Utility Accountant Full Time NEW

Job Description
Reporting to the Chief Financial Officer, the Utility Accountant is generally accountable for the conduct of highly professional work relating to analysis involving the operations and performance of service providers and for assisting in the accounting function of the RIC.

The Utility Accountant is primarily responsible for performing financial analyses on the records of service providers with a view to establishing the entities sustainability and compliance relative to established standards and regulations. The incumbent must also perform professional accounting work, including maintaining financial records, applying professional accounting principles and methods in the preparation of accounts and financial statements of the Commission, performing analytical reviews of various aspects of financial data, audits the work of the Accounting Officer, and maintains the fixed assets register.

Key and Critical Responsibilities
Regulatory Accounting
1. Undertakes financial analysis with a view to the determination of rates for the service providers.
2. Reviews service providers financial practices to ensures compliance with RIC orders, rules, regulations and policies.
3. Carries out studies of efficiencies on specific operating aspects of service providers and prepares reports with recommendations for improvements.
4. Reviews and evaluates regulated utilities financial reports, performs trend analyses, determines annual rate of return, and assists in the compilation of the RICs annual statistical report.
5. Designs regulatory financial templates for completion by service providers to ensure that they follow a standard format and that relevant regulatory data is adequately captured.
6. Assists in the formulation of accounting standards and practices for service providers.
7. Performs targeted audits on service providers in accordance with the Commissions work programme.
Internal Accounting
8. Prepares monthly management accounts showing variances between budgeted and actual expenditure for verification by the Chief Financial Officer.
9. Checks journals produced by the Accounting Officer prior to entering on the automated general ledger records and closes off the monthly and yearly accounts on the accounting system.
10. Assists in the preparation of the annual fiscal budget and prepares monthly fiscal returns for submission to the Ministry of Finance.
11. Prepares initial drafts of the Commissions trial balance and financial statements for subsequent verification by the Chief Financial Officer.
12. Maintains the Commissions fixed assets register.
13. Handles all transactions relative to the administration, purchase and disposal of all RICs vehicles and ensures the maintenance of the RICs vehicles.
14. Performs other related duties as may assigned from time to time.

Key Competencies
Minimum Acceptable Academic/Technical/Professional Qualifications

A First degree in Business Administration/Accounting/Finance or related discipline OR
ACCA qualification or other related recognised professional training
Minimum Number of Years of Relevant Experience
Minimum of three (3) years experience in accounting or finance and/or auditing
Specific Skills/Experience and/or Knowledge
Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
Efficient time management skills
Results oriented and ability to meet deadlines
Ability to plan, organise and perform duties with minimum supervision