Lead Specialist: Technical Accounting - MTN Ghana

Job Summary

To ensure financial integrity, compliance, and transparency for the organization by adhering to accounting standards. The role will focus on providing technical accounting guidance, ensuring that financial reporting within the organization remains accurate and consistent.

The role will also focus on enhancing technical accounting capabilities, ensuring that complex technical accounting issues are addressed effectively, promoting consistency in accounting treatments by collaborating with internal stakeholders, developing, and implementing robust accounting policies, and performing post-implementation reviews of new accounting standards.

The incumbent for the role will also stay up-to-date with regulatory changes and emerging accounting developments and will provide timely guidance and essential training to the relevant team members, ensuring they are equipped to navigate and implement necessary adjustments effectively.

Context:

• Dynamic and highly competitive telecommunication & ICT industry
• Multi-regulated environment (Dynamic Tax, Legal and Regulatory)
• Environmental, social and governance prioritized
• Localization is a key objective for business and government
• Multinational environment – Finance Group best practices
• Performance-driven environment
• Diverse cultural environment
• Achievement of top-quartile operating efficiency and effectiveness through scale and common policies and processes
• Convergence in markets and exploration of non-traditional revenue streams requiring complex interpretation and tax structuring
• Evolving industry sector constantly presents new challenges and opportunities to the core businesses
• Regionalization structure implication

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Key Tasks

Strategy Development and Implementation

• Develop and execute strategies for ensuring compliance with Accounting Standards and incorporating accounting developments for OHADA/ IFRS that may impact the organization.
• Ensure effective implementation of the technical accounting strategy for the organization by means of providing direction, structure, frameworks, models, plans and roadmaps.
• Develop and implement internal accounting policies and procedures to ensure compliance with regulations and implement changes as necessary.
• Design and implement reporting frameworks for the organization that align with regulatory requirements and best practices.
• Ensure adherence and implementation of recommendations shared by Group Technical accounting team.
• Align with Internal Audit for critical internal financial controls and risk mitigation requirements.

Operational Delivery

Monitoring Accounting Standards:

• Stay informed about new accounting developments for OHADA / IFRS that may impact the organization
• Influence accounting standards development through the comment letter process
• Provide communication, implementation support and training across all relevant staff regarding new accounting changes
• Perform post-implementation reviews of new accounting standards

Collaboration and Support:

• Liaison with Opco CFO to address IFRS technical accounting queries, projects, and reviews
• Collaborate with Opco Finance Operation team to provide accurate financial data for preparation of financial statement
• Promote consistency in accounting treatment across the organization by closely working with the Finance Operation team Collaborate closely with the treasury team to ensure that the accounting implications of changes in hedging instruments/strategies are considered and understood.

Reporting Accuracy:

• Conduct detailed IFRS disclosure and presentation reviews of Opco’s interim and annual financial statements to ensure the accuracy of earnings press releases, quarterly and annual filings, registration statements, and proxy statements.

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Special Projects and Initiatives:

Lead or assist with special accounting projects as needed.

Accounting Pronouncements:

• Identify, maintain, and communicate all current and upcoming accounting pronouncements relevant to the Opco’s financial statements

Position Papers:

• Develop well-supported position papers to present draft conclusions to CFO and management

Revenue Recognition and Other Accounting Standards Compliance:

• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure adherence to the relevant standards
• Review contracts and assess their impact on revenue recognition
• Provide guidance on complex technical accounting scenarios, including multiple-element arrangements and contract modifications

Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A):

• Evaluate accounting implications related to business combinations, purchase price allocations, and goodwill impairment assessments.
• Assist in integrating financial reporting systems and processes post-acquisition.

Technical Accounting Research:

• Conduct in-depth research on accounting issues, including complex transactions, non-standard arrangements, and emerging topics.
• Prepare technical memos documenting conclusions and recommendations
• Provide inputs into various board committee submissions detailing accounting implications of proposed transactions

Financial statements (FS)

• Review FS templates to update for the disclosure impact of new accounting standards for the organization.
• Review annual and interim FS to ensure disclosure and presentation complies with IFRS for the organization.
• Collaborate with external auditors and internal stakeholders in restating financial statements.
• Investigate and rectify any accounting errors or misstatements.

Policy Development and Implementation:

• Key input to developing and updating accounting policies and procedures
• Complete post-implementation reviews following the implementation of new accounting standards
• Ensure consistent application of accounting policies across the Opco

Training and Education:

• Conduct training sessions for finance and accounting teams on technical accounting matters.
• Foster a culture of continuous learning and awareness.

Collaboration with External Auditors:

• Collaborate closely with external auditors during interim reviews and annual audits
• Address audit inquiries related to technical accounting matters

Governance

• Participate in strategic meetings, ensure relevant participation, and provide guidance and input in the various discussions. Solicit feedback and input from relevant reporting and analytics teams
• Drive adequate risk mitigation and controls and elicit inputs from relevant parties by closely working with the internal audit team
• Escalate issues to the Opco CFO, Group technical accounting team that will result in severe time, scope, productivity, and cost or resource impact
• Request relevant budget for internal projects
• Prepare proposal on change initiatives, policies, and procedures
• Manage and provide solutions to escalations that have impact on multiple processes/functions
• Review key risks, issues and dependencies and set mitigation actions

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Qualification Required & Experience

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, Finance, Business, or related field of study
• Relevant certifications such as CA (Chartered Accountant) a must

Experience:

• 8 years experience in technical accounting with at least 5 years in a managerial role.
• Experience in financial reporting is desirable
• Familiarity with financial accounting concepts for both public and private companies
• In-depth knowledge of IFRS and their application to telecommunications companies
• Proven track record of leading technical accounting teams, demonstrating expertise in regulatory compliance and financial reporting
• Experience in providing guidance and support to finance teams on complex technical accounting matters, including revenue recognition, lease accounting, revenue from contracts with customers, and impairment assessments
• Experience in monitoring and interpreting accounting standard changes
• Prior experience in Financial Services preferred, with experience within the telecom industry
• Worked across diverse cultures and geographies and a Pan Africa multi-cultural experience is advantageous

Knowledge / Technical Competencies:

• Technical Accounting Principles
• GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles)
• Financial Reporting
• IFRS Reporting Standards
• Financial Analysis
• Financial Modelling & Forecasting
• Adept in the use of IFRS, Excel, Business Intelligence tools etc.
• Analytical (Investigative & Reporting Skills, Critical and Inquiring mind, Attention to detail)

Skills / physical competencies:

• Ability to manage conflict, accountability, self, and team performance.
• Innovative, takes initiative, result oriented and develops self consistently.
• Strong leadership skills, customer-centric, and very collaborative.
• Trustworthy, integrity and ethical in dealings.
• Ability to focus on priorities and plans manages and monitors work effectively.
• Good written and verbal communication, presentation Skills,
• Consultancy and facilitating skills.
• Global thinker and problem-solving abilities.
• Ability to handle issues with tact and diplomacy.
• Ability to manage own time and workload and juggle conflicting priorities.
• Professional approach with a can-do attitude.