Project Accountant (m/f/d)

About the role

The Transparency International Secretariat is currently seeking to fill the role of Project Accountant in the Finance Team.

Project Accountants work closely with project managers and partners (particularly TI National Chapters) to support the effective financial management of the many projects we run. This includes working with a diverse range of donors and fulfilling differing donor requirements, while also assisting TI National Chapters in developing efficient project financial management systems and working as a business partner with project managers and policy experts. The Project Accountant role therefore offers an exciting and challenging opportunity to learn and master all aspects of project financial management

Overview of key dimensions

Role Purpose: 

The Project Accountant is responsible for the day-to-day financial control within assigned projects, and provides financial management support to project staff.

The Project Accountant coordinates the reporting of financial information for regular reporting of assigned projects to project stakeholders.

Team: Finance Team
Reporting Line: Head of Finance

Salary Band: Salary according to TI-S internal salary structure; for this position corresponding to band PF2 a salary starting EUR 42,000.00 gross per year depending on relevant experience.

Starting Date: as soon as possible

Contract Duration: Currently we can offer an employment contract limited for a duration of 2 years. There is a prospect of extension subject to organisational need continuing, performance proven and funding confirmed and there is interest in a stable and long-term cooperation.

Working Hours: full time [100%; 40 hours per week]

Location: Transparency International Secretariat (TI-S), Berlin, Germany

Job ID: TIS-FI-PA-032024

Main accountabilities of the role 

Based in the Finance Team and reporting to the Head of Finance, the Project Accountant will:

• Act as the focal point for financial management issues in assigned area, providing financial management support to assigned projects, programmes, teams and their staff
• Working closely with relevant counterparts, develop budgets, including relevant narrative reports; build accurate financial forecasts; monitor expenditure, budgets and cash flows to identify material issues as they arise and propose appropriate preventative interventions and solutions in a timely fashion
• Prepare financial reports to donors, ensuring their accuracy and timely completion; engage auditors on project audits
• Support preparation of monthly management accounts, monitoring project income and expenditure and providing accurate explanations for noted variances
• Independently or with the support of more junior colleagues, review incoming financial reports from project partners and relating supporting documentation to ensure compliance with donor requirements and measure performance against the project’s objectives
• Coordinate day-to-day processes to ensure key internal processes are completed in an efficient and timely manner, recommend changes and adjust as needed; ensure the operational efficiency and effectiveness of all project accounting procedures
• Maintain and implement project accounting systems including workflows, processes, controls and documentation
• Stay abreast of developments relating to the area of project accounting and be available to respond to on-demand internal and external stakeholder needs
• Respond to internal requests, analysing and providing solutions in a timely manner
• Coordinate and/or contribute to team projects and provide input on the development of strategies, policies and procedures, taking into account best practice
• Support clear internal communication on project finance across TI-S and the Movement
• Contribute to the overall functioning of the Finance Team providing proactive and ad hoc support where necessary

Canidadate profile

In order to succeed in this role, candidates will need to meet the following:

• Qualified Accountant (e.g. ACCA, CIMA or ACA), internal auditor (IIA) or university studies in Accounting, Finance, Economics and/or Business
• 5+ years of relevant professional experience preferably in accounting, audit or financial management
• Expertise in financial management of donor-funded projects and/or with capacity building for small organisations an advantage
• Knowledge of MS Office; advanced skills in Excel and competence in PowerBI an advantage
• Strong organisational skills and ability to work against tight deadlines while maintaining attention to detail and accuracy
• Ability to work both independently and within the Finance Team and with other teams
• Professional language proficiency in English required; additional languages, in particular German, French and/or Spanish, an advantage
• Good communication skills and ability to explain accounting and financial matters to non-financial staff
• Culturally sensitive and able to handle issues with diplomacy and to cultivate productive working relationships

What we offer