Finance and Operations Lead at Institute for Community Based Sociotherapy (ICBS): (Deadline 1 September 2023)

Finance and Operations Lead at Institute for Community Based Sociotherapy (ICBS): (Deadline 1 September 2023)

ICBS Vacancy announcement

Job Title: Finance and Operations Lead

Location: Kigali, Rwanda

Type: Full-time employment

Are you a strategic thinker with a strong financial background and a passion for operational excellence? ICBS is seeking a dedicated and skilled Finance and Operations Lead to join our growing organization. The Finance and Operations Lead will provide leadership to all the financial and administrative pillars of the organization. 

About ICBS 

The Institute for Community Based Sociotherapy (ICBS) is a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) registered in the Netherlands. The institute works as a global expertise network, uniting professionals, and organizations from different parts of the world that implement community-based sociotherapy (CBS). CBS has been developed in 2005 in Rwanda, as an integrated Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) and Peacebuilding (PB) approach.

To come up with harmonized quality standards for the CBS methodology worldwide and exchange knowledge and best practices, the Institute for Community Based Sociotherapy (ICBS) was established in 2019. ICBS has a sociocracy-inspired governance structure, which helps our teams to work in a self-steering, non-hierarchical way and to create an empowering work culture, whereby decision-making is consent-based through a decentralized system, and authority is distributed among the team members. 

Project Overview

ICBS is working with a bilateral donor to implement the ‘CONNECT project’, that aims at the scaling up the CBS approach in the Great Lakes Region. The project will be implemented by a consortium of four organizations: ICBS in partnership with Community Based Sociotherapy Rwanda (CBS Rwanda), the Anglican Church of Rwanda, Byumba Diocese (E.A.R. Byumba) and Transcultural Psychosocial Organization Uganda (TPO Uganda).

The project will be implemented in Rwanda, Uganda, Burundi and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) within a period of 36 months. As a global network and knowledge institute, and consortium lead, ICBS is responsible for the overall coordination of the implementation and enhance quality of the approach and facilitate learning among all partners. To achieve the overall objective, ICBS and partners will work in close partnership with a diverse range of actors in the Great Lakes Region, including government institutions, other NGO’s, academic institutions, and development partners. The project started in July 2023 with a six-month inception phase.

Job Summary 

To ensure a sound financial management and efficient operational support of the CONNECT project, ICBS seeks a highly qualified and experienced Finance and Operations Lead (FOL). Based in Kigali s/he will oversee the Finance & Operations activities and be responsible for the project’s overall financial and administrative management, including oversight of Human Resources, Procurement, partner agreements and subgrants, all in compliance with donor regulations, organizational policies and local law. The Finance and Operations Lead is a member of ICBS’ leadership team (General Circle) and will provide leadership in both strategic and operational domains covering financial reporting and analysis, development and implementation of good and sound internal controls, risk management and safeguarding of resources including assets as well stakeholder engagement.

The ideal candidate will have a strong background in financial management, excellent analytical skills, and a proven ability to guide financial decision-making in a nonprofit environment. The Finance and Operations Lead will work closely with the General Circle and the Supervisory Board (Mission Circle) to ensure the financial health and sustainability of ICBS. In total 80% of the time will be allocated to the CONNECT project and 20% to the general development of ICBS as a growing organization and projects implemented in other countries. The key deliverables for this position are as detailed below.

Key responsibilities:

Strategic planning and governance

• Collaborate closely with other members of the organizational leadership to develop and execute financial strategies that align with the goals and mission of ICBS.
• Contribute to the enhancement of the financial and administrative system within ICBS, and review organizational policies and procedures.
• Contribute to the general governance system of ICBS and safeguard the organizational resources by ensuring risks are minimized and relevant compliance is adhered to.
• Provide strategic direction to ICBS for financial sustainability, to ensure resources are secured for the organizational functionality.

• Lead and supervise all the finance and operations staff, including full-time, part-time and contract staff.

Financial management

• Oversee and manage the organization’s financial activities, including budgeting, forecasting and financial reporting.
• Ensure effective allocation of resources to support ICBS’ mission and programs, in line with project activities and budget.
• Oversee the accounting and treasury department, ensuring that financial controls are in place and complied with and that transactions are entered into the system in a timely and accurate manner.
• Ensure compliance with internal and donor policies and regulations and oversee the institutionalization of financial controls, processes, procedures and systems.
• Generate regular periodic financials to support information sharing and decision making in line with sound accounting practices.
• Oversee bookkeeping and the preparation of financial statements that provides the organizational leadership with information necessary for accountability and decision-making.
• Ensure that all required financial reports are generated in proper formats and within the required timelines.
• Effectively monitor both unrestricted and restricted funds to ensure effective utilization of resources- with an emphasis on best value for money.
• Ensure that budget monitoring is effectively conducted to minimize over expenditures, disallowable and questioned costs.
• Ensure a proper filing system to support reporting and compliance needs.

