Finance Controller

Finance Controller

August 2022 | Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, | Full-time

Hello Hello! So you’re interested in joining us? Welcome, we’re happy you’re here.

When you Join Alight, you’ll find…

A team with deep experience in co-designing solutions that create new value around the world. We know we need to always be better, and we believe in the power and abundance of everyday people, everywhere, to change the world with us.

A culture of radical accountability to our customers –as we help build a meaningful life for and with the displaced, we ask them what they want and then deliver on it.

An organization that refuses to settle for anything less than delivering human-worthy services.

If you are looking to be part of a living, breathing, ever-changing organization full of disrupters and doers, then read on!

We are proud to work on borderless teams. We hire great people from a wide variety of backgrounds and specifically encourage members of refugee, immigrant or other displaced communities to join us.

The Role

Responsible for oversight of all financial activities, budgets and reports for Alight Ethiopia and program. This position will be based in Addis Ababa with travel to field sites as needed

PRIMARY DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES

Financial Management—40%

• Manage day-to-day accounting functions including regular cash verification, bank and balance sheet accounts reconciliations, monthly closing, timely submission of financial report to headquarters (HQ), donors etc.
• Complete monthly balance sheet and intercompany reviews and reconciliations.
• Promptly respond to HQ finance queries including Intercompany charges.
• Update the financial compliance dashboard monthly, note and address any significant variances.
• Monitor grant spending through production of monthly Budget Versus Actual (BVA) analysis and ensure program teams explain significant variances and propose corrective measures.
• And play a facilitator role in organizing relevant meetings to discuss grant financial and country operational variances

Reporting and Budgeting—20%

• Monthly closing, timely submission of financial reports to ALIGHT HQ, donors, etc.
• Ensure on-time monthly submission to ALIGHT HQ.
• Prepare timely budgets, cash requests and accounting reports.
• Reflective of the desired business partner function of finance, play key role in grant financial management set up, including grant opening meetings, progress reviews, and close out analyses. Related, develop grant specific compliance check lists from respective grant agreements, donor guidelines and ALIGHT policies to guide effective implementation and compliance tracking.
• Contribute to the production of detailed procurement plans, built around detailed grant implementation plans
• Monitor grant spending and projections.
• Assist in preparation of budgets for all proposals, including accurate support of budget narratives.
• Support program teams to accurately realign budgets whenever necessary.
• Provide regular and timely budget reports and analysis to the Director of Horn of Africa and field program managers.
• In coordination with HQ, lead the production of ALIGHT country program annual budgets.
• Support the Director of Horn of Africa to produce and update donor matrixes.
• Liaise with donors on finance and budget issues as required.

Staff Management—15%

• Supervise finance staff. This includes ensuring they are properly trained and know what performance expectations are.
• Carryout staff appraisals for finance staff.
• Organize and lead orientation and training session related to finance.
• Travel to the field as required ensuring systems are properly followed.

Audit and Internal Control—15%

• Implement and administer ALIGHT systems for internal control, compliance, and accounting data processing and financial reporting functions in accordance with donor regulations.
• Develop internal audit function and perform internal audit and reviews to ensure compliance with ALIGHT and donor requirements.

Other—10%

• Maintain up-to-date, accurate accounting system, including computer data entry and paper file system.
• Ensure local taxation law requirements are fully complied with.

Other appropriate duties as assigned by the Director of Horn of Africa or HQ CFO.

EDUCATION, TECHNICAL SKILLS & KNOWLEDGE REQUIRED

• Minimum 5 years senior finance experience required; 3 years’ experience working for an international NGO in complex emergency or post-conflict settings required.
• Experience in multi-cultural and multi-level programs.
• Bachelor’s degree required in Finance, Accounting, or related field; advanced degree preferred.
• Experience with international donors and grant requirements.
• Strong computer skills in Microsoft software products: Excel, Word, outlook etc and accounting software. Serenic or Sun experience strongly preferred.
• Prior experience in conducting finance training.
• Excellent written and oral communications skills as well as leadership skills.
• Sense of humor and good interpersonal skills.
• Fluency in English required.

KEY BEHAVIORS & ABILITIES

• Ability to work with a team in an intense environment.
• Ability to prioritize multiple tasks and meet deadlines.
• Extremely flexible with the ability to cope with stressful situations.

Qualifications

These are “must-haves” when you join Alight:

Open heart and open mind. You start by listening. You believe another person’s truth and it changes you. It unlocks your way of thinking in that moment, it opens your world.

Curiosity. You are always learning. You ask why and why again. You know that change (big and small) is constant, which means your curiosity to learn is matched with adaptability to evolve.

Trust. You believe that people do their best, are disciplined, and care about this as much as you do. You take responsibility for your part and know how to step back and give others the space to shine.

These are the things we’re aiming to find. However, we’re open to being surprised. If you embody the spirit of Alight, care deeply about the cause, and if you bring something else that’s special, then please reach out.

Benefits

Borderless Team of 2,500 staff worldwide that sees possibility, celebrates moments of abundance, shares new ideas, and strives to do a better thing every day.

Family Friendly – We know that you are a whole person with a life and a family. We honor this. In return, we expect that you will take ownership of your work and follow-through on your commitments; sometimes that means flexing your schedule and we’re good with that.

Learning & Development – Access thousands of free online learning courses to take at your own pace and tailor to your professional goals.

Health, dental, and MedEvac Insurance – We strive to offer the best-in-class healthcare plans to our staff each year. We cover 100% of the cost for your health premium and 75% of the cost for coverage for your spouse/dependents.

Retirement – We contribute 6% of your salary regardless of your contribution amount, after one year of service.

Generous Leave Time – Between vacation days, personal leave days, and holidays, you have ample opportunity to take time off when you need it.

Alight

We are on a journey to build Alight, a new platform of amazing people and organizations providing lifesaving services and creating breakthrough solutions for and with the displaced. WeAreAlight.org

Alight is an Equal Opportunity Employer offering employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, national origin, citizenship, physical or mental disability, or protected veteran status. Alight complies with all applicable laws governing nondiscrimination in employment.