Accountant
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania | TZS 2,150,960 gross monthly salary | 1-year renewable contract | Application deadline: April 17, 2026
Laterite is looking for an Accountant who will ensure the financial integrity of our Tanzania operations. This role sits at the center of our financial processes—managing bookkeeping, ensuring compliance, and supporting the operational backbone that allows research teams to deliver complex development projects.
Who We Are
Laterite is a data, research, and analytics firm working on complex development challenges. We partner with universities, global think tanks, international NGOs, multilateral donors, and government ministries. Our clients include the World Bank, USAID, TechnoServe, the Mastercard Foundation, and others.
We operate across the Netherlands, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Sierra Leone, and Peru, with 90+ full-time staff and more than 2,000 enumerators. We believe meaningful impact requires being on the ground, building local teams, and establishing long-term trust. Our office culture is collaborative and gives people autonomy to grow into their roles.
The Environment You're Stepping Into
You will join our Tanzania team in a high-trust environment. We operate with low bureaucracy and high accountability. You won't be micromanaged here—we want you to use your judgment to solve problems, support our fast-paced field teams, and actively improve the systems you work with.
Laterite Tanzania started operations in 2021 with an office in Dar es Salaam. Since then, the Tanzania team has worked on a large-scale survey of 5,000 village-based advisors and is working on projects in the fields of education, agriculture and employment skills development. Our team in Dar es Salaam currently consists of five team members.
How You'll Make an Impact
1. Ensuring Accurate Financial Records
- Perform monthly postings and reconciliations, including petty cash, bank, supplier, and tax reconciliations using QuickBooks.
- Maintain accurate bookkeeping records for all expenses and revenues.
- Manage the filing and organization of financial documentation including contracts, invoices, and salary slips.
- Prepare monthly reports necessary for financial reporting and assist with cashflow forecast updates.
2. Maintaining Compliance and Financial Controls
- Ensure compliance with all taxation and regulatory requirements including NSSF, PAYE, VAT, and WHT.
- Liaise with tax advisors and external auditors by providing required documentation and responding to queries.
- Monitor cash and bank balances and ensure adequate TZS and USD balances for operational needs.
- Strengthen internal controls and contribute to improving cost efficiency through better supplier agreements.
3. Supporting Field Operations and Project Finance
- Review field expenses and reconcile budgets with actual expenses together with enumerators and field teams.
- Prepare project expense reports for each batch of field activities.
- Process project-related payments and supplier payments in a timely manner.
- Support financial planning for field activities and project implementation.
4. Supporting Office Operations
- Assist with procurement of office supplies and operational needs.
- Oversee office support staff such as cleaners.
- Help organize logistics for enumerator trainings, workshops, and meetings (venue bookings, catering, transport, etc.).
- Provide administrative support where necessary to ensure smooth office operations.
Requirements
What You Bring
We are looking for a colleague with strong accounting experience and the ability to manage financial systems with precision and independence. Specifically, you have:
- Tanzania nationality.
- BA Degree in Business Management, Economics, Accounting, or a related field.
- Minimum 4 years of relevant professional experience.
- Strong knowledge of accounting, bookkeeping, and financial compliance.
- Proficiency in QuickBooks and MS Office, particularly Excel.
- Excellent spoken and written English and Swahili communication skills.
- Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
What Success Looks Like in 6 Months
- Monthly financial reconciliations are completed accurately and on time.
- Financial documentation and filing systems are well organized and easily accessible.
- Field expense reconciliations are accurate and efficient.
- Compliance requirements are consistently met without delays or penalties.
- The Tanzania office operates with clear financial visibility and strong cost control.
Benefits
What's In It for You?
- Competitive compensation: Starting salary of TZS 2,150,960 gross per month (exact grade determined by experience and interview performance).
- Benefits: Medical insurance and 21 days of annual leave.
- Professional growth: Annual learning budget of up to USD 1,000 and 10 days of professional learning leave per year.
- Flexibility: Remote work options in accordance with Laterite’s remote work policy.