Accountant (Chief)

PLAN INTERNATIONAL

Founded in 1937, Plan International, Inc. (“PII”) is a development and humanitarian organisation that advances children’s rights and equality for girls. We strive for a just world, working together with children, young people, our supporters, and partners in both humanitarian and development settings.

Plan International is an independent development and humanitarian (dual mandate) non-profit organisation that believes in the power and potential of every child, but knows this is often supressed by poverty, violence, exclusion, disasters and discrimination.

Working together with children, girls, young people, supporters, and partners, Plan International strives for a just world, tackling the root causes of the challenge’s girls and vulnerable children face. Plan International has been building powerful partnerships for children for over 85 years and now active in more than 75 countries, delivering humanitarian assistance and driving changes in practice and policy at local, national, and global levels using our reach, experience, and knowledge.

Our global strategy “All girls standing strong creating global change” has a specific focus on girls, as they are often the most marginalised and most often left behind. We have committed ourselves to the ambitious target of reaching 200 million girls over 5 years, to ensure they can learn, lead, decide and thrive. This is our contribution to reaching the sustainable development goals, and in particular the goals on gender equality in both humanitarian and development settings. Our organisation is transforming itself to meet the enormous challenge everywhere we work. We need bold, forward-thinking, and innovative individuals to lead our country operations, driving change and delivering results that will allow us to reach our target of 200 million girls.

PLAN INTERNATIONAL IN UKRAINE

Plan International responded to the Ukraine Crisis since March 2022, starting in countries hosting Ukrainian refugees (Moldova, Romania, Poland) and thereafter expanding humanitarian operations inside Ukraine since August 2022. Since October 2022, Plan International has been duly registered in Ukraine as a representative office of Plan International Inc.

Role purpose and Background

The conflict in Ukraine is resulting in a major humanitarian crisis with over 4 million people having fled to neighbouring countries, and millions displaced within Ukraine. Plan International is responding to the crisis and working in partnership with civil society organisations in Poland, Romania, and Moldova to meet the key needs of those affected by the crisis as well as host communities.

Plan International has been present in Ukraine since July 2022 and has established partnerships with civil society organisations, ensuring national actors are equipped with technical support, best practices and flexible resources, with a primary thematic focus on Child Protection, Education and Mental Health & Psychosocial Support.

Dimensions of the Role

The position contributes to this goal by leading the accounting and financing function for the Ukraine office together with other response country (Moldova, Poland, Romania and Ukraine) and its activities in the country by ensuring efficiency, effectiveness and value for money transactions.

The role complements the Ukraine Finance Manager in Country finance corporate systems, financial reporting and internal financial controls.

Accountabilities

1. Financial Planning and Budgeting

• Support the preparation of annual budgets and forecasts 
• Assist in monitoring budget performance and analyzing variances 
• Provide financial input into project budget and planning processes

2. Financial Accounting and Processing

• Review and post financial transactions in SAP and relevant systems 
• Ensure completeness and accuracy of supporting documentation 
• Facilitate timely processing of payments to suppliers and partners 
• Manage partner advances and ensure timely liquidation and reporting to management 

 3. Reconciliations and Financial Integrity

• Perform monthly reconciliations of balance sheet accounts 
• Prepare VAT and withholding tax reconciliations and filings 
• Monitor and clear outstanding items and aged transactions 
• Ensure integrity and accuracy of financial data
• Adequate communication with the Bank 

4. Period-End Closure and reporting 

• Support month-end and year-end closure processes 
• Prepare journals for accruals, prepayments, and adjustments 
• Ensure zero balance of NRGRANT and cost center before end of every month  
• Ensure completion of bank reconciliations and cash reporting
• Check correctness of all balance items data in SAP before closing of the month and prepare Balance sheet items movement report after end of the month.  
• Produce timely and accurate financial reports (monthly basis)

5. Intercompany Processes

• Process inter-company transactions and ensure reconcile with GH.
• Ensure clean unposted items from National offices and other countries

6. Payroll Accounting

• Timely process the payroll by complying with local legislation and GH requirements  
• Support payroll processing and salary payments 
• Timely booking of all liabilities (Tax, social security) and reconciling data between systems 
• Ensure statutory deductions are accurately processed

7. Treasury and cash Management 

• Ensure effective cash management with sufficient cash forecasting for the day-to-day operations.
• Prepare cash forecast in consultation with program and administration staff.
• Maintain proper financial documentation and filing systems including archiving

8. Internal Controls and Compliance

• Ensure adherence to internal financial policies and procedures 
• Support audit processes and ensure audit readiness 
• Strengthening financial controls and risk mitigation measures

9. People Management and Capacity Building

• Recruitment, development, and retention of accounting team
• Support supervision and development of finance/accounting staff 
• Provide financial guidance to non-finance colleagues 
• Build capacity in financial systems and procedures

10. Systems and Process Improvement and other 

• Contribute to improvements in financial systems and processes 
• Support development and implementation of SOPs 
• Promote efficiency, accuracy, and continuous improvement
• Any other task assigned by line manager and management team 

Key relationships

• Country Finance Manager 
• Finance/accounting team of the response country 
• Compliance, Grants & Finance team 
• Program, people and culture, Logistics, and Operations teams 
• Global Hub and country offices Finance teams

Technical expertise, skills, and knowledge

Essential Knowledge

• Part-qualified or fully qualified accountant or university degree in financial/accounting management 
• Strong knowledge of IFRS and Ukrainian financial regulations 
• Experience in financial management within an INGO and humanitarian and development sector 
• Fluency with complex financial systems including multi-currency accounting packages / ERP such as SAP. Knowledge of the requirements of the major emergency donors and experience in budgeting and reporting to donors
• Experience with ERP systems (SAP preferred) 
• Strong understanding of internal controls and compliance 
• Experience in donor-funded project accounting

Essential Skills

• Strong written and spoken in English. 
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills 
• Advanced Excel skills 
• Strong attention to detail and accuracy 
• Effective communication and interpersonal skills 
• Ability to manage competing priorities and meet deadlines 
• Ability to work under pressure in a fast-paced environment
• Experience of, and well-developed skills in, staff management, supervision and capacity building.
• Values working in a team and willing to take on more responsibilities and support team members.

Essential Behaviours 

• Good relationship building skills;
• Communicates clearly and effectively;
• Behaves calmly and consistently in approach to work and decision making;
• Is tenacious and ensures that problems are resolved.

Plan International’s Values in Practice

We are open and accountable

We create a climate of trust inside and outside the organisation by being open, honest and transparent. We hold ourselves and others to account for the decisions we make and for our impact on others, while doing what we say we will do.

We strive for lasting impact

We strive to achieve significant and lasting impact on the lives of children and young people, and to secure equality for girls. We challenge ourselves to be bold, courageous, responsive, focused and innovative.

We work well together

We succeed by working effectively with others, inside and outside the organisation, including our sponsors and donors. We actively support our colleagues, helping them to achieve their goals. We come together to create and implement solutions in our teams, across Plan International, with children, girls, young people, communities and our partners.

We are inclusive and empowering

We respect all people, appreciate differences and challenge inequality in our programmes and our workplace. We support children, girls and young people to increase their confidence and to change their own lives. We empower our staff to give their best and develop their potential.