School Bursar at SilverLeaf Academy

Job Expired

Organization: Silverleaf Academy Ltd, Tanzania
Location: Silverleaf Academy Usa River Campus, Tanzania
Position: School Bursar
Contract Type: Full Time
Contract Duration: 2 years
Line Manager: Finance & Compliance Associate Manager

Organization
Silverleaf Academy is a chain of affordable private pre-primary and primary schools in Tanzania educating children aged 2-14. Our mission is to provide lower-middle-income families in Tanzania with highest quality learning at the most affordable levels. Using the national Tanzanian curriculum, Silverleaf schools deploy an inclusive, tech-supported curriculum inside every classroom, and adopt an innovative team-teaching approach and in-service training program. Our schools are specifically designed to build both student academic competencies and wider life, leadership and learning skills. It is our promise to our students and their parents that Silverleaf students will not leave school without full mastery of the basic skills of writing, reading and math, while also being prepared for a world where critical thinking, team collaboration, and entrepreneurship are paramount. Silverleaf currently has one fully operational campus in Usa River serving approximately 400 pre-primary to standard 7 students. By January 2025, the target is to grow the Usa River campus to over 1,000 daycare up to standard 7 students.

Role
The primary responsibility of the School Bursar is to safeguard the school’s revenues and ensure financial stability, driving sustainable growth. The Bursar will manage all financial operations, including budgeting, procurement, collections, bookkeeping, systems management, financial forecasting, and reporting. The goal is to transform the campus into a profitable entity while contributing to the overall profitability of Silverleaf Academy Ltd. As a key member of the school management team, the Bursar will provide essential expertise to ensure that all financial processes are efficient, responsible, and compliant.

Deliverables
● Controlling parent registration, fee collections and school expenditure to maintain viability
● Managing all financial planning, tracking, controls, management and reporting of the school
● Strengthening frameworks, processes and tools to define “The Silverleaf Standard”

Responsibilities
1) Verification, review and validation of school expenditure using supporting documents to ensure compliance with SLA finance policy
2) Robust filing of accounting, procurement, and financial records in a logical and compliant manner
3) Preparation of bank reconciliation statement and EFD reconciliation every month end.
4) Ensure adherence to fee collection policy and timely fee reminders to parents with outstanding fees including preparation of students’ invoices and issuing of EFD receipts for students.
5) Assist in the preparation and of the annual budget of the school.
6) Computation of various tax, preparation, and timely filing of tax returns to avoid
penalties.
7) Assist in the preparation of payroll and Initiating transactions’.
8) Management of inventory, consumables, and assets through record keeping and physical at the school and maintaining a fixed asset register.
9) Timely preparation and submission of financial reports. Assist in auditing, and provide information and access to accounting records as required.

Skills and Attributes
● Minimum Bachelor’s Degree in accounting, finance, or related subjects.
● Certified Public Accountant (CPA-T) qualification in place or in progress
● At least five (5) years’ accounting experience
● Experience with recognized bookkeeping software such as Quickbooks or Sage
● Fluency in written and spoken English and Kiswahili
● Computer literacy and adaptability
● Desire to learn, innovate and build robust and impactful systems and processes
● Comfortable with using initiative and meeting targets in a in a fast-paced environment
● Passion for generating exceptional outcomes for young people in Tanzania

Values
An essential part of the Silverleaf model is adherence to the core values of the organization. These values are ingrained in our approach and extend to staff, students, parents and partners. For staff, adherence to these values is mandatory and forms the cornerstone of performance reviews.
1. Lead the Way – Demonstrate the principles of servant leadership by practicing empathy, considering needs of others, and setting a good example for peers in your community.
2. Speak, Listen, and Learn – Work together by sharing your ideas in an organized way, listening to the views of others, and considering different perspectives and angles.
3. Ask Why and Why Not – Think critically and use evidence to support your decisions, to find proactive ways to challenge what is possible and to innovate for positive changes.
4. Build for the Future – Look beyond today and equip yourself with the skills, attitudes and tools required to be a socially responsible global citizen in the world of tomorrow.
5. Unwavering Mission Focus – Set clear goals and be disciplined, diligent and determined in achieving them to the very best of your ability, regardless of the obstacles that may arise.