Accounting Assistant

I. INTRODUCTION

NGO's Background Information

The Lebanon Reforestation Initiative (LRI) is a Lebanese NGO registered at the Ministry of Interior and Municipalities under no. 1186 on 18 June 2014. LRI started as a project launched in 2010 by the United States Forest Service (USFS) Office of International Programs (IP) through the support and funding of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). LRI's mission is to restore Lebanon's native forests and to instill commitment to reforestation and wildfire prevention and response, through capacity building of local communities and organizations.

II. PURPOSE OF THE POSITION

LRI is seeking a full-time Accounting Assistant for a period Six months, renewal based on available funding and performance. The Accounting Assistant is responsible for the effective and efficient processing of financial data. S/he applies accounting principles and procedures, provides accurate and timely financial information to LRI Finance Manager and LRI Project Director, and ensures appropriate accounting control procedures.

The Accounting Assistant is expected to perform the following duties:

• Adhere to the Finance and procurement policies and procedures.
• Prepare and allocate all kind of payment vouchers, receipts, and accounting transactions as per LRI’s. financial management policies while seeking appropriate authorization and ensuring all supporting documents are available.
• Ensure that all accounting documents are properly presented to the Accountant.
• Liaise with suppliers to deliver timely invoices and collect their payments.
• Coordinate with project staff on delivering payments to suppliers and field workers.
• Prepare cash withdrawals for workers and scan and document the sign-up sheets.
• Assist in creating accounts for workers and issuing their payments.
• Assist the Accountant in the end of month closure and reconciliation.
• Assist the Petty Cash Custodian in replenishing the petty cash and the Fuel cards.
• Send pay-slips to Staff members on monthly basis.
• Ensure that all accounting documents are properly archived and follow a clear audit trail.
• Ensure that all accounting transactions and documents are compliant with the standards set by the Lebanese Government.
• Ensure that appropriate finance systems are maintained and that all procedures and controls are implemented.
• Maintain the accounting software by periodically updating the suppliers lists and chart of accounts.
• Assist the Finance department in communications with external contacts such as banks, partners and suppliers.

III. REQUIREMENTS

The Accounting Assistant should possess the following competencies, skills, and experience:

• Able to uphold high standards of professionalism and work conduct.
• Proficiency in written and spoken Arabic and English is a must.
• Able to handle heavy workload, unplanned tasks and urgent requests.
• High degree of integrity, ethics and discretion.
• Self-motivated , flexible and able to adapt under different work conditions.
• Excellent communication and teamwork skills.
• Organized and able to maintain proficient consistency across all tasks.
• Able to lead in this field of expertise.
• 3 to 5 years’ experience in Accounting, financial reporting and projects based bookkeeping.
• Experience with international Donor agencies.
• Experience in working with ERP systems.
• Knowledge in local Governmental reporting requirements.