Finance Manager - based in Liberia
Street Child, United Kingdom
Job Description
Job Title: Programme Finance Manager based in Liberia
Reporting to: West Africa Regional Finance Manager (Street Child UK) / Street Child of Liberia Country Director
Hours: 37.5 Hours per week
Principal Location: Monrovia, Liberia, with frequent travel to regional office / project sites.
Time Frame: 18 month contract envisaged (possibility of extension based on performance and funding)
Background:
Street Child believes that every child deserves the chance to go to school and learn. Our projects focus on a combination of education, child protection and livelihood support to address the social, economic and structural issues that underpin today’s education crisis. We partner with local organisations and communities to deliver our locally rooted programmes, using evidence to drive learning and the refinement and scale up of programmes to create maximum impact for the most children at the lowest cost. We pride ourselves on being willing to go to the world’s toughest places where others won’t, including remote, hard-to-reach areas and fragile, disaster-affected states across sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. Since 2008 we have helped over 900,000 children to go to school and learn.
Overview:
This unique and vital role has two key, linked, accountabilities.
Firstly, from a short-term and day-to-day perspective, this role will in effect be Financial Director of Street Child of Liberia (SCoL). Working alongside SCoL's national Finance Manager, the holder of this role will be fully accountable to the Country Director of SCoL, and relevant leaders within Street Child, for ensuring the efficient and effective delivery of all key functions of SCoL's finance department.
Secondly, from a long-term development perspective, this position will take a lead in optimising all aspects of SCoL's finance capability - with the goal of developing a robust 'best in class' department with optimal systems, processes and structures and personnel in place at all levels.
The absolute definition of success for this role-holder would be that whenever their time comes to move on, perhaps in 2025 or 2026, there is no need for this role to be replaced, with the SCoL finance leadership and team well placed to effectively discharge all their key duties without the need for the type of assistance envisaged by this position.
The professional challenge inherent in this role, and the importance of its success is well appreciated by Street Child leadership and this role will be closely supported from multiple angles - in particular by Street Child's Senior Finance Manager for West Africa, Africa Finance Director, Global Finance Director and HQ Finance team - as well as the Freetown-based Head of Sierra Leone / Liberia Programmes and Global Programmes Co-ordinator.
Part 1: Role Purpose:
The purpose of this role is to lead improvements in the financial management of Street Child of Liberia (SCoL), a national education and child protection organisation with nationwide presence and annual budget of up to $1m. The role holder will also manage Street Child’s financial reporting and compliance requirements in delivering programmes in Liberia.
The role will have dual reporting lines to Street Child’s West Africa Regional Finance Manager and Street Child of Liberia’s Country Director, with oversight of Street Child of Liberia’s finance team, and a close working relationship with SCoL SMT and Street Child’s Monrovia based Programmes Manager and Freetown based Head of Sierra Leone / Liberia Programmes.
The role provides financial oversight of programmes in Liberia, facilitating accurate and timely donor reporting, strong budget management and excellent record keeping. Key aspects of this role include: the development and implementation of robust financial management and reporting systems; strengthening the control environment and record keeping; empowering programmes and leadership teams to have strong financial management and grant management capabilities. The role also serves as a link between Street Child of Liberia and Street Child UK, delivering monthly requisitions, annual budget information and other information as required.
Part 2: Key Responsibilities:
1) Development and implementation of robust financial management and reporting systems to facilitate accurate donor reporting, strong budget management and transparency for budgeting. (40%)
- Ensure that all staff are using the QuickBooks finance system in place at Street Child of Liberia to provide accurate and timely recording of transactions providing training, review, support and direct input as needed.
- Ensure that all month end processes are carried out in a timely manner including month end closure proce