Finance Manager at British Council :(Deadline 4 December 2022)

The British Council builds connections, understanding and trust between people in the UK and other countries through arts and culture, education and the English language. We work in two ways – directly with individuals to transform their lives, and with governments and partners to make a bigger difference for the longer term, creating benefit for millions of people all over the world. We help young people to gain the skills, confidence and connections they are looking for to realise their potential and to participate in strong and inclusive communities. We support them to learn English, to get a high-quality education and to gain internationally recognised qualifications. Our work in arts and culture stimulates creative expression and exchange and nurtures creative enterprise. We connect the best of the UK with the world and the best of the world with the UK. These connections lead to an understanding of each other’s strengths and of the challenges and values that we share. This builds trust between people in the UK and other nations which endures even when official relations may be strained. We work on the ground in more than 100 countries. In 2019-20 we connected with 80 million people directly and with 791 million overall, including online and through our broadcasts and publications.

STELIR Programme Finance Manager Rwanda 

 Role Purpose

The Programme Finance Manager will lead, manage and co-ordinate all aspects of the Secondary Teachers English Language Improvement Rwanda (STELIR) project financial management, ensuring control and compliance in line with client, corporate and project quality standards. The role will lead the end-to-end accounting process for the project (including month and year end close), client reporting, and ensure consistent, accurate and robust financial accounting processes.

Main accountabilities but not limited to the following:

The appointed candidate will have the following accountabilities, responsibilities and main duties:

• Working with the Team Leader, manage the financial planning, forecasting, budget management and reporting services required by clients/funders, partners, suppliers, management and programme team to the required British Council and client standards.
• Provide relevant, accurate, complete, and timely financial accounting and management information in line with British Council’s and funder’s requirements.
• Produce financial reports in line with client and corporate requirements.
• Working with the Team Leader, plan staff resources throughout the project lifecycle and re-forecast as necessary on SAP.
• Lead on month end closure and year end activities including accruals and deferrals.
• Working with local and regional British Council finance colleagues, ensure compliance with all relevant local statutory regulations, including (but not limited to) tax-related legislation and foreign exchange policies.
• In collaboration with the Team Leader, ensure appropriate training/briefing and support is provided to staff on finance responsibilities throughout the project, covering finance processes, policies and guidelines to ensure compliance.
• Provide effective delegation, support, and follow up to the project team, to ensure that key financial and resource processes are implemented on time, effectively, and in line with STELIR, British Council and client policies and standards.
• Lead, mentor and motivate the project Finance team (1 direct report) to assure the quality of all financial and compliance tasks.
• Ensure that project learning and recommendations are disseminated to relevant stakeholders.
• Foster and build positive working relationships with client finance staff.

As with any business that experiences peaks and troughs of activity, there is likely to be a need to work outside office hours from time to time.

Role specific knowledge and experience:

The successful candidate will need to possess the following requirements:

• First Degree
• Good written and spoken English (CEFR Level B2) and Kinyarwanda
• Part-qualified chartered accountant (ACCA / CPA / CIMA or equivalent)
• Minimum five years’ experience in a comparable role
• Experience of operating successfully in a complex multicultural environment
• Demonstrable track record of planning and tracking performance and business modelling through the analysis and reporting of complex financial data
• Experience of designing and managing financial management information and reporting systems
• Ability to interpret financial data and support non-financial managers to deliver against financial performance indicators

Desirable

• A postgraduate degree in Finance, Accounting, or similar discipline
• Qualified chartered accountant (ACCA / CPA / CIMA or equivalent)
• SAP technical knowledge
• Awareness of tax and treasury implications of contract/ partnership work in an international context

Further Information

Pay band: 6

Salary: RWD 2,140,335 per month

Contract type: Fixed Term ending 31 December 2025

Location: Kigali, Rwanda

Department: Cultural Engagement

Essential Requirements– Role holder must have existing rights to live and work in the country the role is based.

Closing Date – 4 December 2022 applications will close 23:59 South Africa Time

A connected and trusted UK in a more connected and trusted world.

Equality , Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Statement

The British Council is committed to policies and practices of equality, diversity and inclusion across everything we do. We support all staff to make sure their behaviour is consistent with this commitment.  We want to address under representation and encourage applicants from under-represented groups, in particular, but not exclusively, on grounds of ethnicity and disability.  All disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria are guaranteed an interview and we have Disability Confident Employer Status. We welcome discussions about specific requirements or adjustments to enable participation and engagement in our work and activities.

The British Council is committed to safeguarding children, young people and adults who we work with.

We believe that all children and adults everywhere in the world deserve to live in safe environments and have the right to be protected from all forms of abuse, maltreatment and exploitation as set out in article 19, UNCRC (United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child) 1989.

Appointment to positions where there is direct involvement with vulnerable groups will be dependent on thorough checks being completed; these will include qualification checks, reference checks, identity & criminal record checks in line with legal requirements and with the British Council’s Safeguarding policies for Adults and Children.

If you have any problems with your application please email askhr@britishcouncil.org

Please note: Applications to this role can only be considered when made through the Apply section of our careers website. Our ‘ASK HR’ email is only to be used in case of a technical issue encountered when applying through the careers website. Emails with supporting statements and CV/Resumes sent to this email address will not be reviewed and will be deleted.