Finance Manager

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Description

Position Title :Finance Manager 

Position Grade: C0-C1

Location: Kampala, Uganda, with regular field travel

Contract  Duration: 12 months

Reports to : Head of Finance and Operations, Uganda.

Management Responsibility: 2 Finance coordinators

Key Relationships:  Head of Programs, Project Director-BRIDGE & Project other Project Managers, Country MEAL Manager, Regional Coordinators, Communication and Documentation Specialist, Grants and Compliance Manager, and Country Director

Background:  War Child Canada's current programming in Uganda focuses on improving access to education, livelihoods, and legal protection services for refugees and host communities, particularly youth and vulnerable groups. The country program integrates protection and resilience across interventions to address the challenges posed by Uganda's growing refugee population, which stands at over 1.7 million. 

War Child Canada’s country strategy aims to enhance access to legal services, improve education services and infrastructure, expand community-based mentorship for livelihoods, and promote self-reliance among refugees through resilience programming. 

Key projects include the BRIDGE initiative, expands youth access to quality education through Accelerated Education Programs, transitioning them into TVET and higher education for workforce preparation and the Geared for Success project, which improves access to education and protection services for refugee and host communities. War Child Canada is scaling market-oriented education through vocational training and entrepreneurship support, with a focus on gender inclusion and youth empowerment. 

Protection initiatives include case management, legal aid services, and mental health and psychosocial support, with efforts to integrate these services into education programs. The program emphasizes capacity building for local organizations and community engagement, particularly refugee-led organizations, while adapting to Uganda's dynamic context, including conflict-driven refugee influxes and economic pressures.

Position Summary:  The Manager, Finance is to manage all finance activities, maintain financial database, and report on monthly basis to Headquarters, monitor expenditures and incomes, controls and coordinate staff, sub grant monitoring and follow up on policy -oriented matters.

Key Duties & Responsibilities

STRATEGIC FINANCE & LEADERSHIP:

• Provide strategic financial direction to the Country program, advising the Head of Finance and Operations and Country Director on financial planning, forecasting, and sustainability.

• Support the Head of Finance & Operations in the annual budgeting and periodic reforecasting processes, ensuring alignment with programmatic goals and organizational strategy.

• Review, implement, and maintain robust financial controls, policies, and systems to safeguard assets and ensure operational efficiency

• With the support of the Grants and Compliance manager, drive the organizational risk management function, identifying, assessing, and mitigating financial and operational risks

• Manage War Child Canada, Uganda program finances, including donations and other receipts, expenditures, major grants and correspondence concerning finances.

• Manage the maintenance and reconciliation of bank, cash and general ledger accounts on a monthly basis

• Prepare financial reports on a monthly and quarterly basis, including Budget variance-analysis, and manage financial reporting requirements for external funders and ensure these are integrated within WCC's financial systems.

• Manage payroll benefits, and taxes by making sure statutory rules and regulations are followed for example PAYE, NSSF and LST

• Implement financial management manuals to ensure that each payment is unquestionably, verified, approved, authorized and supported by voucher, invoice and receipt.

• Manage the annual reconciliation of financial accounts and the external audit, including the preparation of financial and audit working papers and other necessary documents to facilitate the audit process.

• Implement and manage donor specific and the annual budgeting process.

• Develop appropriate financial controls and in consultation with senior staff, ensure implementation throughout the organization.

• Provide training and support on the use of the financial systems to appropriate WCC staff in the Country.

• Staff training on organizational policies and procedures

• Help oversee contractual and legal financial obligations and response to financial questions from field staff, subcontractors and consultants.

GRANTS, COMPLIANCE & REPORTING: 

• Oversee the financial management of all grants, ensuring accurate budgeting, expenditure tracking, and adherence to donor-specific rules and regulations.

• Ensure the timely and accurate preparation of all financial reports for headquarters, donors, and statutory bodies, including detailed budget variance analysis.

• Audit management support for all external and donor-specific audits, acting as the primary focal point and ensuring successful outcomes.

PROCUREMENT:

• Respond to vendor queries or disputes regarding terms and conditions of the Orders and Payments

• Advise requestors on procurement policies and procedures

• Support the procurement committee deliberations

• Support in the annual fixed assets verification, Stock Counts, and disposal

ADMINISTRATIVE AND OPERATIONAL:

• Manage and mentor the finance team, fostering a culture of high performance, accountability, and continuous professional development.

• Oversee all aspects of payroll, benefits, and deductions (PAYE, NSSF, LST) analysis, ensuring full compliance with Ugandan law.

• Supervise the maintenance and reconciliation of all, cash, and general ledger accounts.

• Provide oversight and guidance to the procurement administrative functions, including lease, vehicle, and contract management.

• Support capacity-building initiatives for finance staff and local partners on financial policies, procedures, and systems.

• Implement and manage all administrative aspects of WCC, including personnel, facilities, and residences

• Perform miscellaneous tasks and other duties as assigned

Requirements

Knowledge and Experience:

• A degree in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration or related field

• A must: Professional certification such as CPA or ACCA

• Strong understanding of Uganda’s legal, statutory, regulatory and operational landscape

• At least seven years of progressive financial management experience with NGOs in at least including direct experience with War Child Canada’s programming sectors (education, livelihoods, justice).

• Strong team work skills, with the ability to interact, proactively and collaboratively with management and staff at all levels of the organization.

Demonstrated expertise in: 

• Strategic financial leadership and advisory. 

• Managing multi-donor grants and ensuring complex donor compliance

• Developing and implementing organizational risk management frameworks. 

• Leading financial systems strengthening and audit processes

• conducting a full spectrum of audits, including internal control reviews, institutional donor audits, and rigorous partner spot-checks to ensure financial integrity and compliance across the organization and its network 

Skills and Abilities:

• Exceptional Leadership & people management or relationship skills with proven ability to mentor and develop teams, i.e., thrive in diversity

• A strategic problem solver, able to work with minimal supervision in complex environments.

• Extremely flexible and accommodating in a complex and sometimes insecure working environment.

• Proven high level, communications, presentation and facilitation skills.

• Highly proficient in written and verbal English; adept at cross-cultural communication.

• Advance proficient in Microsoft Office especially Advanced Excel and Accounting software.

Personal Attributes:

• Strong affinity with War Child Canada’s mandate.

• Politically and culturally sensitive with qualities of patience and diplomacy.

• Creative, energetic, adaptable, and flexible.

• Stress-resilient to be able to cope with deadlines and complex problems.

• Strong team-oriented personality with collaborative approach

• Willingness and ability to travel outside Kampala

Others/Extra Details