JOB TITLE: Junior Bookkeeper
REPORTS TO: Head of Finance & Operations, North Africa
BASE: Tunis, Tunisia
DURATION: Fixed term contract for 2 months (with possibility of extension)
BBC Media Action
BBC Media Action is the BBC’s international development charity. We use media and communications to help reduce poverty, address development goals, and support people to understand their rights. We do this through partnering with media, civil society, and others to produce creative programmes and other outputs which inform and engage audiences on key development issues. We also strengthen the media sector through building professional capacity and infrastructure of local media organisations in the countries in which we work.
Our North Africa operations are based in Tunis. From here we deliver a portfolio of media projects, and work to ensure they are delivered on time, to the highest possible standard, and in accordance with BBC editorial values and BBC Media Action best practice.
Overall Purpose of Job
As part of the finance and admin team, the bookkeeper will provide high quality and effective financial support to the BBC Media Action projects. The role will perform daily accounting tasks.
Main duties and accountabilities:
- Record financial transactions on Dimension Accounting Software on a daily basis.
- Support arranging the accounting and admin documents in the relevant files.
- Process payments, expenses claims, advances, and per diems according to BBC Media Action policy.
- Support the Head of Finance to compile monthly financial reports detailing income, expenditure and cash and bank reconciliations.
- Provide a comprehensive range of administrative support to the finance and admin team.
- Support the Head of Finance to monitor weekly cash flow needs, dealing with different team members to find out upcoming payments due.
- Assist in regular balance sheet reconciliations (including all bank reconciliations) and manage regular completion and review.
- Liaise with the auditor on scanning, compiling, and sending necessary documents, and helping on drafting financial statements
- Ensure compliance with applicable law for administrative, tax and admin aspects of the programs.
- Assist in administrative procurement of supplies and services from quality vendors and service providers, in fairness and transparency.
- Undertake other financial tasks or ad hoc reporting as directed by the Head of Finance and Administration.
- Other duties as assigned.
Required skills, knowledge and experience:
- A graduate in Accounting
- No paid experience is required
- Proven experience volunteering in civil society
- Proven interest in media as a force for positive social change
- Good knowledge of accounting principles
- Immediate availability
- Detail oriented
- Good prioritization skills
- Ability to work independently and proactively
- Good interpersonal skills
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office
- English and French fluency
- Knowledge of accounting software
- A can-do attitude, ability to think strategically and to work within established deadlines
Key Competencies:
- Managing relationships and teamwork: able to build and maintain effective working relationships with a range of people. Works co-operatively with others to be part of a team, as opposed to working separately or competitively. Values individual’s differences and demonstrates a commitment to knowledge sharing and informal learning, for the benefit of the team.
- Strategic thinking: Able to identify a vision and create plans for implementation of that vision to meet the end goal. Evaluates situations, decisions, and issues in the short, medium and long-term.
- Leadership: Ability to inspire others to realize an identified vision.
- Analytical Thinking: Able to simplify complex problems, processes or projects into component parts, explore and evaluate them systematically. Able to identify causal relationships, and construct frameworks for problem solving and/or development.
- Change Management: Able to understand and anticipate the need for change and to build frameworks for planning and managing the continuous process of change.
- Planning and Organization: Able to think ahead in order to establish an efficient and appropriate course of action for self and others; planning of activities taking into account all the relevant issues and factors such as deadlines, staffing and resources requirements.
- Resilience: Can maintain personal effectiveness by managing own emotions in the face of pressure, setbacks or when dealing with provocative situations. Can demonstrate an approach to work that is characterized by commitment, motivation and energy.
- Decision Making: Able to take the initiative, originate action and be responsible for the consequences of the decision made.
BBC Media Action has zero tolerance of all forms of abuse and exploitation of vulnerable people. All staff are required to undergo safeguarding training and maintain behaviour that is consistent with BBC Media Action’s code of conduct. The role may involve managing staff who have direct contact with children and adults at risk of harm. Informal contact with children and vulnerable adults is likely, including when not at work. The successful candidate will need to undergo enhanced DBS and/or related background checks.