Fresh Jobs at WSP in Africa

Job Description

• As a Project Accountant, you will join our financial business and play an integral role in a team of highly skilled specialists who bring ideas to life for our clients across diverse financial projects. You will be responsible for ensuring accurate project accounting and financial management, supporting operational teams, and driving governance and reporting excellence
• Apply your sound understanding of Project Financial Accounting.
• Support operational team during revenue recognition process.
• Compilation of information, data analysis & report to business 
• Ensuring Corporate Governance, control and best practice is understood and communicated effectively to the business.
• Wider duties may include financial integration, commercial support
• Ability to successfully handle project accounting for multiple projects.
• Strong organizational, planning and prioritization skills.
• Sound knowledge of accounting systems, processes & procedures
• Apply good interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work independently (self-starter), as well as part of a team.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Providing support for ad hoc tasks when requested.
• May need to work overtime as/when required.

Responsibilities

• Apply a sound understanding of Project Financial Accounting principles to manage project finances effectively.
• Support operational teams during the monthly revenue recognition process.
• Take ownership of Profit Centre-level management reporting, analysis, and business partnering.
• Ensure Corporate Governance, internal controls, and best practices are understood and communicated effectively across the business.
• Provide financial support and integration for new projects.
• Deliver commercial training and collaborate closely with project teams.
• Process journals and assist with the compilation of information for monthly reporting packs.
• Manage accounting for multiple concurrent projects, ensuring accuracy and timeliness.
• Partner with project managers to monitor budget vs. actuals, highlighting risks to the relevant stakeholders
• Contribute to variance analysis.
• Support audits and compliance reviews, ensuring adherence to company policies and statutory requirements.
• Talent for continuous learning and converting ideas into impactful outcomes.
• Expertise in navigating complex financial and currency exchange projects.

Qualifications

• Part-qualified or fully qualified (Bcom, CIMA, ACCA, CASA).
• Proven ability to collaborate with non-finance stakeholders and provide financial insights.

Technical Skills:

• Proficient in MS Excel (including Pivot Tables, VLOOKUP and understanding of Formulas).
• Experience with PowerBI or other data visualization tools (advantageous).
• Knowledge of ERP systems (Oracle preferred but not essential).
• Analytical Ability: Strong problem-solving and financial analysis skills.
• Communication: Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to present complex information clearly.
• Organizational Skills: Strong planning, prioritization, and time management abilities.
• Interpersonal Skills: Ability to build relationships across teams and influence decision-making.
• Independence & Initiative: Self-starter who can work independently as well as collaboratively.
• Adaptability: Comfortable working in a fast-paced environment with multiple priorities.
• Demonstrated success in project accounting across multiple projects.
• Exposure to financial reporting, forecasting, and variance analysis.
• Experience in commercial support (e.g.. project integration, contracts, Revenue Recognition).
• Prior involvement in audit preparation and compliance is desirable.

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Job Description
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES/ACCOUNTABILITIES, AREAS OF FOCUS & METRICS

PROJECT MANAGEMENT

• The successful candidate will be involved in all stages of a project’s life cycle (i.e. Initiation, Planning, Execution, Monitoring and Control, and Closure) for consulting specific projects.  Most components of this role will relate to engineering, science, and/or environmental consulting.  Scope of this role will be focused on areas such as mine engineering design, permitting, field investigations, desktop analyses, numerical modeling, permitting, studies, research, etc.  This role will work closely with technical managers and ensure the correct delivery of projects within the assigned business.
• Responsible for assembling project team, assigning individual responsibilities, identifying appropriate resources needed, developing schedules to ensure timely completion of project and monitoring progress against plan. Must be familiar with the project scope and objectives, as well as the role and function of each team member in order to effectively co-ordinate the activities of the team.   

 GENERAL

• Can manage a low-complexity project without reporting to another Project Manager, or a phase of a larger project with oversight of another Project Manager of functional leadership
• Responsible for assembling small project/task teams and assigning individual responsibilities, identifying appropriate resources needed. 
• Must be familiar with the project scope and objectives, as well as the role and function of each team member in order to effectively co-ordinate the activities of the team.
• Works for a known client who understands most of the project risk.  Actively seeks support when a risk outside of their understanding has been identified.
• The project is undertaken under a master service agreement (MSA) or WSP standard Terms and Conditions with some minor clauses added by the client

CONSULTATION

• Act as primary (or secondary) client contact, depending on the needs of the project.
• Provide timely guidance and communication to entire project team on related project level issues.
• Liaise regularly with project Technical Managers/Project Director, technical teams, internal accounting teams, and external clients for low-complexity projects or the Project Manager for a more complex project.
• Addresses the quality management of the project and the product/deliverable with Discipline Reviewers as well as the Approved Reviewer. 
• Considers stakeholder quality requirements in the project.
• Regularly inform Project Director on status of project.
• Work with internal and external stakeholders to continually reassess project. Possesses the necessary skills to motivate, organize, manage and lead this team to ensure the successful completion of the project. 

