Finance and Administration Manager – Kigali, Rwanda

Company Overview

The Pharo Foundation (“the Foundation”) is a privately funded entrepreneurial organization that runs philanthropic programs as well as for-profit social ventures. The Vision of the Foundation is an economically vibrant and inclusive Africa. The Mission is to achieve the Vision by investing in the human and physical capital of Africa, with a strong focus on job creation.

Established in 2011, the Foundation has been implementing numerous programmes in Ethiopia and Somaliland and is in the process of expanding into Rwanda and Kenya. The strategic pillars of the Foundation are education, health, water, and agriculture. An example of a project is the opening of our first school in Kimihurura, Kigali providing access to quality education for pre-primary and primary students.

At the end of 2019, the Foundation also started its Social Ventures franchise to prioritize sectors where the Foundation believes a real impact can be made by establishing self-sustaining businesses, which focus on job and economic value creation.

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Headquartered in London, the Foundation has an operational head office in Nairobi, Kenya with country offices in Ethiopia (Addis Ababa and Assosa), Somaliland (Hargeisa), and Rwanda (Kigali) with further expansion plans in East Africa.

Position Summary

The Finance and Administration Manager (FAM) is a senior leadership role within the Foundation. The position will be based in Kigali, Rwanda, with regular travel to program regions within the country once these are established. Reporting to the Country Representative in Rwanda, this well-remunerated role will give the right candidate an excellent mix of challenges, motivation, and fulfilment.

Working closely with the CFO (Nairobi) and Finance Manager (London), the FAM will be responsible for providing the highest in-country direction, oversight, and management of all finance and administrative aspects in the program office.

The role presents a wonderful opportunity for a genuinely driven, curious and passionate individual who desires to affect real change. A confident individual who takes a dynamic, innovative, and forward-thinking approach to their work, who respects and understands local cultures and values and yet embraces and can work within international work ethics and standards.

Role: Finance & Administration Manager (Rwanda).

Reporting to: Country Representative (Rwanda) and Chief Finance Officer (Nairobi).

Direct Reports: Senior Finance Officer and Driver

Functional Relationships: Head of Education (Rwanda), Senior Human Resources Officer (Rwanda), Finance Manager (London), Director of Human Resources (Nairobi), Director of Education (Nairobi),

Key Duties and Responsibilities

General

  • Manage and take overall responsibility for core financial, administrative, logistical, and IT functions of the programs.
  • Provide leadership and direct line management to the programs team.
  • Assist the Country Representative (CR) to ensure that there is a robust internal control environment; policies and procedures that safeguard the assets of the Foundation, and that improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the Foundation.
  • While respecting their autonomy and independence, effectively engage with, support, and monitor partner agencies, who will have the primary role of implementing the programs.
  • Represent the Foundation in external forums where appropriate and when agreed by the CR.
  • Comply with other relevant financial policies and procedures as they are developed internally and those specific to Rwanda.
  • Any other duties as agreed with the CR.

Finance

  • Prepare programs and country financial reports in accordance with the Foundation’s reporting requirements for submission to the London and Nairobi offices.
  • Prepare and regularly update administration and program budgets and other financial reports and analysis as required by the CR and the London and Nairobi offices.
  • Assist the CR to manage the administration and the programs budgets.
  • Submit monthly, other regular, and one-off reports to the London and Nairobi offices in agreed formats and by agreed deadlines.
  • Oversee the development and regular updating of financial systems and procedures within the Accounting Policies and Procedures Manual.
  • Manage cash flow ensuring sufficient funds are available in the bank for the smooth operation of the programs.
    • Coordinate the development of budgets for new proposals in close liaison with the CR and London Office.
    • Assist Program Managers and the rest of the programs team in the preparation and interpretation of the programs accounts and other internal reports.
    • Review and bring to the attention of the CR/CFO any financial systems matters, which are unclear and require clarification or major decisions.
    • Organize and manage annual audits in liaison with the London and Nairobi offices.
    • Keep abreast of developments in the regulatory and legal environment related to finance, taxation, and other relevant matters and bring any major developments to the attention of the CR that could affect the Foundation’s operation in Rwanda.

Administration

  • Ensure that the programs receive efficient, effective, and timely administrative and logistical support.
  • Regularly update the office procedures manual and ensure that the provisions have been implemented fully.
  • Ensure that best practice has been followed in the procurement of all materials and services.
  • Protect and safeguard the Foundation’s assets through proper safety, insurance, security, and other procedures.
  • Maintain comprehensive asset registers for the Foundation and for each program.

Qualification Requirements

  • The ideal person should possess a BSc degree and a recognized professional accounting qualification (ACCA, CIMA, ACA); a postgraduate degree is an added advantage.
  • A minimum of 10+ years’ relevant experience in a similar modern and busy working environment, at least three of which were as a Finance Manager or Chief Accountant for a medium to a large international organization.
  • Experience in using computerized accounting software.
  • Attention to detail and a flexible approach to work.
  • Excellent communication and team-working skills, with the ability to build good relations, both internally and externally.
  • Excellent spoken and written English.
  • A self-starter, capable of working independently.
  • Capable of a rapid and quality turnaround of a high workload and multiple tasks.
  • Positive outlook and outgoing personality with solid interpersonal and diplomatic skills.
  • Capable of managing the delicate balance between getting programs implemented through partners while respecting their autonomy and independence.
  • Commitment to the capacity building of local institutions based on mutual respect and a collaborative approach.
  • Passion for Africa and good familiarity with the continent.
  • Ability and willingness to travel often to program regions.

Behavioral Competencies

    • Strong and charismatic individual with a solid pedigree and experience in setting up centers of excellence within a finance function.
    • Superb management skills; able to manage and motivate a wide variety of employees from diverse backgrounds in a professional and compelling manner.
    • Respect and understand the local culture and values and yet embraces and can work within international work ethics and standards.
    • Problem-solving and creative thinking skills; the ability to get results in unstructured environments, a solid record of accomplishment for growing businesses, and implementing best practice policies and processes.
    • Self-assured, internally motivated, and passionate individual with outstanding communication skills driven to succeed and make a difference.
    • Must possess high levels of integrity, resilience, accountability, commitment, and determination.
    • Ability to plan and anticipate any financial roadblocks or issues and therefore plan actions to help avoid setbacks or face them confidently.

Application Procedure

Review of applications will begin as soon as they are received, and only complete applications will be considered. If an outstanding applicant is identified early in the search process, we reserve the right to appoint before the deadline. For this reason, we encourage interested and suitably qualified candidates to apply at the earliest possible opportunity.

Application Requirements

  1. A detailed CV.
  2. Cover Letter – In your cover letter, please state where you heard about this position or saw it advertised e.g. through our website, jobs board, etc.
  3. An essay on:
    • What financial leadership experience have you gained that indicates that you are the most qualified candidate for the role?
    • A brief summary of how you will go about setting up the administration and financial management functions of a brand-new office in Rwanda (max. 500 words).
  4. A one-page list of five references with current addresses, phone numbers, and email contacts.

Click on this link to apply: https://pharofoundation.bamboohr.com/careers/74

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