Job Vacancy Opened at Kasanka Trust LTD | How to Apply

The Kasanka Trust (the Trust) has been in existence since 1986 with biodiversity conservation as its raison d’être. The Trust has a long-running co-management agreement with Zambia’s Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNPW). The Trust currently manages the Kasanka National Park and supports the Kafinda Game Management Area and Mpumba community area. Management responsibility covers an area in excess of 400 km2 with national park status and a further 4,000 km2 of designated or planned community conservation area. The area lies within the David Livingstone memorial zone and the Kasanka National Park is the destination of the world largest bats annual migration.

These protected areas are primarily representative of the central African plateau miombo, high canopy woodland biome, but include a diverse assemblage of rivers, lakes, swamp, wet and riverine forest, dambo, grassland and rocky ridges. These areas possess a diverse list of large and small animal species and a high floral diversity. The avian species diversity has been best studied of all the animal orders and the Kasanka National Park hosts the second highest bird list of all Zambia’s protected areas.

The Trust operates like a business guided by a 5-year strategic plan with 9 programmes. It employs approximately 90 individuals allocated to tourism, law enforcement, park habitat and infrastructure management, community outreach and administration.

The Trust’s operating areas are remote. The Kasanka National Park is in Chitambo District some 120 km north-west of the town of Serenje and about 8 hours from Lusaka. The Mpumba area is approximately 70 km south of the town of Mpika and approximately 3 hours by road from Kasanka. Rural clinics and hospitals are within a two-hour radius by road. The only educational facilities nearby are a kindergarten and primary school at Kasanka conservation training centre. There is a bush air strip in the Kasanka National Park.

The Trust also operates its own tourism operations in the national park, comprising two lodges and several campsites. Revenues from tourism are ploughed back into park management and community outreach. In the next 5 years the Trust intends to significantly increase its impact and sustainability by scaling up tourism both in quantity and quality. To this effect, the Trust has obtained a grant from the French Fond pour l’Environnement Mondial (FFEM) among other donors. Therefore the Trust is looking for an Accountant.

Position, Location, Reporting

The Trust is now looking for an Accountant . This is a full-time position based at the Trust headquarters in the Kasanka National Park. The Accountant will report to the General Manager through the KTL Administration Manager.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications and Experience

• Tertiary level qualification in accounting
• 3+ years’ experience in an accountant role or similar
• Computer literate (including Pastel or similar accounting software)
• Excellent English communication skills
• 1-2 years’ experience in Pastel
• Otional but Desired Qualifications and Experience
• Experience working for not-for-profit companies and on donor-funded projects

Important Additional Requirements

• Willingness to live in a remote area with limited access to amenities
• Willingness to work in a team and to carry out supporting duties outside of the normal job description as and when requested by management to ensure effective operations
• Zambian Citizenship or Residency

Key Competencies

• Integrity: Upholds high moral standards, personally and professionally
• Teamwork: Co-operates with others in order to meet organisational targets
• Flexibility: Receptive to new ideas, able to adapt to changing circumstances

Job description

The Accountant’s core responsibility is to carry out all book keeping and associated administrative and statutory requirements of KTL. The Accountant will be part of the field team comprising administration, operational, community development and tourism managers and their support staff.