INTEGRATION

• Occupies a key position in development of proposals that can include the development of the ROA. This will be carried out in collaboration with Technical Leads
• Setting up and managing the project according to the approach outlined in . GNG
• Overseeing the preparation of the project execution plan by the Project Coordinator.
• Planning the execution of the project and monitoring performance according to the project execution plan and the contract terms and conditions. 
• Managing project closure aspects ensuring correct project documentation, facilitating lessons learned workshops, and obtaining client feedback, sub-consultant/contractors evaluations and project experience profiles.
• Ensuring project team (including sub-consultants/contractors) have understood and continually reassess the HSSE requirements of the project. Experienced in identifying and mitigating risks/hazards typical of low complexity projects.  Project generally located in low/medium risk countries. 
• Project team can include up to 5 people, as well as up to 3 subcontractors. 
• Typically manages projects involving two WSP offices and Operating Companies, with less than a 4 hour time zone difference and a single language.
• Is developing delegation skills to manage the workload

SCOPE AND SCHEDULE

• Manages a local project or regional project in their own discipline, or up to two others. 
• Demonstrates good judgement in the collection of requirements, definition of scope, development of work breakdown structure and the management of scope variations to meet the project requirements. 
• Responsible for the development of the project scope statement and Work Breakdown Structure of low complexity.
• Identification and implementation of necessary controls to manage and supervise project scope variations to meet the project requirements. Identifies opportunities to increase scope when it is in the best interests of the business.
• Initiating client communications related to change orders.
• Responsible for the development of the project schedule
• Ensuring the project is following the schedule baseline and producing new baselines, and recovery plans as required.
• Responsible for outlining method of Earned Value Management and subsequent communication with Client and internal stakeholders.
• Competently undertakes corrective actions to realign schedule and deliverables while applying an understanding of the Project Critical Path and scheduling linkages and dependencies.

COST

• Responsible for project budgets and expenditures, including forecasting, typically for scopes of less than $USD 250,000
• Typically manages a time and material project budget structure, or small, simple lump sum in BST, manages project billing requirements and payment terms.
• Can skillfully respond to budget amendments. 
• Oversees the overall financial success of the project, ensuring s WSP’s project profitability and cash management objectives are met.
• Anticipating changes to project cost and providing timely communication to the Client and project team.
• Ensuring compliance with client invoicing requirements and timely payment.
• Responsible for meeting Day Sales Outstanding (DSO) targets on each project, as per  WSP requirements.

PROCUREMENT

• Responsible for project contracts and other documentation for sub-consultants, contractors and vendors.
• Actively managing procurement contracts and eliminating/reducing risk to WSP for a small number of subcontractors, vendors and suppliers.
• Managing internal work carried out under Intercompany Work Agreements (ICAs).
• Limited procurement activities with approved suppliers and subcontractors. Understands and ensures compliance with the WSP contract terms and conditions.
• Timely review, approval (or resolution) of vendor/subcontractor invoices.

PROJECT DOCUMENTATION

• Overseeing the production of regular progress reports for the client, the project team and other internal and external stakeholders.
• Establishing the protocol for the document control system, and continually reassessing requirements.
• Works to help with submission of deliverables to the Client, or is responsible for deliverables on low-complexity projects.
• Identification of project risks and ongoing management of the risks.

TEAM LEVEL OPERATIONAL SUPPORT

PROJECT HEALTH

• Monitor and analyse key project performance indicators (multipliers/margin, WIP, AR, DSO, backlog) and flag variances or early-warning trends.
• Support WIP and Debt/AR processes through regular follow-ups, consolidation of inputs, and proactive reduction of aged items.
• Coordinate and schedule Project Reviews; ensure pre-review data preparation, meeting documentation, and follow-up on agreed actions.
• Track project governance compliance including scope approvals, contract documentation, risk registers and change controls.
• Support identification of at-risk projects and escalate concerns to the Operations Manager and Project Leaders.

RESOURCE AND UTILISATION MANAGMENT

• Track and maintain divisional utilisation and resourcing data within enterprise planning tools, ensuring accuracy and timely updates.
• Support Team Leads with utilisation reviews, planned vs actual analysis, and identification of resourcing conflicts or bottlenecks.
• Maintain and update resourcing tools including capacity planning, revenue forecasting, backlog/pipeline alignment and forward load planning.
•  Monitor backlog build and pipeline conversion across the division and highlight potential revenue or capacity risks.

PROJECT TOOLS AND OPERATIONAL READINESS

• Drive consistent adoption and correct use of project management tools, enterprise systems and BI dashboards across the division.
• Identify system and data gaps, perform data validation checks, and coordinate remediation to improve reporting accuracy.
• Provide user support and informal training to project teams on system functionality and data entry standards.
• Collaborate with Operations, BI and IT teams on tool enhancements, system integrations and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Contribute to development of standardised templates, workflows and reporting packs to improve operational readiness and governance

Qualifications     
EDUCATION, CERTIFICATIONS, & ESSENTIAL EXPERIENCE REQUIRED FOR THE JOB

• This section includes the MINIMUM level of knowledge, skills and certifications required to successfully perform the job. All qualifications must comply with local human rights legislation.

Education/Certifications

• Undergraduate degree in Project Management, Engineering, Science, Environmental, or Business.

Experience

• Seven (7) years of work experience including five (5) years in project management (engineering/sciences consulting environment preferred).
• Experience with operational support functions (WIP/Debt, utilisation, resource planning and revenue forecasting, or similar).
• Demonstrated experience in project financials, reporting, scheduling, and risk.
• Consulting engineering experience advantageous.

Competencies

• Strong organisational and analytical skills.
• Ability to work across multiple systems and consolidate operational data.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Strong commercial awareness and ability to interpret financial data.
• Ability to balance project duties with divisional operational demands.v