Peter Arrah
Summary
Detail-oriented and compliance-focused Accounting Professional with over 15 years of experience in financial management, grants administration, and audit coordination. Proven expertise in developing internal control frameworks, optimizing audit procedures, and ensuring adherence to federal regulations such as FAR, AIDAR, and Uniform Guidance. Certified CPA skilled at cultivating stakeholder partnerships, implementing efficient systems, and streamlining processes for transparent financial oversight.
Overview
12
12
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Staff Auditor, Supporting EY in Navy Audit
WatsonRice
06.2024 - Current
- Assisting in site visits on the client site for audit procedures, including inventory counts, observing inventory activities and walkthrough.
- Assisting with audit walkthrough, completing the internal controls documentation, reviewing control documentation, and meeting and walkthrough minutes.
- Support activities in many Significant Class of Transactions (SCOTS) within project areas. Assist with completing work plan activities.
Project Finance Officer
CNFA
11.2018 - 02.2025
- Supported the month-end closing processes in the field project office to ensure organized, complete, properly approved packages are delivered to the home office following month-end closing schedules, as well as reviews for completeness and accuracy.
- Ensured that the field office and Headquarters maintain organized and complete accounting file documentation and develop procedures for the systematic transfer of all original documentation to the Home Office.
- Maintained control over project filing systems to ensure complete and organized accounting files, procurement documents and personnel files.
- Provided financial oversight by employing control mechanisms and procedures to ensure that all program expenses are per CNFA financial policies, procedures and rules and regulations.
- Developed and periodically updates project policies and procedures guidelines for procurement, accounting and budgeting, as well as reviews and provides support for the financial aspects of contract execution of local and international sub-implementing partners.
- Ensured the smooth implementation of project accounting activities, including timely and accurate bank reconciliations, invoicing, monitoring expenditure levels against budget and funding obligations, financial projections, and the submission of monthly reports.
- Provided the field finance teams with information and guidance on program financial performance, maintains updated, clear, concise written accounting and procurement procedures manuals.
- Regularly prepared and presented financial reports, analyses and recommendations concerning relevant financial issues, assists Program Managers and other project staff in regular monthly monitoring of project spending levels against budget as well as maintain close communication with supervisors, senior management, field staff, and other team members regarding project priorities, objectives, workflow, and challenges, enabling the timely resolution of issues.
Senior Accounting Analyst
Africare
04.2015 - 10.2018
- Report directly to the Chief Financial Officer, assisting in the day-to-day, full-cycle of accounting activities, provide leadership in year-end audit preparation, maintain audit schedules, respond to audit questions from external CPA firm, prepare budgets and quarterly and annual financial reports for management and board reviews, and perform month-end and year-end closings as well as other assignments.
- Manage the operational and financial program activities and transactions of an assigned portfolio of country offices, ensuring compliance with internal manuals, USAID guidelines, and donor requirements.
- Analyze and review monthly corporate and field financial reports for consistency, completeness, and accuracy of documentation, as well as proper posting to the correct project budget item. This requires briefing project staff on the review results.
- Prepare general ledger entries and perform reconciliations for month-end, quarterly, and year-end closings, including corporate and multi-country projects, as well as adjusting journal entries and account analysis, to ensure a timely month-end close.
- Prepare and review Country Office and project budgets before implementation. Analyze budgets regularly to track spending and burn rates, review them for necessary budget modifications, and verify their completeness to capture all the required costs.
- Provide training, support, and technical assistance to field finance staff on accounting, financial management, cost sharing, sub-awards, and sub-recipient monitoring and operations, resulting in reduced errors and improved efficiency of field staff in preparing monthly Country Office financial reports.
- Travel to the Country Office field site to conduct mentoring and training of project accounting staff and facilitate Country Office audit preparation.
- Collaborate with Program Managers and other staff to provide forms and worksheets to field finance staff as needed to track and document in-kind cost share, travel advances, allocation of costs among programs, payroll reports, and other relevant data as necessary.
- Assist Program Managers and other project staff in regular monthly monitoring of project spending levels against budget.
