Finance Director

Job Description

Orbis International-Ethiopia is seeking to recruit qualified Finance Director and would like to invite interested and competent applicants to apply for the below attractive post: 

Overall organization overview:

Orbis is a leading global non-governmental organization that has been a pioneer in the prevention and treatment of blindness for over 35 years.  Orbis transforms lives by delivering the skills, resources and knowledge needed to deliver accessible quality eye care. Working in collaboration with local partners including hospitals, universities, government agencies and ministries of health, Orbis provides hands-on ophthalmology training, strengthens healthcare infrastructure and advocates for the prioritization of eye health on public health agendas.

Orbis International-Ethiopia was established in 1998 and became legally operational in 1999 to carry out the organisation's mission, vision and goal.  Since its establishment, Orbis Ethiopia has been diligently working towards making blindness prevention a part of the healthcare agenda of the nation.  Orbis is not a direct service organisation but works with health organisations and medical services in country to build sustainable eye care capability. 

Orbis has been a capacity building organization with emphasis to training and mentorship, infrastructure development and advocacy for eye health development. Over the years, while maintain the capacity building footprint, Orbis expanded to become one of the largest trachoma programs implementing organizations in Ethiopia. As a result, Orbis became a leader in terms of implementation, research, networking as well as sub granting funding for trachoma programs. Orbis will further consolidate its capacity to accelerate results towards trachoma elimination, specially by strengthening F&E component of the SAFE strategy and will further position itself to deliver WASH programs, upon successful elimination of trachoma on sustainable basis. While anticipating the elimination of trachoma by 2030 and consolidating the wins, Orbis will mainly focus on building the capacity of the health system to deliver high-quality high-volume interventions to avert blindness from Cataract, Trachoma and Refractive Errors.  

Partnerships have been developed and strengthened with the Federal Ministry of Health and Regional, Zonal and Woredas Health offices, finance and development and Education Bureaus, Addis Ababa, Hawassa, Gondar and Adama universities/Arsi University, Maichew and Debretabor hospitals, various NGOs working on eye care and WASH and worldwide academic institutions to implement the abovementioned objectives.

Their works have focused on:

• building capacity, human resources and infrastructure
• conducting and publishing research
• raising community awareness, and 
• providing resources and tools

Job/Position/ Summary

The Finance Director with significant NGO experience will take responsibility for all financial and compliance aspects of the Ethiopia country office.  As a senior member of the Orbis Ethiopia (OE) leadership team, the Finance Director will work in close collaboration with the Operations Director, the Program Director, and the Country Director to successfully fulfil Orbis’s mission of preserving and restoring sight in Ethiopia.

To manage large grants from various donor like CIFF, Irish Aid, End Fund…  as well as cash and Gift-in-Kind support from private sector organisations, the Finance Director will bring strong knowledge of Donor, and (Gift-In-Kind) GIK, reporting capabilities.  It will be essential s/he understands the importance of producing timely and accurate reports in the required formats in order to retain and secure ongoing funding for projects. Candidates should possess strong excel skills, including but not limited to creating reports using different functions, pivots, and macros. 

Strong analytical skills and the ability to correctly interpret reporting requirements will be particularly important given the CSOA (Civil Society Organizations Authority) regulations in Ethiopia which require that Orbis demonstrate a 80/20 ratio of Program to Administration expenses.  The Finance Director needs to build strong relationship with the Accounting and Auditing Board of Ethiopia and the CSOA and understand the specifics of reporting requirements.  S/he will need to ensure the finance and all Orbis Ethiopia comply to the requirements working closely with Orbis International Chef Financial and Administrative Officer (CFAO), Director of Program Finance and Director of Financial Planning and Financial Analysis.

Ultimately, the Finance Director, under the supervision of the Country Director is fully accountable for all accounting systems, internal controls, budget planning and monitoring activities, internal and external audits, and compliance of the Orbis International (OI) Ethiopia country office.  As such, s/he will need to be strongly systems focused with a proven track record of implementing processes which deliver efficiencies in reporting across all these areas. 

Interpersonally, the Finance Director will be a diligent worker with a strong collaborative team approach, passionate about building a strong team spirit.  S/he will communicate clear goals for the Finance team, building individual competency and capability through coaching, training, and mentoring.  A confident decision maker, the Finance Director will have clarity of thought to lead from the front, be strong enough to push people forward towards the common goal and will deliver this through influence rather than authority. 

