Finance Manager At Graça Machel Trust

Graça Machel Trust overview

Founded in 2010 the Graça Machel Trust (GMT) is a Pan-African NGO that serves the women and children of Africa. We aim to amplify women’s movements, influence governance and promote women’s contributions and leadership in the economic, social and political development of Africa, and advocate for the protection of children’s rights. Building on the legacy and passion of our Founder, Mrs Graça Machel, the Trust tackles structural barriers to change how public and private institutions address women’s and children’s rights. Drawing from our founding principles and overarching mandate from her legacy as a liberation fighter and global advocate for women’s and children’s rights, we aim to harness the power of collective action through networks to drive inclusive social and economic transformation. The Graça Machel Trust has established a geographic footprint across 16 countries in Africa and is headquartered in South Africa.

Purpose Of Job

The Graça Machel Trust is looking to employ a Finance Manager who will provide day to day leadership for accounting operations, with functional responsibility for accounting, accounts payable, and reporting. Responsibilities also include production of financial reports; proper maintenance of accounting records; accurate processing of financial transactions and administration of a comprehensive set of controls and budgets designed to mitigate risk, enhance the accuracy of the company’s reported financial results, and ensure that reported results comply with generally accepted accounting principles, and result in flawless audits. The incumbent will support financial decision-making information by collecting, processing, analyzing, investigating, and reporting financial data.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Financial Monitoring & Payments  Monitor the day-to-day financial operations within the company, such as payroll, procurements, payments, and other transactions to ensure processes are carried out in compliance with the Company’s Finance Policy.  Act as primary liaison with the organization’s bank to trouble shoot on relevant matters, and administratively manage banking processes etc.  Monitor, review and manage accounts receivable and accounts payable.  Track the company’s financial status and performance to identify areas for potential improvement.  Provide leadership for Business as Usual (BAU) maintenance, including: o Checking of Postings/Supporting Documents: ensure that posting by Pilot in QuickBooks is 100% accurate; filing system is in line with accounting best practices(IFRS); ensure matching policy (chart of accounts, depreciation, capitalization, etc.) in all existing entities  Payments o Payments have adequate supporting documents o Timely payments following set weekly schedule through Online Banking Systems  Monthly Payroll/ Consulting Payments o Run Staff Payroll on a monthly basis and ensure all necessary income taxes are paid on timely basis to avoid penalties o Checking contract terms of suppliers and customers to ensure financial and legal coverage Reporting, Forecasting & Auditing  Analyse the organizations actual performance against its financial goals.  Provide oversight on expenditure, reconciliations, and finance approvals at the organizational and project levels.  Review financial data and prepare monthly and annual financial reports related to budgets, account payables, account receivables, cash flow statements, balance sheet, P&L statement, expenses etc.  Based on financial reports, interpret financial information to managerial staff while recommending further courses of action.  Predict financial trends and forecasts, and integrate assessments into planning, risk management and day to day financial management.  Lead the organizational auditing process, ensuring accurate, complete, and timely information is provided to auditors on schedule.  Analyse market trends and competitors.  Ensure cash flow is compatible with company operations, by overseeing the day-to-day accounting, recording, reporting, and internal control activities of the organization.  Support accounting, general ledger and operations functions, ensuring that systems are in place to guarantee timeliness and accuracy. Budgeting, Cost Savings and Risk Management  Manage the preparation of the organization’s budget and monitor expenditure against burn rate targets.  Provide quality assurance oversight to the Grants Finance Officer in the development of project-level budgets, monitoring cash-flow and document reconciliations of user departments.  Conduct reviews and evaluations for cost-reduction opportunities.  Develop strategies that minimize financial risk for the organization. Management, Policies & Taxes  Oversee operations of the finance department, set goals and objectives, and design a framework for these to be met.  Strengthen the capacity of finance and non-finance staff to comply with the organization’s Finance Policy and Procedures.  Contract outside services for tax preparation, auditing, banking, investments, and other financial needs as necessary.  Ensure the organization is tax compliant.  Work with the CFO to establish and maintain financial policies and procedures for the company.  Understand and adhere to financial regulations and legislation. The Graça Machel Trust is a dynamic and rapidly growing entity. The Finance Manager will be expected to adapt quickly to the needs of the organization and could have a range of other duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

 CA(SA) Qualification from SAIPA, or equivalent.  Degree in Finance, Accounting or Economics

Experience – Skills, Knowledge and Abilities

 A minimum 8 – 10 years’ experience including 3 years supervising a finance team.  Varied donor financial reporting experience.  Demonstrable knowledge and experience adhering to policies, procedures, and instructions as per IFRS  Strong financial and accounting background, including an understanding of and experience compiling profit and loss, balance sheet and cash flow management, and general finance and budgeting.  Knowledge of ISO 9001, ISO14001 & OHSAS 18001.  Experience using a variety of finance/accounting software (Pastel, Sage, Quickbooks, etc.)  Proven knowledge of financial analysis and strategy  Experience overseeing/completing financial audits.  Strong interpersonal, communication and presentation skills  A solid understanding of financial statistics and accounting principles.  Working knowledge of all statutory legislation and regulations.  Thorough knowledge of all tax processing (Income tax, VAT, etc.)  Excellent verbal and written communication and presentation skills.  In-depth knowledge of financial reporting standards, tax regulations and industry legislation.  Analytical skills.  Attention to detail.  Interpersonal skills. Negotiation skills.  Strong financial reporting skills.  Experience working with a variety of finance/accounting software.  Knowledge of financial planning at the project, program, and corporate levels.  Knowledge of performance measurement and analysis.  Intermediate to advanced computer knowledge