Chief Accountant at Britam Insurance | July 2024

Job purpose

The role holder will be responsible for ensuring that financial accounts are prepared in a timely manner and that there is financial integrity of the statutory accounts.  The role will report to the Chief Finance Officer.

Key responsibilities

1. Prepare Financial accounts and ensure compliance to IFRS’s
2. Production of Monthly management accounts i.e Revenue Account, P&L, balance sheet,
3. Control of investment portfolio and cash management
4. Management of the Fixed Assets Register
5. Implement financial controls as required and monitor risks to financial controls
6. Supervise the credit control unit
7. Coordination of internal audit in liaison with the Internal Audit department and assist in external and regulatory audits
8. Manage accounts reconciliation and sign offs in coordination with other departments
9. Supervise and mentor the subordinates to ensure that they deliver on highest performance
10. Deliver on performance requirements as defined in the departments’ strategy map, balanced scorecard and Personal Scorecard

Key Performance Measures

• Expense ratio (% of NEP)
• Investment income
• Compliance to legal, regulatory and operational requirements
• Review monthly bank reconciliations and signoff
• Reconciliation of all GL accounts
• Turnaround time for claims & commission payments
• Timely submissions of monthly reports

Working Relationships

Internal Relationships:

• Accountable to the Chief Finance Officer
• Directly responsible for staff working under this position
• Required to liaise and work closely with the other business department staffs as may be necessary

External Relationships:

• Tax Authorities
• Suppliers
• External auditors

Knowledge, experience and qualifications required

1. Bachelor of Accounting and Finance or its equivalent degree.
2. Fully qualified Accountant (CPA (T) or ACCA)
3.  6 years’ experience in a similar position, two of which must have been in a supervisory position

Essential Competencies

1. Leading and Supervising: Provides team with a clear direction based on the overall strategy and objectives of  the department; motivates and empowers others with a clear sense of purpose; creates a positive climate that fosters learning and development; acknowledge high potential talent within the team; sets and articulates the vision and values through own personal behaviour.
2. Persuading and Influencing: Gains clear agreement and commitment from other; promotes the departmental strategy and objectives during team conversations; promotes ideas on behalf of the team and or department; makes a strong personal impact on others; takes care to manage the team’s impression and brand on others.
3. Presenting and Communicating Information: Speaks fluently; expresses opinions, information and key points of an argument clearly; responds quickly to the needs of an audience and to their reactions and feedback; projects credibility.
4. Adhering to Principles and Values: Upholds ethics and values; demonstrates integrity; encourages team and individual responsibility towards the community and the environment.
5. Analysing: Analyses numerical data and all other sources of information, to break them into component parts, patterns and relationships; probes for further information or greater understanding of a problem; makes rational judgements from the available information and analysis; demonstrates an understanding of how one issue may be a part of a much larger system.
6. Planning and Organising: Sets clearly defined team objectives; plans activities and projects well in advance and takes account of possible changing circumstances; identifies and organises resources needed to accomplish tasks; manages time effectively; monitors team performance against deadlines and milestones.
7.  Delivering Results and Meeting Customer Expectations: Focuses on customer needs and satisfaction; sets high standards for quality and quantity; monitors and maintains quality and productivity; works in a systematic methodical and orderly way; consistently achieves projects goals.