POSITION: Human Resources, Administration & Accounts Assistant.
Employer: Baran Telecom Networks Limited.
Duty Station: Lilongwe.
Department: Human Resources and Administration.
Reports to: Managing Director with functional support to Finance/ Management.
Key working relationships: Project Manager; Finance; Nokia project representatives; Team Leads; Field Engineers; EHS; Logistics; Warehouse; employees and service providers.
Work Schedule: Monday to Saturday subject to project requirements.
Overview
The HR, Administration and Accounts Assistant will provide day-to-day human-resources, office-administration and basic accounting support to the Project Manager and project team. The role ensures that personnel records, attendance, payroll inputs, recruitment administration, office services, expense documentation, supplier records and statutory filing support are accurate, complete, confidential and delivered on time.
The position supports project continuity by maintaining reliable administrative controls and timely financial documentation while coordinating with management, Finance, employees, service providers and relevant Malawi authorities. The role does not independently approve payments, sign tax returns or make commitments outside delegated authority.
Key Responsibilities
1. Human Resources Administration
- Maintain complete employee personnel files where applicable, disciplinary records and exit documentation.
- Coordinate the recruitment process, including vacancy records, interview schedules, candidate communication, reference documentation, offers and onboarding checklists.
- Prepare induction arrangements and ensure new employees receive company policies, project requirements, codes of conduct, safety information and required forms.
- Maintain daily attendance, timesheets, deployment records, overtime, leave, absence and employee-movement records; reconcile discrepancies with Team Leads before payroll cut-off.
- Prepare accurate monthly payroll input schedules for review, including starters, leavers, days worked, allowances, deductions, leave and approved adjustments.
- Track probation reviews, contract expiries, performance-review due dates, training records, work permits where applicable and employee document renewals.
- Support employee relations by receiving routine queries, documenting issues, arranging meetings and escalating grievances or disciplinary matters to the Project Manager or authorized management.
- Coordinate separation clearances, return of company property, final attendance information and filing of exit records.
2. Office and Project Administration
- Manage day-to-day office administration, correspondence, filing, calendars, meeting arrangements, minutes, action trackers and controlled project records.
- Maintain office supplies, stationery, utilities, cleaning, security, communications and other routine services within approved budgets and procurement procedures.
- Prepare purchase requests, collect quotations, maintain supplier information and follow approved procurement and payment workflows.
- Coordinate travel, accommodation, vehicle bookings, visitor arrangements, site-support requests and other logistics assigned by the Project Manager.
- Maintain registers for company assets issued to employees, including laptops, phones, PPE, access cards, tools or other accountable items, and support periodic verification.
- Track administrative actions and deadlines arising from project meetings and provide concise status updates to the Project Manager.
3. Basic Accounts and Bookkeeping Support
- Receive, date-stamp and register supplier invoices.
- Maintain accounts-payable and payment-request trackers.
- Prepare petty-cash vouchers, payment packs, expense-claim schedules and cash-count reconciliations for review and approval; retain original supporting documents.
- Record routine project receipts and expenses in approved cashbooks, spreadsheets or accounting-system.
- Assist with bank, mobile-money, petty-cash, supplier-statement and staff-advance reconciliations; investigate and report differences promptly.
- Track staff advances and retirement of expenses, ensuring receipts, approvals and unused balances are submitted within company timelines.
- Maintain separate VAT-inclusive, VAT-exclusive and withholding-tax information on invoices and payment schedules, subject to Finance review.
- Compile monthly project cost summaries against approved budgets and highlight missing documents, duplicate claims, unusual expenditure, overdue balances and potential cash requirements.
- Provide complete, indexed accounting files and schedules to Finance, management, auditors or authorised reviewers.
4. Malawi Tax and Statutory Filing Support
- Maintain a statutory compliance calendar covering applicable payroll taxes, PAYE, withholding tax, VAT, corporate-tax instalments, pension and other required Malawi filings or payments.
- Compile payroll-tax, withholding-tax, VAT input/output and other supporting schedules from approved payroll and accounting records for review by Finance or the appointed tax adviser.
- Check tax invoices for required supplier details, tax identification information, invoice dates, amounts and supporting documentation; refer exceptions to Finance before processing.
- Prepare draft filing packs, payment instructions and supporting reconciliations for authorised review and submission to the Malawi Revenue Authority or other relevant institutions.
- Retain submitted returns, acknowledgements, payment receipts, certificates, reconciliations and correspondence in an orderly statutory file.
- Track withholding-tax certificates and other tax evidence due to or from suppliers and customers, and follow up outstanding documents.
- Escalate approaching deadlines, rejected submissions, discrepancies, penalties, notices or requests from authorities immediately to Finance and the Project Manager.
- Never submit, amend, certify or sign a statutory return unless formally authorised and appropriately supervised.
5. Internal Controls, Confidentiality and Audit Support
- Confirm that expenditure is budgeted, business-related, properly supported and approved before forwarding it for payment.
- Prevent duplicate invoices, altered documents, unsupported claims and unauthorized commitments; report suspected fraud, conflicts of interest or control breaches immediately.
- Maintain secure physical and electronic filing with controlled access, logical naming, backups and retention in accordance with company and legal requirements.
- Support internal, external, customer and tax audits by retrieving requested records, preparing schedules and tracking agreed corrective actions.
- Protect employee personal data, payroll information, bank details, commercial information and tax records from unauthorized disclosure.
6. Project Manager and Team Support
- Maintain a forward calendar of contract expiries, payroll cut-offs, tax due dates, office renewals and project-administration commitments.
- Coordinate follow-up actions with field teams and support staff to ensure timely submission of timesheets, expense documents, asset returns and other required records.
- Perform other reasonable HR, administrative and basic accounts duties consistent with the role and formally assigned by management.
Qualifications & Experience
- Diploma or Bachelor’s Degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Accounting, Finance or a related discipline.
- At least two years of relevant HR, office administration, accounts-assistant or bookkeeping experience; project or telecommunications experience is an advantage.
- Working knowledge of Malawi payroll administration and basic statutory obligations, including PAYE, withholding tax and VAT support.
- Practical experience with invoices, petty cash, expense claims, reconciliations, payroll inputs, personnel files and statutory documentation.
- Good working knowledge of Microsoft Excel, Word, email and shared electronic filing systems; accounting-software exposure is desirable.
- High integrity, strong numerical accuracy, confidentiality and the ability to meet recurring deadlines with limited supervision.
Key Competencies
- Communication Skills: Strong verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to interact effectively with employees and clients.
- Attention to Detail: Ability to maintain accurate records and ensure compliance with labour standards.
- Interpersonal Skills: Ability to build positive relationships with employees from diverse backgrounds.
- Organizational Skills: Strong ability to manage multiple tasks and meet deadlines.
- Confidentiality: High level of integrity in handling sensitive employee information.
- Problem-Solving Skills: Ability to assist in resolving employee concerns efficiently.
