Cluster Finance Manager

THE OPPORTUNITY

The Cluster Finance Manager – Ethiopia, Eritrea & Rwanda provides strategic financial and governance across the cluster, ensuring resources are stewarded with integrity, transparency and impact. Reporting to the Cluster Director and working in close partnership with the Global Finance Leadership Team, the Cluster Finance Manager provides vision, oversight and partnering with finance teams and across Ethiopia, Eritrea & Rwanda, ensuring not only compliance with local regulatory and statutory requirements, but also strengthening financial capacity to support long-term sustainability and organisational excellence.

The role serves as the primary point of guidance for Enabling Services, bringing financial insight into strategic planning, program design and grant development. Contributing financial policies and processes, as well as capacity-building initiatives, the Cluster Finance Manager ensures that program implementation is underpinned by sound financial strategy and risk management.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Organise and oversee the effective and efficient stewardship of resources and systems for the cluster, country offices, partner’s finances and financial systems through effective implementation of financial and administrative policies and procedures in alignment with local legal / statutory requirements and global frameworks from the FHF Sydney Office and local legal and statutory requirements and represent finance in external engagements as needed.
2. Representing the cluster actively participate in the Global Finance Leadership Team (GFLT), bringing programmatic and locally grounded insights to the financial challenges of the organisation, as well as providing cluster leadership and guidance for all facets of Enabling Services divisional support including liaising with Global Office on matters requiring escalation, support or clarification.
3. Lead the annual budget development processes that includes managing the annual forecasts, full life of project, and detailed activity budgets, and ensuring compliance of program expenditures with approved budgets; ensure the consistency, inclusion, and accuracy of costs and that they comply with agreed policy and practices, and work with staff in developing budgets for technical activities as necessary. Revise overall and sub-budgets as needed throughout the full year forecasting cycle.
4. Oversee the financial design and implementation of grant applications and grant budgets, making recommendations to the programs teams to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of grant funds, ensuring transparent reporting of all financial risks and unfunded costs identified in grant bid development process and during project implementation, and work with program staff, country office, and partners to draft, manage, monitor, report and analyse the implementation of grant
5. Assist in identifying the key financial skills, capabilities and resource needs of staff and co-design, structured solutions to strengthen or otherwise address these, including mentoring, coaching and formal development programs, and actively and regularly reviewing the performance of these initiatives to understand impact and adapt as required.
6. Working collaboratively alongside partners to continuously assess and provide supportive feedback and advice on areas of improvement to strengthen internal controls, financial systems and processes to strengthen the management of their projects
7. Provide strategic oversight across country office finance functions, ensuring alignment with cluster priorities and global financial direction. Act as the cluster finance lead in cross-country planning and decision-making, driving integration between finance, program, and operational strategies.
8. Provide high-level guidance, support and performance oversight to country finance colleagues. Facilitate structured performance reviews, foster collaboration across countries and nurture the development of a strong finance talent pipeline within the cluster.
9. Facilitate the engagement of reputable audit firms in country offices to promote sound financial management, transparency, and adherence to best accounting practices. Provide support in addressing audit findings and actively participate in both audit inception and closeout meetings.
10. Other tasks as assigned by the Cluster Director – Ethiopia, Eritrea & Rwanda and/or Finance Director.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED TO SUCCEED

• Masters’s degree in finance, Accounting or related field. Chartered Accountant or Certified Practicing Accountant/ACCA preferable.
• 10 years + experience in Financial Management, including 5 years + Grants Administration experience with international donor programs.
• Proven leadership and capacity in negotiation and conflict management
• Project management development and implementation
• Experience in program development, budget development and monitoring.
• Extensive knowledge of institutional donor requirements, and knowledge of contracts and agreements
• Strong leadership, mentoring, management, planning, analytical, and organizational skills demonstrated by ability to work both independently and within a team, assess priorities, and manage a variety of activities with attention to detail.
• In-depth knowledge of project/program management.

How we recognise your contribution

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