USAID AGRICULTURE GROWING RURAL OPPORTUNITIES ACTIVITY IN UKRAINE (AGRO)

Accountant Assistant

Background:

USAID Agriculture Growing Rural Opportunities in Ukraine (AGRO) Activity is a seven-year cooperative agreement between the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and Chemonics International, Inc. It began on November 15, 2019.

The AGRO Activity is to accelerate the economic development of rural Ukrainian communities with the greatest need through a better governed agricultural sector that encourages more productive, modern, and profitable micro, small, and medium agricultural enterprises (MSMEs) that are successfully integrated into competitive markets both in Ukraine and internationally.

The Activity objectives are aligned with the three elements of the market systems conceptual framework: the core value chain, supporting functions, and rules and regulations.

To effectively address the food crisis that emerges in Ukraine and internationally, AGRO works for the restoration of the agricultural sector, in particular its modernization, efficiency improvement, and diversification, which contributes to the long-term economic recovery of Ukraine and the improvement of global food security.

Within the USAID Agriculture Resilience Initiative (AGRI-Ukraine), AGRO will provide assistance enabling Ukraine to store roughly 1.5 million tons of grain as part of the USAID's broader efforts to maintain the rate of production and export of grain from Ukraine to other countries of the world.

AGRO operates on the basis of the market system conceptual approach (https://beamexchange.org).

In September 2022, the estimated cost of the Activity was extended to US$120,000,000, and its implementation period was extended through November 13, 2026. AGRO employs 56 long-term CCN employees.

Position Description:

The Accountant Assistant is to be responsible for a wide range of administrative, financial, contractual and reporting responsibilities for the AGRO Activity. The Accountant Assistant is responsible for administrative support of the Accounting Office and works directly with all staff members of the Activity.

Principal Duties and Obligations (Essential Functions):

• Assist to the Accounting Office with bookkeeping and related HR assignments;

• Coordinate invoices from vendors and service providers;

• Assist in maintaining bookkeeping filing systems; assist in maintaining related administrative filing systems. Copying, scanning and properly filing all project, including bookkeeping and HR, correspondence and documents;

• Assist in collecting and checking all staff timesheets and leave requests;

• Assist in maintaining an accurate inventory of all project equipment, showing location, user, owner, and condition;

• As requested, writing, drafting, copying, translating, and distributing correspondence, proposals, reports, contracts, subcontracts and other project documents;

• Assist with managing petty cash:

• Assist with preparing the following VAT exemption – related documents:

• Assist with preparing and maintaining local short-term Independent Consultant Agreements;

Other responsibilities:

• Apply a working knowledge of applicable Ukrainian and U.S. laws and regulations to project financial activities. Keeps track of latest changes in Ukrainian labor, tax, and accounting legislation;

• Perform any other financial tasks assigned by the Chief Accountant / Finance and Administration Director / Deputy Chief of Party / Chief of Party or her/his designate or independently which are consistent with his/her qualifications, this Scope of Work and the general requirements of the AGRO Activity.

• Carrying out periodic project-related research as requested.

• Participating in routine project discussions on project status and work plans.

• Performing any other tasks assigned by the chief of party or finance and administration director or their designee, consistent with the person’s qualifications, this scope of work, and the general requirements of the AGRO Activity;

• Use Microsoft Teams as needed to carry out tasks and collaborate with other activity staff;

• Participate as directed in collection and analysis of Monitoring and Evaluation (MEL) data;

• Prepare sections of reports, plans, success stories and similar documents as requested;

• Participate in regular activity Collaboration, Learning and Adapting (CLA) discussions;

• Comply with Chemonics’ standards of business conduct.

Terms of work, SOW Timing and Reporting Relations:

One-year fixed term employment agreement with possible extension each work year up to the end of the AGRO implementation (November 14, 2024, with potential extension through November 14, 2026), subject to availability of respective tasks in the successive AGRO Annual Work Plans.

Accountant Assistant works in a Finance and Administration Team under a direct supervision of, and reports to the Finance and Administration Director or his/her designee, or other person(s) as designated by the Chief of Party.

Primary Work Location: Kyiv, Ukraine

Periodic travel to other parts of Ukraine might be required.

Required Skills and Qualifications:

• Minimum one year assistant experience, preferably with USAID- or other donor-funded projects in a similar position in terms of the job tasks and responsibilities outlined above;

• Secondary special education or incomplete higher education in accounting, finance, economics; High school diploma with additional 2 years of relevant work experience will be acceptable. Bachelor or equivalent degree in accounting, finance or economics would be a benefit;

• Proven ability to work professionally, constructively and collaboratively as part of a team, meet deadlines, communicate effectively, and deal with diverse partners in a challenging environment;

• Attention to details;

• Strong organizational, multi-tasking, administrative, inter-personal and customer-service skills;

• Ability to work both independently and in a team, to manage and coordinate the work of others in an effective and efficient manner;

• Versatility, integrity, and positive attitude;

• Native speaker of Ukrainian;

• English sufficient for professional purposes;

• Experienced user of MS Office 365 applications. Advanced skills in using Excel;

• Demonstrated success working in a multinational, multilingual team, working under pressure and tight deadlines. Previous international donor experience preferred

Application Instructions

Send electronic submissions to [email protected] by July 31, 2023. Early applications are encouraged. Please submit your CV and cover letter with "Accountant Assistant" in the subject line; please do not forget to additionally indicate your name in the subject line of your e-mail. No telephone inquiries, please. Only finalists will be contacted.

Chemonics is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate in its selection and employment practices on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, or other non-merit factors.