Alpha Bakarr Kamara ACCA, CFE

Experience

• 

  Imam Sadiq Secondary School

  Sept 2008 - Mar 2012

  Bursar/Teacher

  I managed day to day financial matters at the school, including: maintaining records, banking fees promptly, preparing bank reconciliation statements and ensuring that any consequent issues were settled, payroll, payment of staff salaries with appropriate statutory deductions, cash flow management, reporting, and preparation of payment vouchers for school expenses.I also looked after special financial projects such as being budget officer for the construction of a three-storey extension and developing strategies for effective fee collection.In addition, I taught Mathematics, Financial and Cost Accounting. Show less

• 

  Audit Service Sierra Leone

  Apr 2012 - Apr 2020

  A key achievement was that I built a strong internal control system with the organisation such that it is now the blueprint for other Government organisations within Sierra Leone.My responsibilities are to: - Draft management and final reports to high standards of professional and ethical integrity, and to edit press releases and other public statements issued by the organisation- Provide report production mentorship, check that authors have provided the necessary documentation, resolve queries raised by authors, correct spelling mistakes and grammatical errors, check style and consistency, clarify technical issues and ensure that these are presented correctly and accurately - Assist other report writers with guidance on how to prepare and properly present their reports, and train auditors in report writing Show less My overall role was to design, implement and maintain internal control systems within the organisation. In detail this involved:- Monitoring the company’s overall risk management policy to ensure effective operation and continuously evaluate internal controls designed to manage risks, and make recommendations for improvement- Provide numerous internal audit functions: ADB, World Bank and DFID projects supporting the company, ensuring company transactions, accounting records and policies were accurately recorded, verifying to management that payroll NASSIT and tax returns complied with laws and regulations, assessing company assets to ensure that they were properly used and safeguarded, checking that payment vouchers had appropriate documentation and were appropriately authorised- Reviewing the bank reconciliation process to make sure that statements were regularly and accurately prepared, and annual financial statements to confirm compliance with International Financial Reporting Standards Show less

  • Senior Auditor

    Jan 2017 - Apr 2020

  • Internal Auditor

    Apr 2012 - Dec 2016
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  Save the Children International

  May 2020 - May 2021

  Internal Control and Compliance Manager

  KEY ACHIEVEMENTSCreated an awareness to all staff that systems, processes and activities of individuals and units within organisation are being monitored in a regular and unannounced manner.MY RESPONSIBILITIES WERE:- Developing new internal control policies, improves on or upgrades existing policies as and when necessary.- Monitoring and evaluating internal control systems for effectiveness and appropriateness in the existing environment and ensure that needed improvements and updates are made.- Championing fraud preventing and detection, and saving as focal person for investigation of all suspected fraud cases. Provide training programmes to new intake and provide refreshers’ training to existing staff on a regular basis.- Reviewing the company’s monthly management financial report and the annual financial statements to ensure they faithfully represented in accordance with IFRS. Show less

• 

  Sierra Rutile Limited

  Jun 2021 - now

  • Prepare sections and master budget and forecast of the entity, review and monitor implantation of activities to ensure that actual expenditures are in line with budgets or forecasts; otherwise legitimate reasons are provided to justify any material deviations. • Supervise daily reconciliations carried out by my staff to ensure all unreconciling items are investigated and corrected immediately.• Prepare and produce the monthly management account and cost reports for the attention of the executive management team. • Hold budget holders accountable through organising monthly cost review meetings in which reasons for over and under spending are provided and lessons learnt are sustainably implemented across the board.• Provide cost-benefit analysis reports for decision making such as rent or buy, in-house or outsourced, continue or cessation to achieve efficient use of resources.• Review and supervise the work of Business Analysts to ensure their work meets the entity’s standard. Show less KEY ACHIEVEMENTSSuccessfully implemented a Picking Slip System (automated) that is used by staff to raise requests for their monthly amenities supplies. As a result, the company’s cost for amenities is reduced by over half due to the cost visibility and control the system provides. The entity’s current monthly cost of amenities is ~US$80,000. RESPONSIBILITIES• Proactively sought out and pursued cost-saving opportunities with line departments by checking services contracts to prevent overbilling, performing commercial appraisals/evaluations such as; rent vs buy, mined vs contracting, etc. • Actively developed a continuous approach to the improvement of internal controls and management reporting systems across all activities and provide technical advice on correct coding to minimise incorrect cost allocations.• Provided financial education to line department personnel to ensure that they fully understand their actual costs, budgets, variations to budget, and cost implications of their actions.• Carried out month-end accounting procedures (with particular focus on the accruals process), and ensure that all processes are aligned with Group policies, procedures, and deadlines.• Responsible for providing bespoke COGNOS reports for daily reconciliations that meet the specific needs of the business owners and ensure that business owners receive these reports promptly.• Prepared cost reports and made presentations at departmental meetings, discusses trends, agree on corrective actions, and record the reasons for discrepancies. Show less

  • Management Account Manager

    Jul 2023 - now

  • Senior Project Cost Controller

    Oct 2022 - Jun 2023

  • Senior Business Analyst

    Jan 2022 - Sept 2022

  • Business Analyst

    Jun 2021 - Dec 2021