Job Title: Finance Manager

                                              

Date: 24 March 2025

​

Location: Freetown

​

Duration: 12 months

​

Salary: NLe16,969.90 gross per calendar month

​

Apply by: 31 March 2025

​

                          

ROLE AND PURPOSE

The Finance Manager leads the effective financial management of AdvocAid’s operations and coordinates all financial processes for the organisation. 

This includes overseeing day-to-day financial management of project finances, grants and donations, preparing monthly financial reconciliations, and producing financial reports for donors. The Finance Manager is responsible for ensuring adherence to AdvocAid’s Financial Manual, as well as ensuring all income is managed in conformity with donor, tax and statutory requirements. The Finance Manager is also responsible for payroll, organisational financial planning and risk management, as well as annual audits.
This is a senior management team (SMT) role, and will involve working closely with the Executive Director and other senior staff. The Finance Manager has line management responsibilities for a small finance team.

​

TASKS

Lead the effective financial management of AdvocAid’s operations and coordinate all financial processes for the organisation. This includes but is not limited to:
1. Corporate financial management
a. Oversight of salary planning and payroll process
b. Prepare annual financial statements, oversee annual audit and manage response to audit recommendations.
c. Ensure compliance, including with internal approvals process, procurement processes, donor requirements, tax and other statutory obligations.
d. Prepare organisation’s annual budgets and forecasts and be responsible for adherence to them and reporting against them to the Executive Director and Board monthly, quarterly and annually
e. Ensure Quickbooks and Excel cash books are kept up to date, and prepare monthly reconciliations against bank statements
f. Consolidate monthly performance and position management accounts (and quarterly for board)
g. Manage bank account funds including transfers, and maintain good business relationships with bankers.
h. Provide regular finance management information to Executive Director and Board, using a finance reporting dashboard
i. Regular updates on financial position and best practice for SMT, ensuring financial information is shared effectively with non-finance staff members.
j. Assist in reviewing AdvocAid’s financial management manual and processes inline with national legal obligations and international best practice
k. Lead the organisation’s financial risk management review, mitigation processes and reporting
l. Lead on the organisation’s financial planning and sustainability assurance and processes
m. Continuously seek ways to improve and enhance AdvocAid’s financial systems and processes to increase efficiency and reduce risk
n. Maintain positive, open and clear communication and relationships with AdvocAid partners and sub-grantees
o. Ensure regular backups of AdvocAid’s financial systems and records.
p. Ensure all paper records are kept up to date, filed correctly, online and stored securely.
2. Projects and grant financial management
a. Prepare project budgets for proposals
b. Create and oversee individual project budgets and forecasts
c. Issue advances and payments based on requests that are properly approved and authorized and in accordance with donor requirements,
d. Prepare donor financial reports in line with budgets, forecasts, donor requirements and narrative reports
e. Point of contact for financial issues and liaison with donor finance teams
f. Ensure financial compliance with all AdvocAid, donor and statutory requirements
g. Manage response to project audit requirements and recommendations
3. HR and corporate administration
a. Manage and support all members of the finance team (and any other team members assigned) on a daily basis and through the organisation’s performance management system
b. Take an active role in the organisation’s Senior Management Team (SMT), especially but not solely in regard of financial matters
c. Provide training to all staff on financial management processes and AdvocAid’s financial management system
d. Foster a strong culture of financial compliance in the organisation

​

PERSON SPECIFICATION

AdvocAid is looking for a motivated, highly organised individual with substantial experience of financial management, ideally within a non-profit organisation. You will have a proven track record in managing finances at an organisational level, including setting annual organisational budgets and assessing financial risk. You will also be adept at preparing budgets, forecasts and management accounts. With strong
leadership skills, you will be able to analyse and present this information effectively to the Board and the senior management team.
This is a busy team so you will be comfortable managing others, meeting tight deadlines and competing priorities. You will have excellent attention to detail, be able to multi-task, and forge strong working relationships with staff and partners. Specific competencies are as follows:

​

• A qualified or part qualified Accountant;

• Experience of managing and leading organisational finances level, ideally within a non-profit organisation;

• Solid IT skills, including advanced knowledge of Microsoft Excel and QuickBooks;

• Experience managing finances for multiple donor funded projects;

• Experience managing a team/others;

• Experience producing internal and external financial reports;

• Excellent prioritisation and time management skills;

• Efficient, rigorous, honest, reliable;

• Excellent communication skills;

• Experience of training/building financial capacity in others;

• A good level of written and spoken English;

• Commitment to the aims and values of AdvocAid

 

Interested candidates are invited to apply by emailing their CV and cover letter to customer-relations@jobsearchsl.com,with ​'Finance Manager' in the subject by close of business 31 March 2025. Women are encouraged to apply.