Administration, and risk-management

• Streamline internal processes and identify areas for improvement to enhance operational efficiency.
• Assist and negotiate contracts with vendors and service providers to ensure cost-effective services and of quality and timely service.
• Develop and update tools and templates to ensure donor requirements are being adhered to and ensure staff are trained in their usage.
• Manage procurement, logistics and vendor relationships, and oversee the engagement process of key stakeholders such as vendors, implementing partners, bankers and auditors.
• Supervise the administration of premises to ensure efficiency, cost-effectiveness and timeliness of operations and services.
• Ensure risk assessments are regularly conducted and documented in the risk register.
• Develop and review contracts and Memoranda of Understanding and ensure that they are maintained for guidance and reference.
• Ensure internal controls are in place to mitigate and prevent risks associated with engagements with various stakeholders.
• Oversee external audits and follow through management action to completion.
• Oversee all logistics within the organization.

Human resources

• Further develop ICBS’ human resources and administration, enhancing professional development, compensation and benefits, performance evaluation, training, and recruiting.

• Set up the recruitment procedures in cooperation with the General Circle, ensuring that they are consistent and streamlined and establish contracts for the staff members.
• Ensure compliance with labor laws in each country where ICBS works.
• Establish and maintain proper performance management and staff development systems, ensuring staff access to role appropriate learning activities.
• Ensure the management of payroll and payroll‐related recording of staff working in ICBS and appropriately use different contractual modalities for staff and sub-contractors.
• Oversee the attraction and retention of qualified and experienced staff and encourage inclusivity and lead the values.

Stakeholder management and capacity building

• Technically backstop and advise the General Circle on scoping, mapping and identification of potential partners.
• Maintain strong relationships with the leadership of partner organizations and other relevant stakeholders.
• Identify financial capacity-building needs for staff within ICBS and potentially among implementing partners and conduct capacity-building sessions with the various teams.
• Ensure continued capacity and capability in the accounting and finance teams on donor compliance and regulatory frameworks within ICBS and partners.
• Coordinate the internal and external compliance checks and audits among partner organizations.
• Keep abreast with the latest trends in financial accounting and mentor finance staff.

Experience and qualifications

• Master’s Degree or higher from an accredited university in Accounting, Finance and/or Business Administration with at least 5 years of relevant experience in administrative and financial management in an equivalent role in nonprofit sector, preferably with funding streams from major donors such as EU, EKN, USAID, ECHO, DFID and/or SIDA.
• Strong knowledge of non-profit financial management principles, practices, and regulations.
• Being ACCA/CPA/CIMA fully qualified will be an added value.
• Demonstrated experience and skills in developing and managing large budgets.
• Ability to develop internal control and financial management tools.
• Experience in building the financial management capacity of community-based organizations.
• Strong understanding of HR principles, including contract development and performance evaluations.
• Experience in managing sub-contracts and demonstrated knowledge of applicable regulations related to the oversight of such instruments.
• Experience in using accounting software, preferably QuickBooks or Exact Online.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office including advanced proficiency in Excel (Lookups, Pivot Table level).
• Good command in internal controls and risk management systems.
• Vast experience with managing partners and working with external auditors and other vendors.
• Strong ethical standards and a commitment to financial transparency and accountability.
• Strong collaborative, leadership and people management skills, with the ability to inspire and motivate a team.
• Excellent organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities.
• Commitment to the mission and goals of ICBS.

Terms of Employment 

This is a full-time position for 36 hours per week. The Finance and Operations Lead will be based at the ICBS Office in Kigali with travels to the offices of partner organizations.

How to apply:

Interested candidates are invited to submit electronically their motivation letter, CV, and at least three references to: [email protected] and copy to [email protected]. Please include “Finance and Operations Lead” in the subject line and kindly add your annual salary expectation (salary range) in the motivation letter. The application deadline is Friday 1^st September 2023. The applications can be addressed to the General Lead of ICBS, Mr. Diogene Karangwa. For any questions regarding the position, contact Angela Jansen through +250 (0)789410921 or [email protected]. Visit us on www.iicbs.org (soon to be: www.icbs.ngo).