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A mission-driven and impact focused single programme NGO is seeking an Interim Finance Director for a 1 year maternity cover contract. The role is fully remote (from within the UK) and is full-time (5 days per week) for a 12 month contract. There may be the requirement to travel to Ghana on occasion throughout the 12 months. A busy role, in a vibrant charity headed by a passionate Founder/CEO – the role represents the chance to be part of a fantastic international organisation.

Salary is £63,000 - £70,000 depending on skills and experience, and the role would best suit a fully-qualified accountant with significant experience managing global finance teams within the international development sector.

The organisation’s mission is to get 3-6 year old children in rural Africa to thrive.  They have developed an award-winning Early Childhood Development programme, proven its impact through rigorous evaluation, and scaled it with governments in both Ghana and Uganda. It is currently reaching over 300,000 children per year, and we aim to reach 1 million children per year by 2028. The programme benefits both preschool age children and unlocks the potential of marginalised rural parents.

With around 100 staff globally, the interim Finance Director will manage a diverse team of finance professionals. Your role will include setting and managing budgets, supporting fundraising strategy and proposals, overseeing spend and financial controls and processes.  You will lead the finance team in Ghana made up of a Junior Finance Manager, four Finance Officers, two bookkeepers and a Procurement and Logistics Officer.  You will also manage the Uganda Finance Officer, and Global Finance Manager based in the UK.

The role will involve a mixture of hands-on accounting, complex donor reporting, consolidated and year-end accounts, budgeting, forecasting, scenario planning and financial modelling. Xero is used across the organisation, and financial year-end is December.

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Duties include:

• Contribute to the development and implementation of the organisation’s scale and income-generation strategy, including exciting new opportunities for potential expansion to the southern regions in Ghana and exploring implementation of the programme in a new country.

• Develop and strengthen robust and flexible cost models (including sensitivity analyses/stress testing) to guide decisions around the pace and rate of scale, staffing & resource requirements, ensure value for money and maximise cost efficiencies.

• Develop robust budgets for new and renewal funder applications, considering complexities around funder restrictions, currency exchange and forecast economic conditions.

• Ensure that the organisation-wide financial systems, policies, procedures and internal controls and audits are robust, compliant and best practice to support current activities and future growth.

• Be pro-active in identifying ways to improve efficiencies and strengthen financial rigour, including leading on internal projects to enhance systems and processes to automate approvals and develop cost recovery models as we look to expand our operations outside Ghana and Uganda.

• Lead and coach the finance team to maintain and deliver operational excellence & financial rigour, closely monitoring the operating and financial reports against plans and budgets.

• Lead monthly financial reviews and oversee timely production of monthly, quarterly and annual financial reports to the Board, donors and management team.

• Work with our internal operations and programmes team to develop financial systems so that direct financial support is provided to local government partners and they are able to take on responsibility for and account for programme budgets, including overseeing termly financial disbursements and reporting.

• Work with programmes team to build the capacity of local government partners in financial management, procurement, and budgeting so that they will eventually be able to fund and sustain the programme themselves. Create the budgets, financial information, documentation and materials for funding proposals.

• Oversee the creation of all financial reports for funders, ensuring mechanisms to track and report against restricted income are robust, and preparing financial analyses for funder

• Provide monthly and quarterly management accounts for trustees summarising current and forecast financial position for the year, cashflow analysis and KPI reporting.

• Attend trustee meetings, present information to the Board and liaise with Board members, including leading the quarterly Finance and Audit Committee meetings.

• Ensure that the Statutory Accounts for all entities are prepared, including internal information is collated and provided, external auditors are instructed and deliver to standard.

• Ensure all organisations are compliant with tax, regularity and legal requirements (e.g payroll, tax, NGO registration, insurance, registrations with regulatory authorities)

• Actively manage the performance and build the capacity of direct reports through training, coaching, holding 1to1s, setting performance goals, appraisals, developing new policies and practices.

Requirements:

-Fully-qualified ACCA, CIMA, ACA essential

-Prior experience working as Head of Finance or Finance Director in an international development charity (NGO)

-Prior experience managing a global team

-Deep understanding of international charity finance - donor reporting, programmes finance, foreign currency transactions

-Strategic finance experience covering budgeting, scenario planning, consolidated accounting and financial modelling - within an NGO setting

-Must be able to start the role quickly - ideally immediately available or with a short notice period

Closing date: Ongoing / ASAP

Interviews: Ongoing - likely week commencing 7th April

Please send your CV for immediate consideration.

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