Director – Finance and Administration

DRS is currently seeking a Director – Finance and Administration for our client, a non-political, non-religious, and non-profit NGO facilitating communities displaced by natural or man-made disasters to safety and providing them and their host communities with opportunities to build their lives and thrive for the long term.

Title: Director – Finance and Administration

Location: Kampala, Uganda

Start date: As soon as possible

Department: Finance and Administration

Line Management: Chief Executive Officer

Managing: FAM and HRM

Position

The ideal candidate for Director – Finance and Administration is responsible for a mission-oriented, strategic leader with experience managing finance and operations in a high-growth organization. Reporting to the CEO, the Finance and Administration Director will be responsible for overseeing overall organizational operations, including finance, human resources, administration, procurement, business planning, legal, security, and information technology for the Head Office and Country Program Teams.

Internally, the Finance and Administration Director will also serve as a strategic and thought partner to the CEO and as a critical member of a small leadership senior management team (SMT) responsible for strategic decision-making. The Finance and Administration Director will work closely with the CEO and the leadership senior management team to strengthen overall organizational capacity, impact, influence, and policy efforts.

The position holder must demonstrate leadership in oversight support, capacity building, high-quality compliance, development of multi-year strategic and annual business plan, analytical and best forecasting, driving strategic transformation, including risk management, contributing to the growth strategy through competitive proposal budgeting, efficient business models and cost base, driving an ambitious transformation agenda-finance, HR, risk management, procurement, administration, systems development, including technology use, business process and improvements across the organization.

This position is an exciting opportunity for an individual with a strong finance and operations background to help strengthen and expand a program model with the potential to scale both in the Africa region and globally. While closely working with country programs, affiliates, and platform functions, s/he will serve as the primary resource for financial management, Administration, HR, and Compliance.

Responsibilities

Finance

• Oversee and lead annual budgeting and planning process in conjunction with the CEO and SMT; monitor progress and keep SMT abreast of the organization’s financial status.
• Manage organizational cash flow and forecasting.
• Provide overall financial oversight and monitoring, including the development and implementation of sound fiscal management practices and internal controls.
• Manage and oversee monthly accounting processes, including bookkeeping, payroll management, invoicing, and financial tracking of restricted grants. In this capacity, manage relationships with key external vendors, partners, and donors.
• Implement a robust contracts management and financial management/ reporting system; ensure that the contract billing and collection schedule is adhered to and that financial data and cash flow are steady and support operational requirements.
• Analyze and present financial reports in an accurate and timely manner; develop financial reporting materials for all donor segments and oversee all financial, project/program, and grants accounting.
• Coordinate, lead, and timely complete the annual external audit process and report; liaise with external auditors and the finance committee of the board of directors.
• Provide support to the finance committee on the Board of Directors.

Human Resources

• Manage and oversee the organization’s human resources (HR) functions, including recruitment and hiring, benefits administration and oversight, new employee orientation, timely completion of annual staff performance assessment process, and employee retention strategies.
• Develop the organization’s human resources capacity as the organization scales, enhancing professional development, compensation and benefits, performance evaluation, workforce development, succession planning, training, and recruiting.
• Ensure that recruiting processes are consistent and streamlined.
• Establish and manage a comprehensive training program to educate employees regarding staff policies and procedures.
• Work closely and transparently with all external partners, including third-party vendors, consultants, partners, and donors. Government and auditors.

Information Technology

• Oversee the organization’s outsourced, cloud-based IT partner to ensure ongoing maintenance and quality of IT systems and infrastructure and to monitor performance against contract.
• Manage and track organizational needs for computer hardware and software, procuring new equipment as needed.
• Collaborate with CEO to ensure successful implementation and ongoing management of ERP system and platform for overall organization’s end-to-end business workflow management, including logistics, fundraising, program, and finance.

Legal

• Oversee risk management and legal activities, including business insurance, memorandums of agreements, contracts, leases, and other legal documents and agreements.
• Ensure compliance with all applicable laws and regulations, including respective Government.

