Finance and Administration Assistant Job at The Water Trust ( TWT)

THE ORGANIZATION

The Water Trust empowers the poorest rural communities to provide their children safe water and a healthy, clean environment to develop to their potential. Since 2008, The Water Trust has partnered with more than 800 communities in Masindi and Kiryandongo, benefitting more than 300,000 people. In 2017, The Water Trust developed an innovative savings group-based approach to increase the sustainability of rural water and the impact of hygiene and sanitation promotion. The organization is currently scaling this novel program across more than 400 communities a year in western Uganda across Ugandan and refugee communities. Over the next three years, The Water Trust aims to scale up its programs through direct implementation and technical assistance partnerships, while continuing to partner with researchers to find new ways to raise the bar for impact and sustainability. Learn more about The Water Trust at watertrust.org.

POSITION SUMMARY

The Finance and Administration Assistant performs bookkeeping for the organization and acts as the finance and administration point of contact for the Masindi and Kiryandongo offices. This position reports to a Finance Officer with a dotted line to the Human Resources Manager for administration work. The Assistant supervises two office attendants and collaborates regularly with the procurement and logistics department. This position is an excellent opportunity for an early-to-mid-career finance professional with attention to detail and strong skills in online accounting software.

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES

Financial management

• Prepare payment vouchers and process authorized payments while maintaining physical and digital records.
• Post transactions and journal entries to accounting systems (Quick books) in line with the organizational chart of accounts and expense authorizations complete with relevant documentation (e.g., invoice, receipt, delivery note) and annotated notes.
• Maintain physical records where necessary with appropriate approvals and stamps for finance documentation and preparation for audits.
• Support the Finance Officer in engaging local institutions (e.g., banks and government offices) to ensure compliance standards are met and operations are not interrupted.
• Issue Petty Cash as needed in the Kiryandongo office.
• Control and manage all petty cash reporting for offices (Kampala, Masindi and Kiryandongo) and ensure timely budgeting and accountability is submitted in time on a monthly basis.
• Update the Petty Cash Book in line with the organizational chart of accounts and expense authorizations complete with relevant links for the documentation (e.g., invoice, receipt, delivery note) and annotated notes.
• Perform any other duty as deemed necessary by Management from time to time.

Administrative support

• Ensure office supplies are readily available and issued on a timely basis with monthly reporting on usage and balances.
• Manage inventory stock room and administer release of inventory for use in program activities in compliance with approval requirements.
• Oversee assets in the Masindi and Kiryandongo offices, i.e. usage and maintaining physical and digital records.
• Make travel arrangements for senior management staff such as flight bookings, cars, and hotel reservations.
• Run office errands and ensure that office premises are clean, organized, and meet the needs of the organization.
• Maintain and update filling systems both online and hardcopy where necessary.
• Prepare communications such as memos, emails, invoices, reports, and other correspondence as guided by Management.
• Supervise clerical staff (Assistants) to ensure the timely execution of their work both in Masindi and Kiryandongo.
• Write monthly reports on the status of administration supplies, activities, and assets.

QUALIFICATIONS AND CHARACTERISTICS

Essential

• Authorization to work in Uganda. Ugandan Country National (or a refugee with work authorization and living in Uganda) is strongly preferred.
• A degree in accounting and strong book-keeping skills.
• At least 3 years experience in Administrative work.
• At least 2 years experience in accounting.
• Demonstrated expertise in performing book-keeping functions using QuickBooks.
• Must be skilled in Microsoft Office package with at least an intermediate ability in Excel.
• Highly organized: demonstrated ability to manage information.
• Strong ethics.

Desirable

Speaks one or more of the following languages: Swahili, Runyoro, Luo, Iteso, Lugbara, Lugisu