Routine Accounting and Financial Management

1) Operate the computerised Pastel KTL financial management system, ensuring timely and accurate entry and coding of all entries, with regular cross checks and bringing entries up to date if necessary.
2) Maintain all detailed financial records for all KTL donor-funded projects in separate accounting folios.
3) Develop monthly sets of accounts.
4) Prepare monthly reconciliations of all bank accounts.
5) Manage the petty cash system and provide a monthly petty cash report.
6) Manage financial provisions for monthly salary and other payments, including gratuity.
7) Raise cheque requisitions and organise the signature of cheques.
8) Manage, supervise, control, monitor and report KTL petty cash.
9) Reconcile all KTL local and international shopping.
10) Contribute to issuing tourism invoices.
11) Receive, record and reconcile all tourism income.
12) Contribute to maintaining records of all KTL tourism bed night utilisation, cost and revenue statistics (by lodge/camp, month, origin and type).
13) Through the Pastel system provide tourism profitability statements for the Wasa and Luwombwa Lodges and other products if appropriate.
14) Issue donor project invoices calling for funds or request for replenishments as per donor procedures
15) Receive, reconcile and track all donor income and expenditure and advise the General Manager of any issues arising.
16) Manage and report all creditors and debtors within an agreed time schedule.
17) Maintain currency and adequate cover levels (after approval of KTL Board) on all KTL personal, corporate, all risks, and vehicle insurances.
18) Manage currency on all vehicle and health and safety, (and with Tourism Manager, tourism operator’s, fire, liquor) licenses and taxes.
19) Ensure the preparation and timely payment and or submission of:
a. monthly salaries (including loans, advances, off days, leave days sick days, etc) and with Tourism Manager payment of agreed service charges.
b. monthly PAYE returns (on or before the 14th of each month).
c. monthly VAT returns (on or before the 20th of each month).
d. monthly NAPSA returns (on or before the 10th of each month).
e. Monthly NHIS returns (on or before the 10th of each month).
f. annual Workman’s Compensation Fund payments.
g. quarterly tourism share payments due to DNPW, CRBs and chiefs.
h. bi-annual payments of the Serenje or other district council levies.
i. annual Hotel, Catering and Allied Workers Union payments.
j. annual P18 tax returns.
k. annual returns to PACRA.
20) Keep detailed records of all VAT, PAYE and NAPSA returns and ensure through monthly checks with ZRA that penalty payments are not accruing and address any areas of dispute in writing immediately it is identified with notification to the General Manager and Board member responsible for finance.
21) Prepare and operate all payroll related operations.
Monthly Accounts
22) With the Accountant, prepare monthly accounts no later than the 7th of the following month and address accounting anomalies as needed.
23) Contribute to preparing monthly records of national park entry and associated data for DNPW with due payments no later than the 30th of the following month.
Annual and Quarterly Financial Reports
24) Contribute to producing quarterly and annual financial management report tables in approved formats for all sources of funds including restricted sources. Quarterly reports will be produced within 2 weeks of quarter end and annual reports by the 31st January annually.
Audits
25) Contribute to preparing the annual draft accounts and trial balance by the 31st March annually.
26) Contribute to consultations with the Audit Company to finalise the audited accounts by 30th June annually.
Statutory Returns
27) Contribute to ensuring the timely submission to relevant organisations of all tax and other company statutory returns and audited accounts with copies to the KTL Board.
Systems
28) Maintain central stock holding, management and re-ordering records (individual sector stock records maintained by section heads).
29) With the Accountant deliver quarterly up-dating of a fixed asset register.
30) Contribute to disposal of assets after approval by the KTL Board.
31) With the Accountant and others, up-date and circulate to the KTL Board for approval the KTL Administrative Manual and Financial Procedures Manual to reflect latest systems and best practices.
Human Resource Records
32) Administer and maintain full current human resources records for all permanent employees, including contracts, probation, employment permits, health, bereavement, leave, disciplinary and related issues.
33) As above, but for all short-term employees, consultants, volunteers and interns.
Recruitments and Dismissals
34) Prepare all draft staff and consultancy contracts and conditions for approval of the General Manager.
35) Contribute to ensuring that all staff dismissals and resignations are managed in accordance with procedures and contracts and in a professional manner.
36) Contribute to designing and after Board approval, implementing a financial provision system for staff gratuities.
Staff Leave, Benefits, Union and Staff Development Issues
37) Monitor staff leave.
38) Contribute to liaison with Workman’s Compensation Fund, Insurance companies, and NAPSA for employees’ claims.
39) Contribute to ensure fair medical assistance for employees in accordance with contracts and Union agreements (medicines and/or medical treatment by professionals).
Administrative Records
40) Ensure all time record, vehicle use, fuel usage and similar record books are available and filled in correctly and immediately (ensuring the correct procedures are followed).
Other
41) Contribute Maintain logical, computerised (with a backup system) and hard copy filing systems of all financial management, statutory records and administrative records.
42) Maintain and manage in a structured and retrievable manner all computerised and hard copy archive material (for at least 7 years) in suitable, dry and pest-free storage.
43) Provide constant quality assurance of KTL field finance, accounting, administration and office systems procedures.