Archie F. Dennis

As Accounting Manager, I lead and manage the country accounting department, safeguarding the assets of Management Sciences for Health and ultimately the donors against fraud, loss or misuse and ensuring proper documentation and processing of the finances of the organization. My position is primarily responsible for, but is not limited to, ensuring the country’s financial systems are effectively functioning and accounting records are accurate and free of mistake in meeting implementation needs of all MSH projects, maintaining compliance with accounting protocols, cost accounting standards, and supervising the accounting department staff in carrying out the responsibilities of the accounting department. I ensure that the department operates as a cohesive, neutral, functional unit that provides high-quality, responsive, timely financial report and cost-effective services across the projects within the framework of local laws, organization’s policies and standard operating procedures, and donor requirements.

• Together with my team, I implement standard organizational procedures to manage and monitor the financial resources of the organization, including that all payments comply with company’s rules and regulations, are supported by adequate documentation and posting timely in the accounting ledger (QuickBooks).
• Review and process all Payment Vouchers, General Journals, and Deposit Vouchers, ensuring documents are legal, authentic, and supported by relevant and adequate approvals and authorizations.
• Ensure every financial transaction is properly approved by a budget-holder signatory, documented, complete, and compliant with organization’s policy, donor regulations, Liberian law, and standard operating procedures.
• Review mobile money payments and ensure timely payments to beneficiaries.
• Receive, review, and liquidate petty cash promptly in accordance with company policies, and conduct unannounced cash count reconciliations at least once a week.
• Review all costs and travels to ensure they have adequate prior authorization and approval before payment remittance and follow up on any discrepancies identified.
• Post sub awardee invoices/liquidations accurately and timely.
• Support the Director of Finance and Administration in preparing month-end and year-end closing procedures, submit approved close accounts, and required documentation to the DFA.
• Monitor the maintenance and operations of all banking transactions to ensure that adequate funds are always available to cover MSH Liberia operations.
• Work closely with the Procurement Manager and ensure timely reconciliation of outstanding purchase orders.
• Prepare payrolls monthly, prepare electronic salaries deposit, file and remit all payroll withholding and other taxes before the deadline as required by Liberian Law.
• Support Preparation of annual financial reports in preparation for the statutory Audit.
• Supervise all Accounts staff and ensure that the team is accountable for their performance management (including regular results, check-ins, formal appraisals, supportive supervision, rewards, training, coaching, and career development support).
• Ensure staff actions are governed by the highest standards of personal and business conduct as stipulated in policy guidelines.
• Contribute to maintaining teamwork, discipline sound work relationships, and productivity.

• Establish and maintain field office accounting systems, including set-up of financial software (QuickBooks) and an appropriate record keeping system
• Manage the project's accounts payable, maintain petty cashbook, prepare month-end closing entries, and keep track of the general ledger
• Manage Project Fixed Assets and reporting
• Review all local expenses to ensure compliance with USAID and Nathan policies
• Accurately record expenses according to Nathan Associates' chart of accounts
• Prepare vendors' payments and maintain adequate supporting documents
• Process local staff payroll and ensure compliance with local tax requirements and remit taxes in a timely manner

• Under the overall management of the Senior Operations and Grants Manager, I ensure that the following tasks are carried out:
• Establish and maintain finance systems according to company and client standards
• Review day-to-day expenditures; for payment requests or advance clearance transactions, ensure the supporting documents meet the standards of internal and external finance
• Act as the secondary contact of the Project with the tax department
• Prepare accounting vouchers and payments
• Provide orientation to stakeholders about the payment procedures, and other general financial regulations, programmatic financial forms, etc
• When needed
• Plan, implement, maintain, and evaluate the project's internal financial and accounting controls to ensure prevention and detection of fraud and errors
• Track financial and administrative performance of subcontractors and maintain a clearly documented audit trail
• Ensure timely and accurate processing of transactions, conforming to established accounting standards, Ecodit's policies and USAID regulations
• Prepare and monitor cash flow, advance requests, reconciliations, and Field Office inputs to monthly project invoices
• Serve as the liaison with HO's accounting, finance, and HR staff as needed
• Oversee financial audits of the program
• Respond to and implement audit inquiries, findings, recommendations, and observations
• Maintain close and ongoing communications with the project's banking institution to ensure accounts and transactions are regularly monitored and balances verified
• Managing Mobile Money platforms
• Oversee the project petty cash account

