Back Office & Accounts Officer - Capital Co-operative Credit Union

The Back Office & Accounts Officer manages the back-office functions of the Credit Union, ensuring appropriate routines and processes are created and maintained; acts as book-keeper and prepares monthly accounts, management information and other reports and returns; assists the preparation of annual operating budgets, helps manage budgets and cash-flow and supports all finance and administration functions of management.

Principal responsibilities:

• All aspects of back-office administration
• Cash management, including collections and deliveries and prompt lodgment of cash and cheques received with bankers.
• Reconciles bank accounts; reconciles cheques and cash lodgments daily to bank accounts; reconciles daily transactions to control accounts; ensures adequate cash collections and deliveries
• Accounts payable and supplier administration
• Assists with preparation of yearly budgets and prepares analysis of the actual to budget and variance analysis therein
• Prepares monthly management accounts, half-yearly and annual financial accounts; maintains general ledger
• Prepares prudential reports for CUA/BoG, statutory returns, tax returns and insurance reports and ensures they are completed and delivered in a timely manner and within the regulated timeframe
• Supports the audit process and related tasks, including liaising with and providing inputs to the work of the statutory (DoC/CUA) and internal auditors (Supervisory Committee) and other external agents including BoG, as required; ensure the audit process concludes in time ahead of AGM timings
• Liaise with the Credit Officer and the Credit Committee
• Administers insurance schemes
• Reconciles all insurance accounts and ensures timely payment of premiums
• Maintains fixed asset register, including additions, disposals and calculation of depreciation

• Prepares and implements staff payroll as directed by the Board/Manager; calculation and payment of PAYE and pension contribution deductions
• Supports the work of the Treasurer/Manager and the Board regarding investments; administers the investment portfolio (e.g. transfers of new funds, rollover of maturing deposits); maintains and updates the Credit Union’s Investment Register
• Attends meetings as requested by the Manager or Board and reports on assigned areas of responsibility as required or requestedregarding the Credit Union’s operations, including its financial status.
• Ensures the safe-keeping of important documentation
  Participates in/assists with scheduled member events such as the Annual General Meeting
• Participates in and assists with scheduled promotional and sponsorship events
• Promotes Credit Union philosophy at all times with members
• Keeps informed about the Credit Union’s objectives and policies and about own role and contribution to meeting these
• Takes responsibility along with all staff for training new staff members and voluntary assistants, thus ensuring they become familiar with all aspects of Credit Union activities
• Works at all times in a courteous, friendly and professional manner, preserving confidentiality and adhering strictly to all set policies and procedures of the Credit Union; contributes to a pleasant workplace atmosphere through teamwork
• Completes other duties as may be assigned.

Compliance responsibilities:

In carrying out his/her duties on behalf of the Credit Union the Back Office & Accounts Officer shall at all times act in conformance with the Rules of Credit Union, Policies and Procedures, The Credit Union Legislative Instrument (LI 2225), Bank of Ghana regulations, and all other relevant legislation and regulation.

Main performance measures:

• Consistency of implementation of Credit Union policies and procedures
• Timely recording of transactions and generation and submission of required reports to appropriate stakeholders including the Board and Management of the Credit Union, CUA, Bank of Ghana, Department of Cooperatives, etc.
• Accuracy of work and low error count
• Successful running of the external audits, internal audits and related processes
• Quality of support provided to the management team
• Contribution to financial soundness of the credit union through accurate budgeting and good cost control practices and growth and quality of investments and liquidity.
• Timely payment of bills
• Contribution to team performance through co-operation with colleagues at all levels.
  
  

Qualification Required & Experience

Education, Experience & Skills

• At least HND in Accounting or equivalent professional qualification
• At least 2 years’ experience in Back-Office and Branch Service & Operations with a deposit-taking financial institution
• Experience of working in a credit union would be a distinct advantage.
• Team lead and/or supervisory experience
• Knowledge and hands-on experience with computerized accounting and banking systems (such as QuickBooks, Tally, CUSoft etc.) and MS Office are required, including ability to create and process financial spreadsheets.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills as well as fluency of expression orally and in written reports are essential
• Ability to deal effectively with customer complaints, referring to supervisor/manager where necessary, to ensure resolution is achieved
• Demonstrated flexibility in a constantly changing environment (procedural and automated), being versatile and able to provide coverage on several posts on any given day as determined by planned vacations, unplanned absences, and coverage for high-volumes work-days.
• Thorough knowledge and understanding of the product line, branch services, and processes to ensure required transactions are duly processed as per the credit union’s policies and procedures, service standards, and workflows are met
  
  

Location: Accra