- Maintain close communication with supervisors, senior management, field staff and other team members regarding project priorities, objectives, workflow, and challenges, resulting in the ability to resolve issues promptly.
- Implemented a new process for recording field transaction, which reduced the process from an average of 15-20 hours per country to 4 hours, allowing for additional time savings to focus on review of transactions.
Staff Accountant - on-site contract at National Park Services
CRGT Inc
07.2013 - 03.2015
- Prepared journal entries, AP entries and invoices and posted them into the accounting system, analyzed, reconciled, and interpreted financial data, extracted pertinent details and posted transactions for cash collections, fund deposits and vendor payments into the Financial and Business Management System (FBMS) daily.
- Reconciled various fund accounts and collections with the treasury cash accounts to ensure that revenue and expenses were fairly stated according to financial management and fiscal procedures and practices, and generated monthly invoices for reimbursable contracts.
- Assisted with accounting, financial management and fiscal procedures and practices and training regarding accounting and financial matters underlying the system design and operations.
Staff Accountant - Contract Role
DevTech Systems
05.2013 - 07.2013
- Led mid-cycle financial clean-up for 14 government contracts by reconciling aged receivables, posting accruals, and revising cost allocations to improve collection rate by 35% within 6 weeks.
- Reviewed cost-plus and T&M invoices for billing alignment by validating contract clauses and funding ceilings to reduce rejected invoices and streamline cash application for five multi-million-dollar awards.
- Reorganized chart of accounts and project structure during system migration by aligning legacy data with Dynamics SL requirements to reduce post-implementation entry errors by 35%.
- Assessed and resolved legacy misstatements by cross-referencing historical data and donor reports to correct reporting variances and improve audit traceability for year-end close.
Staff Accountant - Contract
KForce
02.2013 - 05.2013
- Conducted end-of-contract billing reconciliations for CPFF, T&M, and FP agreements by reviewing indirect rate variances, unbilled costs, and remaining obligations to finalize 14 projects.
- Streamlined the billing audit trail by consolidating historical invoice data, updating project files, and documenting reconciliation assumptions to support internal review and reduce audit adjustments.
- Collaborated with compliance and contracts teams by validating closeout documentation, funding ceilings, and FAR clause alignment to ensure eligibility of final cost submissions.
- Developed rate-adjusted invoice templates for retroactive billing corrections by incorporating approved indirect rates and recalculating cost allocations to recover unbilled amounts exceeding $15 million.
- Work Sabbatical – Studied/Sat for CPA Exams 09/2011 – 06/2012
Education
Master of Business Administration - Accounting
Decry University
Bachelor of Science - Banking and Finance
University of Buea
Skills
- Accounting principles
- Account reconciliation
- Financial records review
- Financial auditing
- Financial reporting
- GAAP principles
- General ledger reconciliation
- Attention to detail
- Multitasking and organization
- Clear communication
- Team collaboration
- Balance sheets
- Ethics and integrity
- Microsoft Excel proficiency
Accomplishments
- Documented and resolved account reconciliations which led to timely month end closings.
- Achieved year end book closing by completing all book entries and reconciliations with accuracy and efficiency.
Certification
- Certified Public Accountant | Virginia Board of Accountancy | Expires June 30, 2026
- Certified QuickBooks Professional Advisor
- Certified AICPA Not-For-Profit | AICPA
Languages
English
Full Professional
Additional Experience
- Staff Accountant | Creative Associates International, Inc.
- Director of Finance and Accounting | University of Buea
Timeline
Staff Auditor, Supporting EY in Navy Audit
WatsonRice
06.2024 - Current
Project Finance Officer
CNFA
11.2018 - 02.2025
Senior Accounting Analyst
Africare
04.2015 - 10.2018
Staff Accountant - on-site contract at National Park Services
CRGT Inc
07.2013 - 03.2015
Staff Accountant - Contract Role
DevTech Systems
05.2013 - 07.2013
Staff Accountant - Contract
KForce
02.2013 - 05.2013
Bachelor of Science - Banking and Finance
University of Buea
Master of Business Administration - Accounting
Decry University
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