Save the Children is seeking a Finance Manager for an anticipated five-year USAID-funded Early Childhood Education activity in Ethiopia. The program focuses on increasing the effectiveness of the early childhood education system. The specific Objective is to strength the system’s capacity to provide, oversee and coordinate continuous high-quality, responsive early childhood development and education, at the federal, regional, woreda, Kebele and Household levels.
The Finance Manager oversees all financial management, internal controls and financial compliance aspects of the program, in accordance with USAID guidance and regulations. This role provides financial and operational management to ensure the best use of resources by preparing sound budgets, monitoring project expenses, and providing accurate and timely financial reports for donors.
This position is contingent upon donor approval and funding.
What You’ll Be Doing (Essential Duties)
- Review and consolidate monthly financial reports to ensure accuracy and to provide regular feedback to senior management
- Ensure all financial plans, invoices, reports, and other financial documents and transactions are accurate, timely, and consistent with Save the Children and USAID guidelines and regulations
- Prepare and monitor budgets to ascertain that spending occurs as planned and that variances are anticipated, noted, and corrected; ensure that key program personnel are aware of budgetary resources and are able to monitor their budgets respectively
- Prepare quarterly reports, consolidated annual fiscal report, cumulative life of project report, and any other required donor submissions
- Verify that appropriate segregation of duties exists to ensure effective support of field operations and to protect the integrity of the country office finance and administrative operations
- Perform financial review of purchase requests, purchase orders, and payment requests to ensure compliance with Save the Children’s policies and procedures and donors grants and contracts requirements
- Assist program staff in periodic budget review, and preparation of budget amendments when necessary.
- Review status of all sub-grants by activity and overall grant budget and propose ideas where necessary for request of revision, extension, or any appropriate action accordingly.
- Maintain grant records, compiles, submitted monthly, quarterly and annual financial reports, including status of VAT receivables, and updated budget records in the system with all revisions made on the grant.
- Actively participate on monthly BVA review meeting and serve as a focal person for this grant
- Oversee sub grant monitoring and compliance including organizational assessments, review of financial reports/ advance requests, and financial tracking; develop sub grant monitoring plans; perform and document compliance visits;
- Supervise the finance and operations staff including performance evaluation and revising job descriptions as necessary. Develop the capacity of the team and facilitate their professional growth
- Prepare and revise finance and operation guidelines in order that they adhere to SC and donor requirements
- Encourage a work environment of mutual respect where team members strive to achieve excellence
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in finance, or other relevant field
- Minimum eight years’ experience managing finance for USAID-funded projects; in-depth knowledge of USAID financial management rules and regulations
- Proven ability to prepare budgets and donor financial reports
- Strong analytical, leadership and interpersonal skills; demonstrated ability to lead and work effectively in team situations
- Experience as a coach/mentor to train staff and develop financial skills of colleagues
- Excellent oral and written communication skills in English
Preferred Qualifications
- Professional qualification in accounting
- Knowledge of local language
- Familiarity with the political, social, and cultural context of Ethiopia
What’s In It for You
- Meaningful work, with a knowledge that you are changing the lives of children all around the world
- A family friendly work environment
- Highly collaborative and innovative teams
- Generous paid vacation days, holidays, family leave days, and sick time
- Healthcare plans including medical, dental, and life insurance
- Retirement savings account with matching company contributions
- Structured and formalized management development and coaching programs for mid and senior level managers
Qualified local candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.
Save the Children believes every child deserves a future. In the United States and around the world, we give children a healthy start in life, the opportunity to learn and protection from harm. We do whatever it takes for children – every day and in times of crisis – transforming their lives and the future we share.
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