Context of the position:

SOS Children’s Villages Rwanda is an independent member association affiliated to the SOS Federation. SOS Children’s Villages Rwanda leverages existing community resources to strengthen quality childcare and protection through a holistic continuum of care tailored to orphans, vulnerable children, and their families. SOS Children’s Villages Rwanda actively advocates for the promotion of childcare and child protection. In Rwanda, SOS Children’s Villages operates in four Program Areas based in Gasabo, Gicumbi, Kayonza and Nyamagabe. To further fulfil the above-mentioned responsibilities, SOS Children’s Villages Rwanda is seeking for two (02) competent Grants Accountants, for its Kayonza and Gikongoro Program Areas.

JOB PURPOSE

Under the supervision of the Finance and Compliance Area Coordinator, while also receiving technical supervision from the Senior Grants Accountant, the Grants Accountant is responsible for the financial management, monitoring, reporting, and compliance of the grant-funded projects with the designated program area. The role ensures accurate accounting of grant funds in accordance with donor requirements, organizational policies, and applicable accounting standards.

Main clients:

• Heads of Program Areas
• Finance and Compliance Area Coordinators
• Grants Project Coordinators
• Grants Field Officers
• Senior Grants Accountant
• Chief Accountant
• Head of Finance,
• Head of Fund Development and Partnership
• Sponsorship and Grant Reporting Specialist
• IPD and Partnership Specialist

Key Performance Areas and Main Responsibilities:

A Grants Accountant guides and controls financial matters, ensuring that projects within the designated program area operate in accordance with approved partnership agreements, existing financial policies and procedures, and generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). Additionally, the Grants Accountant provides support to standard projects in line with guidance from the Finance and Compliance Area Coordinators

Grants Financial Management

• Ensure accurate and timely preparation, and recording of financial transactions and reports in D365, maintaining high-quality accounting records in line with organisational policies and standards for the grant-funded projects within the designated program area
• Ensure that physical accounting documents and other financial information for the grant-funded projects within the designated program area are accurate, properly documented and stored in a manner which facilitates easy retrieval.
• Monitor the budgets of grants within the designated program area and ensure expenditures are in line with approved budgets
• Prepare budget vs actual reports for donors and management
• Track utilization of grant funds and ensure timely reporting of variances

Donor Reporting & Compliance

• Prepare financial reports for donors in accordance with grant agreements
• Ensure compliance with donor rules, regulations, and reporting deadlines
• Support audits (internal, external, and donor-specific audits)
• Ensure proper documentation and audit trails for the grant transactions within the designated program area

Budgeting & Forecasting

• Support the preparation and monitoring of budgets and tracking budget versus actual performance within the designated program area
• Assist program teams in development of grant budgets and revisions, budget planning and cost allocation within the designated program area
• Monitor cash flow requirements for grant projects within the designated program area

Accounting & Reconciliation

• Reconcile grant-related accounts (bank, advances, receivables, payables) within the designated program area
• Ensure accurate coding of transactions in the accounting system (e.g., D365 or other ERP)
• Review payroll allocations related to grants within the designated program area

Internal Controls & Risk Management

• Ensure adherence to internal control systems and financial policies within the designated program area
• Identify and report financial risks related to grant management within your designated program area
• Strengthen compliance procedures across projects within your designated program area

Data Review and Quality Assurance

• Perform timely and accurate reconciliations of payables and receivables for the grant projects, investigating and resolving discrepancies to maintain reliable financial records within your designated program area

Stakeholder Support

• Provide financial guidance to program teams on grant utilization
• Liaise with internal departments on financial matters
• Support capacity building of project staff on financial compliance within your designated program area

Computation of Taxes

• Prepare monthly tax computations (PAYE, Pension, Maternity, and CBHI) and ensure they are accurately declared and correctly recorded in D365, with no overstatement or understatement.
• Ensure that monthly payroll transactions for Grants Projects within your designated program area are accurately recorded using the appropriate account codes in the financial system.

Financial Analysis and Decision Support

• Provide financial insights, variance analysis, and reports for Grants Projects within your designated program area to support management decision-making and Projects’ performance.