Strategy and Business Development

• Work in partnership with CEO and SMT to implement new strategic initiatives in response to an increasing demand for the organization’s services.
• Work in partnership with CEO and SMT to develop a strategic plan for the organization, including developing multiyear corporate strategy, country strategic plans, and annual business plan; Provide financial and operational input for all strategic planning processes.
• Partner with CEO and SMT to represent the organization with key stakeholders, including funders, the media, government, academic institutions, community organizations, and volunteers.

Systems and Processes (ERP)–

• Contribute to the improvement of ERP system, tools, templates, and off-system applications.
• Lead on ERP business support training for country teams – this includes providing training and capacity.
• Take the lead in building country teams, policies, procedures, and support systems, for instance.

Security

• Develop and implement standard security protocols to ensure the security of assets and staff.

General

• Oversee general office management functions to ensure an effective, high-quality work environment and efficient daily operations of physical plant and equipment.
• Oversee all administrative functions as well as facilities to ensure efficient and consistent operations as the organization scales.

Personal Qualities:

• Strategic Thinking.
• Results focus.
• Change Leadership.
• Team Leadership.
• People Management.

Key Result Areas

• Multiyear corporate strategy, Country Strategic Plan, and annual business plans in regard to core roles and responsibilities.
• Planning and implementation of HR, Finance and Administration Strategies.
• Timeliness, regularity, and accuracy in reporting.
• Team development.
• Employee/Talent development.

Key Relationships

• Directors, Financial Institutions, implementing partners, donors, Government, and non-profit organizations.
• Partners, Government authorities.

Qualifications, experience, and skills

• ACCA/CPA or equivalent is a MUST
• Advanced Diploma or bachelor’s degree in finance or accounting and/or Human Resources Management and/or organizational development.
• Master of Business Administration (MBA), Accounting or Finance.
• A minimum of 7-10 years of experience in financial management of programs with an annual budget of at least $20 Million.
• 7 years in a senior managerial role – with specific proof handling HR, Procurement, Finance, and Administration processes.
• High Proficiency in computer skills, financial software, reporting systems (QuickBooks, Microsoft Apps, and Access), communication packages, and MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.
• Significant experience in financial monitoring, budgeting systems, and internal controls.
• Strong analytical, communication, and problem-solving skills are necessary, along with the capacity to identify and articulate potential problems and provide possible solutions in a concise and clear manner.
• Experience in working with international development partners, international nongovernmental organizations (INGOs), and donors is an asset.
• Experience working with ethnically diverse communities and nationalities and with projects implementing gender mainstreaming strategies.
• Demonstrate high-level written and verbal communication skills in English and French.
• Experience developing and managing strong financial and operational systems in a high-growth environment. We also seek an effective leader who can motivate, inspire, and develop a committed and diverse team. Key qualifications are enumerated below.
• Proven track record in organizational budgeting and financial management. Experience with and understanding of general accounting, grant tracking, payroll management, human resources, and general business systems and functions. Demonstrated success in developing and monitoring financial systems.
• Proven track record in developing and managing operational systems in a high-growth organization; strong project management skills.
• Tireless attention to detail and ability to complete work with the highest level of accuracy, efficiency, and quality.
• Ability to work in an entrepreneurial, fast-paced environment. Strong work ethic, flexible, and able to multi-task. Ability to synthesize data, make decisions, and communicate priorities to staff. Demonstrated resourcefulness in setting priorities, executing multiple tasks, and achieving objectives.
• Unwavering focus on delivering high-quality, data-driven results. Committed to innovation, excellence, and entrepreneurship.
• Ability to think strategically and connect strong execution to broader strategic priorities and objectives.
• Exceptional capacity for managing and leading people from diverse backgrounds. Committed to investing in and developing staff and positioning them to succeed. Self-directed, positive, energetic, flexible, compassionate, collaborative, and team-oriented individual.
• Integrity, compassion, sense of humor, mission-oriented, and commitment to excellence.