy, meet established deadlines of work, produce a quality product and show commitment to continuous improvement efforts. Ability to learn, interpret, and comply with all organization policies and procedures.
• Collaborative - Brings a track record of working effectively with various and diverse individuals and groups, and a willingness to actively listen and invite different views and opinions across all levels of the institution to build alignment in support of a common goal.

Application information

To apply for this role please follow fill in this google form: https://forms.gle/a3ZdwuQ4HssseWPV7

Only applicants who respond to all questions and include their CV and a thoughtful cover letter will be considered.

 Deadline for applications: Open until filled

 *Candidates must have legal authorization to work in the United States