Reporting to:

• Orbis Ethiopia Country Director
• With dotted line- Functional Relationship with OI Program Finance Director and Financial Planning and Analysis Director

Direct Reports:

• Finance Manager – Reporting & Analysis
• Finance Manager - Compliance & Disbursement
• Senior Finance Officer(s)
• Grants Manager

Key Responsibilities

Accounting & Finance:

• Initiate and recommend accounting policies and plans. 
• Initiate effective costing system to link with programs by establishing a comprehensive and efficient process for budgeting, financial reporting and donor reporting for the Ethiopia office.
• Close monthly accounts and communicate results with all pertinent units and personnel.
• Ensure timely submission of accurate and complete monthly financial reports along with supporting schedules and reconciliations to New York (NY) Finance.
• Ensure timely submission of monthly justification of project variances to NY Finance office.
• Ensure timely and complete responses are provided for all reporting or compliance inquiries by OI Headquarters, OI donors / OI Affiliates.
• Sign payments and checks, approves vouchers when and as per authority limits given.
• Initiate and recommend plans and policies with best practices for costing and reporting of financial activities; Improve the office’s financial reporting methods to be more robust, timely, accurate, complete, and transparent.
• Manage the OE office’s relationship with banks, tax authorities, financial and other institutions in a positive and constructive manner.
• Ensure that budgetary and fiscal control policies and procedures are in place and strictly adhered to and initiate actions to prevent the occurrence of non-conformities and the timeliness of corrective actions.
• Ensure restricted grant financial reports are compliant with specific grant agreements and are reported timely.
• Ensure all donor reports are fully reconciled with MIP records at all times.
• Ensure donor fund is used as per donor requirements and expenditure of donor fund is incurred only during the period of performance as per the signed agreements.
• Ensure all reports due to NY office and OI donors / OI affiliates are completed timely and correctly and submitted on time
• Monitor, interpret and provide financial information, flows and predict/forecast budget trends

Budget:

• Lead the office’s budget process, and collaborate closely with program and operations colleagues to prepare, compile, and consolidate annual budgets.
• Ensure all annual budgets for cash and GIK (Gift-In-Kind) are in line with planned activities for the year and all budget figures are phased correctly for all projects.
• Ensure budget rationale match closely to the budgeted general ledger code.
• Ensure that all payments are made on availability of budget and are executed as per OI and donor policies.
• Monitor closely the utilisation of funds as per the approved budget and advises the Country Director and the Program Director on the financial status of the organisation, provide timely feedback on under spending exceeding 10% or overspending exceeding 5% for any project and for any funder and recommend corrective measure to remain on track in term of spending.
• Coordinate the preparation of the monthly justification of variance between budget and expense and submit the justification reports monthly to NY office.

Statutory / Compliance:

• Ensure OE’s financial interests are well preserved within the extent of the applicable laws; Remain up to date on legal and policies changes that impact the OE finance operations and systems.
• Ensure timely and consistent compliance of OE finance systems with policies and grant requirements.
• Ensure adherence by all staff to the organization’s finance policies.
• Ensure the annual financial report to the Civil Society Organization Authority (CSOA) and Accounting and Auditing Board of  Ethiopia (AABE) are prepared in accordance with IPSAS, completed and shared in timely manner.

Staff Development:

• Recruit, retain and develop a strong Orbis Ethiopia finance team. Identify skill gaps and create recruitment and/or development plans as appropriate.
• Provide leadership, inspiration, accountability by setting clear objectives and success metrics for the finance team by providing coaching, mentorship, and training.
• Foster a professional work environment and provide regular and meaningful performance feedback.
• Provide training to Orbis and partner finance staff on best practices and compliance. 

Job Grade: 10

Department: Finance

Vacancy Number: OE/HR/VRN/007/22

Reports to: Country Director

Staff Under Supervision: Finance Manager (Disbursement and Compliance), Finance Manager (Financial Analysis and Reporting); Senior Finance Officers.

Job Requirement

Person Specifications

• The ideal candidate will offer:
• Master’s Degree (MA) in Accounting from a recognized university. CPA or similar certification is desirable.
• Minimum 10 years of finance and accounting experience and working for an International Non-Governmental Organization (INGO).
• Candidate shall have 5, or more years of experience working in donor proposal and donor reporting for an International NGO.
• He/she shall have 5 or more years of experience as a manager/ supervisor.
• Well versed with IPSASs and having the proper training/certification.

Skills & Abilities

• Computer literacy: - Word, Spreadsheet, Access, PowerPoint, at least one accounting software.
• Experience with one Fund Accounting software is preferred. 
• Strong communication skills, both verbal and written in English, and the ability to effectively interact with senior management and individuals with varying degrees of financial knowledge.
• Excellent accounting, financial management and budgeting skills.
• Excellent skills in donor proposal development and donor reporting.
• Ability to work effectively in a team-driven and collaborative environment with a strong emphasis on accountability.
• Supports a customer-centred approach to programs, services, and systems.
• Successful track record as a manager: able to motivate, guide and develop team members.
• Ability to work under pressure and prioritise effectively.
• Ability to report to and coordinate with multiple stakeholders, both internal and external.