• Analyzed, verified and ensured the completeness of payment documentations for goods and services
• Prepared monthly payroll and ensures the remittance of taxes timely
• Managed commitments with vendors and ensured timely settlement
• Managed disbursements to vendors and Community Based Organizations (CBOs)
• Prepared and posted approved payment vouchers in QuickBooks Online
• Prepared electronic bank payments via online bank payment platform
• Tracked staff cash advances and ensured timely settlement in keeping with organization's policy
• Performed monthly bank reconciliation
• Managed External Audit processes and responded to audit queries
• Maintained filing system including payroll, banking information, vendor files and project inventory
• Managed company inventory system
• Maintained vehicle operations and maintenance as well as organization generator and prepaid fuel expenses
• Verified and reconciled vehicle fuel consumption with issued fuel supplies for program activities in the counties
• Managed project closeout in coordination with HQ

• Processed all program activity payment requests
• Analyzed and prepared monthly bank reconciliations
• Performed month-end and year-end close
• Ensured that staff travel advances are liquidated on a timely basis
• Supervised the disbursements of petty cash requests and replenishment
• Ensured the adherence to agreed financial standards for use in the areas of approvals, financial procedures and internal controls
• Ensured Petty Cash and bank account management
• This includes maintaining of petty cash, verification of petty cash vouchers, and preparing replenishment requests to maintain established petty cash level
• Reconciled petty cash monthly and perform unexpected cash counts
• Reviewed authenticity, accuracy of coding and authorizations and certification of payment vouchers, and effected payments to respective individuals/bodies
• Ensured all documents are cancelled with a paid stamp after making payments
• Prepared monthly staff payroll as well make payment of statutory tax deductions
• Coordinated with internal and external auditors in responding to audit queries
• Ensured proper filing of all documentation

• Developed and implemented comprehensive system of fiscal management, financial accountability, and informative management reporting
• Supervised maintenance of fiscal management system; evaluated strengths and weaknesses
• Received and verified invoices and requisitions for goods and services and verified that transactions are in compliance with financial policies before authorizing payments
• Prepared invoices and checks for payments
• Maintained the general ledger accounts (QuickBooks Online)
• Prepared and filed payroll, NASSCORP, GST, Services as well as corporate taxes
• Maintained a proper system of filing documents
• Reconciled all bank accounts monthly
• Maintained fixed assets as well as performed month-end depreciation
• Prepared monthly, quarterly, and annual financial statements

• Analyzed and posted accounting source documents to general ledger software (QuickBooks ERP 15.0)
• Performed other accounting services as needed

• Maintained a documented system of accounting policies and procedures
• Managed outsourced functions
• Oversaw the operations of the finance department, including the design of an organizational structure adequate for achieving the department's goals and objectives
• Forecasted cash flow positions, related borrowing needs, and available funds for investment
• Ensured that sufficient funds are available to meet ongoing operational and capital investment requirements
• Maintained banking relationships
• Assisted in determining the company's proper capital structure
• Arranged for equity and debt financing
• Invested excess of cash
• Recommended appropriate dividend issuances, based on revenue growth patterns and expected cash flows
• Managed the preparation of the company's budget
• Reported to management on variances from the established budget, and the reasons for those variances
• Assisted management in the formulation of its overall strategic direction
• Engaged in ongoing cost reduction analyses in all areas of the company
• Reviewed the performance of competitors and report on key issues to management
• Engaged in benchmarking studies to establish areas of potential operational improvement
• Interpreted the company's financial results to management and recommend improvement activities
• Assisted in the determination of service pricing in relation to benefits offered and competitor pricing
• Compiled key business metrics and reported on them to management
• Created additional analyses and reports as requested by management

• Migrated manual accounting system to computerized accounting system through the use of QuickBooks 2009
• Designed Unified Chart of Accounts for Non-Profit activities and cost center codes for cost allocations and reporting purposes
• Provided training to staff to enable them use the software

• Maintained accounting records, including filing of general ledger and journal vouchers, accounts payable as well as receivable
• Posted daily worksheet entries to the general ledger
• Produced timely and accurate financial reports for review by the Chief Executive Officer
• Reconciled all bank accounts
• Performed other administrative duties

• Assisted in the preparation of monthly payroll by computing employees income tax, social security contributions and other non-statutory deductions
• Held consultative budget meetings with various departments to initiate the annual budget process and compiled and developed budget and posted approved budget into the accounting system
• Prepared budget performance reports, managed petty cash, prepared weekly and monthly cash forecast for the university
• Prepared monthly and quarterly subsidy reports for the Government of Liberia through the Ministry of Finance, now the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning

• Maintained students' financial records through GradPro, a student information system
• Designed data entry requirements to enable the collection of relevant student data
• Conducted training for staff in various MS office applications and accounting packages to increase staff efficiency in those applications
• Performed various data manipulation tasks such as building queries using MS Access and SQL (Structure Query Language)
• Created analysis report about students' enrollment, revenue and outstanding fees, as well as academical reports

• Analyzed and processed audit data collected from clients and forwarded same to Audit Manager for verification
• Assisted in the Planning, and execution of audit
• Assisted in the preparation of audit reports
• Performed other audit related tasks as required