Required key skills set:

• Strong knowledge of accounting principles and financial management
• Understanding of grant management and donor compliance requirements
• Knowledge of budgeting, budget monitoring, and variance analysis
• Proficiency in accounting systems and Microsoft Office applications, especially Excel
• Ability to maintain accurate financial records and supporting documentation
• Understanding of internal controls, financial policies, and procedures
• Good analytical and problem-solving skills
• Strong attention to detail and accuracy
• Ability to work under pressure and meet reporting deadlines
• Good communication and interpersonal skills
• High level of integrity, confidentiality, and accountability
• Knowledge of generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) and donor regulations
• Ability to support audits and respond to audit queries effectively
• Ability to interpret partnership agreements and donor guidelines

Formal qualifications

• Education: Bachelor’s in accounting, Finance, or related field
• Professional Qualification: Accounting technician certification or partial CPA at any level is an added advantage
• Skills & Competencies: Bookkeeping, Data Entry, Invoice Processing, Filing, Petty Cash Management, Basic Reconciliation, Attention to Detail, Time Management

Experience requirements

• Proven experience in financial reporting, budgeting, and management accounting
• Experience in preparing and reconciling financial statements and ledger accounts
• Strong experience in handling payables, receivables, and bank reconciliations
• Experience in payroll accounting and statutory tax computations (e.g., PAYE, pension, and other statutory deductions)
• Experience in working with financial management systems (e.g., D365 or similar ERP systems)
• Experience in donor-funded or NGO/project-based accounting is an added advantage

• Ensure accurate and timely preparation, and recording of financial transactions and reports in D365, maintaining high-quality accounting records in line with organisational policies and standards for the grant-funded projects within the designated program area
• Ensure that physical accounting documents and other financial information for the grant-funded projects within the designated program area are accurate, properly documented and stored in a manner which facilitates easy retrieval.
• Monitor the budgets of grants within the designated program area and ensure expenditures are in line with approved budgets
• Prepare budget vs actual reports for donors and management
• Track utilization of grant funds and ensure timely reporting of variances
• Prepare financial reports for donors in accordance with grant agreements
• Ensure compliance with donor rules, regulations, and reporting deadlines
• Support audits (internal, external, and donor-specific audits)
• Ensure proper documentation and audit trails for the grant transactions within the designated program area
• Support the preparation and monitoring of budgets and tracking budget versus actual performance within the designated program area
• Assist program teams in development of grant budgets and revisions, budget planning and cost allocation within the designated program area
• Monitor cash flow requirements for grant projects within the designated program area
• Reconcile grant-related accounts (bank, advances, receivables, payables) within the designated program area
• Ensure accurate coding of transactions in the accounting system (e.g., D365 or other ERP)
• Review payroll allocations related to grants within the designated program area
• Ensure adherence to internal control systems and financial policies within the designated program area
• Identify and report financial risks related to grant management within your designated program area
• Strengthen compliance procedures across projects within your designated program area
• Perform timely and accurate reconciliations of payables and receivables for the grant projects, investigating and resolving discrepancies to maintain reliable financial records within your designated program area
• Provide financial guidance to program teams on grant utilization
• Liaise with internal departments on financial matters
• Support capacity building of project staff on financial compliance within your designated program area
• Prepare monthly tax computations (PAYE, Pension, Maternity, and CBHI) and ensure they are accurately declared and correctly recorded in D365, with no overstatement or understatement.
• Ensure that monthly payroll transactions for Grants Projects within your designated program area are accurately recorded using the appropriate account codes in the financial system.
• Provide financial insights, variance analysis, and reports for Grants Projects within your designated program area to support management decision-making and Projects’ performance.

• Strong knowledge of accounting principles and financial management
• Understanding of grant management and donor compliance requirements
• Knowledge of budgeting, budget monitoring, and variance analysis
• Proficiency in accounting systems and Microsoft Office applications, especially Excel
• Ability to maintain accurate financial records and supporting documentation
• Understanding of internal controls, financial policies, and procedures
• Good analytical and problem-solving skills
• Strong attention to detail and accuracy
• Ability to work under pressure and meet reporting deadlines
• Good communication and interpersonal skills
• High level of integrity, confidentiality, and accountability
• Knowledge of generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) and donor regulations
• Ability to support audits and respond to audit queries effectively
• Ability to interpret partnership agreements and donor guidelines
• Bookkeeping
• Data Entry
• Invoice Processing
• Filing
• Petty Cash Management
• Basic Reconciliation
• Attention to Detail
• Time Management

• Education: Bachelor’s in accounting, Finance, or related field
• Professional Qualification: Accounting technician certification or partial CPA at any level is an added advantage
• Skills & Competencies: Bookkeeping, Data Entry, Invoice Processing, Filing, Petty Cash Management, Basic Reconciliation, Attention to Detail, Time Management