PROJECT RATIONALE:

KTK-BELT responds to current threats and opportunities in the eastern region of Nepal. It operates in three intersecting spheres: environmental education, sustainable livelihoods, and biodiversity conservation.  We focus on youth, women and minorities, and on empowering subsistence farmers and local labor through training and systems design to meet the threats of climate change, extreme poverty and the degradation of biological diversity and wild habitats.

Between 1990 and 2005, Nepal lost more than 1.2 million hectares of forest or one-quarter of its total forest coverage in just 15 years (FAO State of the World’s Forest Report 2007). The high rate of deforestation continues at 1.7% per annum. Nepal is also experiencing a demographic youth bulge, with 40% of the population between the ages of 16 and 40 (Youth Survey of Nepal, 2011). It has been estimated that 38% of this youth population, or more than 5 million young people, are unemployed.  Many of these youth are migrating abroad to take low-pay, low-skill jobs often in dangerous working conditions. They are also leaving agriculture, threatening local food production systems.

KTK-BELT is training and educating youth to bridge conservation and livelihood needs through its fellows program. The aim is to create self-sustaining local organizations that are youth led which can help create improvements in education, conservation and livelihood. 

OBJECTIVE:
The objective of obtaining the services of Accountant is to assist KTK-BELT and the various partner Learning Grounds in carrying out the essential accounting and financial functions for the implementation of the project. The input from the officer is to ensure adoption of proper procedures with economy, efficiency, fairness and transparency as well as to implement accounting and finance activities in a timely manner. The objective also includes training of other local finance and admin personnel within the Learning Grounds to ensure a culture of transparency, best practices, and financial integrity, compliant with the laws of the GoN and international standards of donor agencies. On the administrative side, the objective is to assist with daily workflow, logistics, and organization of key documents and information in physical and virtual form.

SCOPE OF WORK:

KTK-BELT is seeking a part-time Accountant, to be hired as soon as possible, on an initial 1-month trial, with possibility of extension, based on good performance. The Accountant will work directly under the supervision and instruction of the KTK-BELT co-directors and be based in eastern Nepal. S/he will work closely with the Operations Manager and local Learning Grounds Directors and Admin to ensure smooth and risk-free financial operation. S/he helps develop annual budgets, maintains accounts for different grants to ensure donor compliance and best practices, prepares monthly, quarterly and annual financial statements according to Donor and GoN requirements, conducts internal audits and works with external auditors to ensure efficient and accurate compliance, and keeps record of any financial irregularity and/or settlements.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Ensure implementation of best practices in budgeting, accounting, auditing and procurement, compliant with the law of Nepal and meeting international requirement
• Ensure that the financial management practices endorsed by KTK-BELT adheres to national regulations and laws
• Ensure availability of financial information for examination, assessment and review by donor partners and the GoN
• Ensure that earmarked funds are used for explicitly stated purposes
• Ensure vetting of payments
• Establish consistency in financial planning and budgeting for all programs and components

RESPONSIBILITIES RELATED TO ACCOUNTING:

• Develop a long-term accounting system for KTK-BELT and Learning Grounds that is sustainable, transparent, efficient, user-friendly, useful for audits and reporting, and compliant with all national and international laws.

RESPONSIBILITIES RELATED TO AUDITING:

• Organize annual audits in accordance with International Standards of Auditing. Institutionalize and implement internal auditing practice for KTK-BELT and Learning Grounds.
• Develop a long-term procurement system, which embodies best practices and is compliant with all laws, while meeting the specific nature of KTK-BELT’s projects and initiatives.

KEY QUALIFICATIONS/SPECIAL SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

• Complete fluency in written and spoken English and Nepalese, and typing skills in both languages
• Experience in organizing internal and external audits
• Experience in logistical and administrative tasks including booking travel, printing, maintaining files, and disbursing salaries as per time sheets and work contract deliverables
• Prior experience in project finance, accounting, and administrative work required
• Prior experience of working in NGO environment with experience of coordinating with international donors on accounting/financial management is required.
• Demonstrated computerized financial management, accounting and procurement skills
• Verifiable track record of working with GoN financial and accounting rules
• Expert in explaining financial report to non-finance staff is a requirement
• Prior experience that includes handling and processing financial transactions in international standards
• Knowledge of specific Nepali rules and regulations regarding finance and accounting, and ability to brief non- finance staff these rules and regulations in an effective manner
• Strong written and oral presentation skills in English and Nepali are required
• highest degree of personal integrity
• Ability to walk across difficult terrain to reach project sites
• highly professional with strong interpersonal skills
• highest degree of gender and caste sensitivity is a must

Qualification and Experience:

• BBA and MBA degree, strongly preferred. At least 3 years of experience working with NGOs and/or INGOs in Nepal

TO APPLY,

Please submit your CV, three work samples and references with salary expectations to [email protected].