Finance Manager

Job Advert: Finance Manager

The Initiative for Strategic Litigation in Africa (ISLA) is a Pan-African and feminist non-profit organisation which engages the rule of law within African domestic and regional courts to advance women’s human rights and sexual rights. ISLA’s work is based on the belief that strategic litigation is a powerful tool for social change because it has the capacity to work in multidimensional ways, both within a given context and, critically, across contexts. We believe that strategic litigation can reframe understandings of entitlements before the law, challenge legal discourse on human rights violations, hold States and non-State actors accountable to violations of human rights and develop new norms. This is achieved by building networks across 

the continent that work in strategic litigation.

Finance Manager

(12 months fixed term contract)

ISLA seeks to appoint the Finance Manager, who will be responsible for managing the financial activities of the organization, including financial analysis and planning, accounting operations and reporting, budgeting and external audits. 

The Finance Manager will also be responsible for establishing and improving the organization’s financial policies and procedures and ensuring legal and regulatory compliance of the financial function.

Responsibilities:

1. Strategic Coherence 

1. Perform financial management duties including generating financial data, compiling and submitting reports, analyzing industry trends and assessing the financial health of the organization.

2. Oversee the operations and development of the organization’s finance department including creating and reviewing policies, budgeting, recruiting, training and conducting regular assessments of financial procedures.

3. Support and contribute to the organizational strategic goals setting and implementation.

4. Actively promote ISLA’s vision and mission.

5. Develop and maintain finance guidelines, tools and templates required to support finance policies and internal controls compliance.

6. Preparation and communication of organizational performance to stakeholders within and outside of the organization as required.

7. Support the Director of Finance and Operations and contribute to the development of organizational financial strategy.

8. Actively participate as a member of the management team, providing management input, feedback, and observations.

2. Control environment 

1. Develop and maintain financial policies and procedures (SOPPs), guidelines, related templates and implementation tools.

2. Ensure staff have a clear understanding of financial policies and procedures.

3. Ensure compliance with the finance SOPPs and use of related templates.

4. Ensure segregation of duties and adherence to internal controls.

5. Ensure the organization’s financial systems are set up to facilitate compliance with relevant regulations including SARS, SARB, DSD, IFRS, IAS and audit standards.

3. Financial planning and budgeting

• Develop templates and tools for organizational annual budgets.

• Lead and facilitate the organization’s annual budget development and submit for board approval before the beginning of the new financial year.

• Support and contribute to the development of the Operations Directorate budget.

• Develop budgets for submission of funding proposals in line with grant proposals.

• Consolidate organizational annual budgets and develop rolling cashflow projections.

• Develop monthly cash flow projections for both incoming funds as well as expenditure.

4.General Ledger maintenance 

1. Manage and oversee the monthly reconciliation and month end close out procedures for all general ledger accounts including property, plant and equipment, trade and other receivables, prepayments, cash and cash equivalents, equity, trade and other payables, and deferred income. 

2. Oversee the accuracy of the organizational accounting records and maintain the chart of accounts.

3. Maintain deferred income accounts with monthly income recognition and reconcile against donor reports and the Trial Balance.

4. Maintain VAT accounts for VAT submissions to SARS once every two months

5. Develop and maintain policies and procedures for fixed assets management in line with the requirements of IFRS, tax legislation and donors.

6. Maintain the fixed asset register and update monthly with transactional movement, additions, disposals, depreciation etc.

7. Perform year end fixed assets useful life assessments and process relevant journals in line with IFRS requirements.

5. Financial reporting

1. Provide financial analysis, reports and forecasts to management.

2. Ensure monthly management reports are developed and distributed to budget holders and programme directors.

3. Ensure quarterly financial reports are compiled for board meetings.

4. Lead the development of Annual Financial Statements.

6. Financial Sustainability and Reserves 

1. Develop and keep an up-to-date Investment and Operations Reserve Policy.

2. Develop and implement mechanisms for full cost recovery across all funded projects.

3. Develop guidelines and templates for strategic budgeting for Resource Mobilization initiatives.

4. Support and contribute to the development of strategies for generating unrestricted funding that can be used to grow the Reserve Funds (Financial Resilience Strategies).

5. Maintain reserve accounts and dedicated funds accounts with monthly transactional updates.

7. Audit and assurance

1. Undertake the procurement and selection process of auditors, when required.

2. Develop an audit plan.

3. Lead audit preparation, including year-end procedures and entries.

4. Manage the audit process.

5. Facilitate sign-off and adoption of audited financials by the auditors and the board.

6. Submit the audited financials to various bodies for compliance purposes.

8. Project financial management support

• Design financial systems that aligns grant management with financial reporting to track spend, burn rate and to ensure that necessary adjustments are communicated to donors where required.

• Facilitate one-on-one monthly financial review meetings with budget holders and programme directors to align financial information with implementation progress, provide variances analysis and establish the required financial management corrective actions.

• Provide overall support to coordinators, programme managers and directors on all project financial management functions, including expense allocation, project budget management, identifying funding gaps and advising on appropriate actions, and facilitating communication with donors on grant budget changes.

• Provide support on all programme implementation procurement activities, including ensuring programme staff compliance with relevant procurement policies, preparation of monthly projections, quarterly procurement plans that are aligned to donor deliverables, keeping track of the changes to the procurement plans as per the projects’ needs, and ensuring that donor approvals are acquired for changes in projects budgets, where required.

9. Qualifications And Skills

• Minimum of eight years of experience in senior operations management (including Administration, Finance, HR, Grant Management).

• An Advanced degree in Finance or equivalent of ten years or more in Financial Management is preferred.

• Demonstrated progression in financial leadership and supervisory roles with at least three years of experience managing the finances of a R25m+ million nonprofit organization

• Thorough understanding of nonprofit accounting and Generally Accepted Accounting Standards (GAAP).

• Sophisticated understanding of day-to-day accounting processes and detailed budget processes.

• Experience developing standard operating policies and procedures

• Experience in compliance management

• Experience preparing funding proposals and budgets, working with donors and preparing donor reports.

• Familiarity and ability to direct procurement management standards.

• Knowledge of South African labour law requirements.

• Proficient in the use of financial software programs and Microsoft Office applications.

• Sage Evolution knowledge will be an advantage.

• Inclusive, intuitive supervisory experience.

10. Personal Attributes

• Ability to communicate in a clear, empathic, and direct manner.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to communicate diplomatically in a diverse, multi-cultural environment.

• Decisive, fact-based decision-making skills.

• Ability to be fair and balanced.

• Commercial and business awareness.

• Analytical skills and application.

• High numeracy and sound technical skills.

• Problem-solving skills and initiative.

• Negotiation skills and the ability to influence others.

• Strong attention to detail and an investigative nature.

• Time management skills and the ability to prioritize.

• The ability to work as part of a team and to build strong working relationships.

• The potential to lead and motivate others.

Preference will be given to qualifying women applicants.

Salary: This position offers a competitive total cost to company salary scale ZAR600k – ZAR675k per annum commensurate with experience.

Closing Date: 23 September 2024 

Suitable candidates who meet the requirements for this position are invited to click here https://www.the-isla.org/finance-manager-application/  to complete an application form. 

ISLA's job application form replaces the need to submit a CV as we prefer to have standardised information provided by all candidates. Upon submission, the applications will be received by the ISLA recruitment team for selection. Only shortlisted candidates will receive feedback on their application with further requirements. Late applications will not be considered.