COMPANY OVERVIEW

The Pharo Foundation (“the Foundation”) is a privately funded entrepreneurial organisation that runs philanthropic programmes as well as for-profit social enterprises. The Vision of the Foundation is an economically vibrant and inclusive Africa. The Mission is to achieve the Vision by investing in the human and physical capital of Africa, with an emphasis on job creation.

Established in 2011 as a UK based non-profit, the Foundation has already carried out more than 30 projects, primarily in Ethiopia and Somaliland. The key themes for the philanthropic side of the Foundation are education, health, water and agriculture. Social enterprises cover all sectors where the Foundation can make an impact financially, create jobs and add value in a sustainable manner.

Headquartered in London, the Foundation also has an operational Head office in Nairobi and other offices in Addis Ababa, Assosa and Hargeisa.

As part of its development of social enterprises, the Foundation has acquired 484 Ha of land in the BGRS region of Ethiopia. The first phase of the development of the commercial farm on this land is development of 50 Ha, with a view to develop the remainder over the next 4 years.

POSITION SUMMARY

The Farm Accountant of the Pharo Farm is a key role, which will be based at the farm that is approximately 60km from Assosa in the Benishangul-Gumuz Region of Ethiopia. The position holder will report directly to the General Manager.

The Accountant is responsible for the preparation of income statements, balance sheet, budgets, forecasts and other financial statements. He/she is also responsible for monitoring and managing all financial transactions of the Farm’s financial position and recommend corrective actions.

The Accountant will also play a vital role in auditing financial documents and procedures, reconciling accounting statements and calculating tax payments and returns. To be successful in this role, previous accounting experience is crucial particularly with bookkeeping and a flair for spotting numerical mistakes.

The role holder will also provide the Pharo Farm management with accurate quantitative information on weekly, monthly and annual financial positions, liquidity and cash flows, while ensuring compliance with all tax regulations.

ROLE:                                       

• Farm Accountant – Pharo Farms, Assosa, Ethiopia

REPORTING TO:    

• The General Manager

FUNCTIONAL RELATIONSHIPS:

• Finance Manager, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
• Country Manager, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
• Procurement Manager, Assosa, Ethiopia

EXTERNAL RELATIONSHIPS:

• Local authorities in the Benishangul-Gumuz Region.
• Community leaders around the farm.
• Suppliers and service providers.
• Government stakeholders such as tax authorities.

DIRECT REPORTS:

• Cashier

 KEY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Budgeting and accounting

• Prepare and review budget, revenue, expense, payroll entries, invoices, and other accounting documents.
• Establish, maintain, and coordinate the implementation of accounting and accounting control procedures.
• Code and record payment vouchers, receipts, petty cash, journal vouchers and other accounting documents.
• Handle petty cash, produce petty cash summary and submit to immediate supervisor for replenishment.
• Compile financial information to prepare entries to accounts, such as general ledger accounts, and document business transactions.
• Monitor and review accounting and related system reports for accuracy and completeness.
• Responsible for budget preparation, monitor budget utilisation across the company and reporting on progress and involved in monthly, quarterly and annual inventory processes.

Reporting

• Responsible for the input and handling of financial data and reports for all farm related transactions.
• Prepare monthly closing as well as quarterly and yearly financial statements.
• Prepare monthly withholding tax reports, VAT reports, income tax reports and be responsible for timely payment of government obligations (VAT, withholding, income tax, pension contribution etc);
• Maintain well organized documentation of the financial transactions; resolve accounting discrepancies.

Administration

• Effect approved payments and as per company’s financial policies & guidelines.
• Work with external auditors and ensure on time delivery of annual financial report.
• Any other duties as and when required by immediate supervisor that are reasonably within the capabilities of the incumbent and are aimed at achieving the company’s objectives and goals

Human Resources

• Set quarterly key performance for delegated direct/indirect subordinates.
• Carry out quarterly and annual performance appraisals for direct/indirect subordinates.
• Ensure on -job training is carried out for direct/indirect reports or as agreed with the General Manager.

Audits

• Reviews external audit reports, audit and inspection reports and recommends to the General Manager to take appropriate measures.
• Assist the country office finance team during annual audits and respond to queries related to the Farm administration.

Job Requirements

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS:

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, with more than 6 years’ experience of which at least 4 years have been in a manufacturing, or Farm related and or the commercial sector.
• Knowledge of the industry and agribusiness is required.
• Strong financial accounting management skills
• Excellent knowledge of accounting regulations and procedures, including the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP)
• Hands-on experience with accounting software like FreshBooks and QuickBooks
• Advanced MS Excel skills including Vlookups and pivot tables
• Experience with general ledger functions
• A CPA is a prerequisite for the role.

BEHAVIOURAL COMPETENCIES

• A self-starter, capable of working independently
• Motivated to learn and perform and not afraid to ask questions.
• Willing to challenge status quo and add value by introducing positive change.
• Good communicator and comfortable to work in a team environment.
• High professional and ethical standards.
• Excellent communication and team-working skills, with the ability to build good relations, both internally and externally

How to Apply

The application deadline is 6^th November 2020.

Review of complete applications will be on a rolling basis. In the event that we identify an outstanding early in the search process, we reserve the right to appoint before the deadline. For this reason, we encourage interested candidates to apply at the earliest possible time. Due to the high volume of applications, we regret that we will only be able to contact short-listed candidates.

Please send the information listed below, as a single PDF file, to the following email address:

addisoffice@pharofoundation.org. Please include ‘’Application for Farm Accountant’’ in the subject line.

• A detailed CV and Covering Letter,
• A 1,000-word essay on both of these:
• What experience have you gained that makes you think that you are the most qualified candidate for the role?
• What major accounting challenges do you envisage on a Farm and how will you resolve these using your experience?
• A one-page list of five references with current addresses, phone numbers, and email contacts.