Senior Accountant

• Number of positions: 1
• Employment Type: Indefinite
• Location: Tunisia
• Deadline to receive applications: 5th June 2025

Role Purpose:

• This role supports the financial accounting and Tax compliance activities for the British Council and works closely with the works closely with the Senior Financial Controller, Tunisia, Regional Tax Lead - MENA and Managed Service Provider (MSP) to ensure the financial accounts and Tax reporting are completed correctly and in a timely manner, and numbers are reported accurately.
• The role delivers retained financial processes supporting P2P, O2C, R2R and CLM ensuring consistent, accurate and robust financial accounting in line with accounting practices and corporate policies.
• The role also contributes to statutory reporting, tax review/filing, cashflow reporting, audit processes and will provide finance support to sanctioned/embargoed countries.
• The postholder will support communication across operational areas and with the MSP and will work closely with Group Controllership to support on-going continuous improvement and effective management of the MSP.
• The role will be responsible for ensuring operational compliance with the local legislation governing Tax in Tunisia.

Main Accountabilities:

Leadership and Management

Plans and prioritises own activities, which span across a range of different work streams or internal client relationships. Responds to changing and at times competing requirements to ensure effective delivery of responsibilities over set reporting timescales. Provide a good standard of financial business partnering, financial insight and financial discipline. Tasks and coordinates others (e.g. internal customers, colleagues or third-party suppliers) to complete activities in accordance with agreed financial procedures.

Financial Management

• Work closely with the MSP to deliver retained financial processes supporting P2P, O2C, R2R and CLM ensuring consistent, accurate and robust financial accounting in line with accounting practices and corporate policies.
• Contribute to statutory reporting, tax review/filing, cashflow reporting and audit processes. Provide Cash flow information and manage payment runs and debt management processes.
• Support the provision of information to internal / external auditors. Implement and report on the progress of audit recommendations. Identify issues and bring them to the attention of senior members in the team for resolution in relation to financial accounting matters.
• Provision of financial data to outsourced local accounts service provider to enable timely, accurate and complete local statutory accounts preparation. Role is also responsible for organizing and maintaining books and records as required under local legislation, and for supporting any inspections and audits
• Implement new or updated accounting and reporting requirements in line with professional accounting standards; communicate change effectively with internal stakeholders, ensure appropriate training.

Tax Accounting & Compliance

• Responsible for preparing timely Tax returns, in line with legal requirements for filing, along with all related analysis, reconciliations, and, where required, language translation. Ensuring the Tax return is then appropriately approved internally ahead of filing
• Assisting with system testing associated with Tax
• Ensuring systems are up to date for Tax rate changes
• Monitoring Tax calendar, including all tax payments, to ensure compliance with Tunisia tax authority’s deadlines
• Preparation of compliance checklist covering statutory compliances that needs to be followed by British Council
• Preparation of Tax balance sheet reconciliations by set timelines.
• Monitoring of Tax queries, ensuring prompt response to all issues within strict timeframe
• Supporting any Tax audit/inspection process and ensuring timely provision of information/documentation requested.
• Ensuring all necessary documents are stored as required by the local legislation, including supporting statements around areas of judgement that have been taken including any expert advice received from Global Tax team and/ or technical tax advisors.
• Support compliance to Caisse Nationale de Securite Sociale (CNSS) and support regulatory audits on the same.
• Liaise with payroll accountant and project accountant to make sure the books are correctly updated.
• Coordinate with tax advisor on the monthly tax declaration, yearly tax declarations and preparation of withholding tax certificates on TEJ platform.
• Coordinate with payroll advisor and tax advisor on the monthly payroll and tax declaration
• Support the business on any tax related queries seeking advice on complex issues from the Statutory & Tax COE and Regional Tax lead

Relationship and Stakeholder Management

Develop good working relationships with key internal customers, colleagues and the MSP to ensure that activities comply with professional accounting standards, technical accounting issues and other external reporting requirements in British Council. As required, represents the British Council in discussions and dealings with external suppliers/providers.

Sector/subject expertise

• Proactively maintains a sound working knowledge of developments in external policy, practice and regulation within financial accounting to build credibility, confidence and business insight.
• Provide first line advice and guidance on financial accounting issues and liaise with senior colleagues and/or other specialist finance functions such as Tax, Treasury, Finance Policy, and Global Process Owners as needed.

Service Improvement

• Support the implementation of new or updated accounting and reporting requirements in line with professional accounting standards. Support work to centralise and move activity to an SSC environment.

Role specific knowledge and experience:

• Management Reporting and analysis skills.
• Good excel and Power BI skills including pivot tables.
• Ability to explain complex financial data to non-finance people, using non-technical language.
• Ability to work under pressure. Good time management and data management.
• Working in virtual teams.
• Good communication skills both verbal and in written.

Qualification

• Degree level education. Part qualified with a recognised accounting body.

Minimum/essential:

• Minimum 3 years of experience in Operational financial management and or management accounting.
• Financial reporting experience.
• Advanced experience of Excel.
• ERP systems experience (transaction level and reporting).

Desirable

• Minimum 3 years of experience in operational financial management and or management accounting.
• Experience working with SAP.
• Experience of working in an international organisation.

Please note that all applications should be submitted in English only.
It is advisable to apply in advance to avoid any technical issues at the last moment.