Finance and Ops Manager (South Africa)

Who we are

Girl Effect is an international non-profit that creates media that girls want, trust, and need. From chatbots and chat shows to TV dramas and tech, our content helps adolescent girls in Africa and Asia make choices and changes in their lives. We create safe spaces for girls to share facts and answer questions about health, nutrition, education, and relationships, empowering them with the skills to negotiate and redefine what is possible "for a girl."

Our reach is 60 million and counting, and we leverage technology to reach girls at scale, so every girl can choose to be in control of her body, health, learning, and livelihood. When a girl unlocks her power to make different choices that change her life, it inspires others to do so, too. She starts a ripple effect that impacts her family, community, and country. That’s the Girl Effect.

Context of the role  

Girl Effect is looking for a Finance and operations Manager to lead on all finance, and support the general administration and procurement for the office in South Africa. You will join the global  Finance team (with colleagues in Kenya and the UK). From a finance perspective, you will be responsible for ensuring good accounting practices, budget management, financial reporting and audit/donor/tax compliance. From the procurement and administration side, you will manage the day-to-day procurement, logistics and administration activities, ensuring that those activities uphold GE procurement policy and best practices in all aspects of procurement implementation.  You will also oversee procurement solicitations and sourcing procedures, cost and selection analysis, issuance of contract awards, reviewing payment requests, monitoring awardee performance, and maintaining procurement files. 

What you will do

Financial Management: 

• Manage day-to-day financial operations, including accounts payable, accounts receivable,  and payroll & benefits administration 
• Maintain accurate financial records and ensure compliance with accounting principles and local regulations
• Monitor cash flow and oversee bank reconciliations
• Maintain the fixed assets register 
• Petty cash management 
• Bank account reconciliations 
• Perform month-end activities as per the agreed organizational timelines (transaction  entries, journal entries, reconciliations, etc.) and maintain all Balance Sheet and Profit and Loss (P&L) schedules as required monthly 
• Lead on generating financial reports to different stakeholders when required 
• Implement strategies to improve efficiency and collaborate with other departments to achieve both short-term and long-term organizational goals

Treasury management: 

• Maintain relationships with banks
• Cash Flow management through maintaining and preparing cash flow forecasts

Financial Planning and Analysis: 

• Prepare annual budgets, forecasts, and financial reports for management and donors
• Conduct regular financial analysis and provide insights to inform decision-making 
• Interpret operational and financial data to identify trends and make data-driven decisions that improve programme operations

Grant and Donor Compliance: 

• Conduct a review of partner/donor financial reports when required and make occasional field trips to monitor finance-related issues and procedures
• Ensure compliance with all donors' financial reporting requirements
• Prepare and submit timely and accurate financial reports to donors
• Monitor grant budgets and expenditures to ensure alignment with project goals

Audit and Compliance: 

• Preparation of the Year-end Financial Statements and provision of supporting schedules to the auditors
• Coordinate annual financial audits and ensure the timely submission of audited financial statements
• Implement and maintain effective internal controls to safeguard the organization's assets
• Providing guidance on payroll, taxation and benefit queries; liaising with external vendors and brokers as necessary for compliant and timely processing 
• Ensuring that all programmatic activities comply with both GE company policies and industry regulations 
• Stay informed about relevant laws and regulations and ensure that staff members follow them

Risk management

• Identify potential risks—whether they are financial, operational, or compliance-related- escalate them timeously and take steps to mitigate them
• Continually assess existing processes for vulnerabilities, implementing safeguards, and establishing contingency plans in case of emergencies

Ad-hoc duties: 

• Identify opportunities to streamline financial processes, enhance financial systems, and implement best practices to improve overall financial operations 
• Work with the Procurement team when required to support execution of local sourcing strategies 
• Provide budgeting support to NBD during proposal development

This list should not be considered exhaustive; the post holder will be expected to deliver other duties relevant and appropriate to this position.

Who you are 

Educational & Professional Background

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Economics or business-related field, 
• Must be a qualified accountant, holding the necessary membership and registration to perform accounting functions in South Africa, with a minimum of three years of full membership.
• Minimum 5 years of experience in accounting or/and finance at managerial level, preferably in the nonprofit sector
• Previous audit and payroll management experience is required

Technical Skills & Knowledge 

• Strong knowledge of accounting principles, financial reporting, budgeting, and forecasting
• Experience with financial management systems and accounting software (e.g., QuickBooks, Sage, Xero, SAP)
• Familiarity with donor-funded project finance and compliance
• Understanding of procurement processes, vendor management, and contracts administration
• Knowledge of compliance frameworks, audits, and risk management
• Proficient in MS Office, especially Excel and Google Work Space (including Gmail, Google Drive, Docs, Sheets, Slides, Meet, Calendar, and Chat)  

Operational Management Skills

• Ability to design and implement financial controls, policies, and procedures.
• Strong project management and organizational skills.
• Oversight of HR matters that intersect with Finance, IT, and office administration functions.
• Experience in developing and monitoring operational KPIs and performance metrics.

Leadership & Interpersonal Skills

• High integrity, strong ethical standards and ability to handle confidential information 
• Exceptional organizational and time-management skills 
• Detail-oriented with strong analytical skills Ability to manage multiple priorities under pressure
• Team player with strong communication and stakeholder management skills, excelling at maintaining clear timely communications
• Proven ability to work collaboratively in cross-functional teams and with external partners such as donors, vendors, and auditors
• Adaptability and comfort working in dynamic or resource-limited environments
• Proven ability to perform tasks with accuracy and efficiency 

• Strong problem-solving and decision-making abilities
• Experience working remotely with colleagues and/or field agencies and the ability to work effectively and collaboratively in multicultural teams with varying expertise, skills and backgrounds.

What else you should know

We are hugely ambitious for our future, and we are looking for people who are driven to change the world for girls. Our teams are a diverse mix across sectors (non-profit and commercial) and specialisms (from Brand and Creative through to Gender and Insight). You’ll learn and grow in an environment that will challenge you to think and work with a fresh perspective. In turn, you can expect to work somewhere where you will be stretched and developed in your role, a place where you can build your career and work with talented, engaged people committed to our cause. Girl Effect is committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, colour, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability, gender, gender identity or expression. We are proud to be an equal-opportunity workplace. We are committed to building an organisation that is increasingly representative of the communities that we serve. To this end, due regard will be paid to recruiting candidates with diverse professional, academic and cultural backgrounds.