Finance Manager at Luminos Fund, Ethiopia

Luminos Fund, an international nonprofit dedicated to bringing education opportunities to the world’s most marginalized children, seeks a Finance Manager to lead its financial operations in Ethiopia.

The Finance Manager, Ethiopia, will play a central role in Luminos’ financial operations and management within the Ethiopian entity. The ideal candidate combines strong technical accounting and audit expertise with proactive communication, a collaborative spirit, and a curious, investigative mindset. The candidate should demonstrate exceptional attention to detail and a talent for building capacity through training and knowledge sharing with both internal and external stakeholders.

We are seeking someone who is self-motivated and ready to problem-solve creatively and independently, with a keen ability to maintain the highest level of confidentiality and professionalism.

This full-time position will be based in our Addis Ababa office.

ABOUT LUMINOS FUND

Luminos Fund (www.luminosfund.org) provides transformative education programs to thousands of out-of-school children, helping them catch up to grade level, reintegrate into government schools, and prepare for lifelong learning. Working in partnership with community-based organizations, Luminos is scaling up its accelerated learning program to ensure that all children have equal access to joyful, foundational learning, especially those shut out of education by crisis, poverty, or discrimination. To date, Luminos has helped over 377,400 children secure a second chance to learn. A registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit in the United States, Luminos works in Ethiopia, Ghana, Lebanon, Liberia, and The Gambia.

Luminos is supported by a range of funding partners, including Cartier Philanthropy, Gates Foundation, UBS Optimus Foundation, and UNICEF. Luminos has been recognized for its achievements globally, receiving the Klaus J. Jacobs Best Practice Prize, the Library of Congress International Literacy Award, the Lipman Family Prize, the WISE Award, and the HundrED Global Innovation Award for five consecutive years.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Finance

• Oversee the accounting and financial management of the Ethiopia office. This includes performing accounting and bookkeeping functions such as banking, revenue recognition, accounts receivable, accounts payable, tax withholding, payroll, employment-related withholdings, employee benefits, as well as logistics and procurement for the Luminos Fund (Ethiopia) entity.
• Lead annual financial audits, annual report and tax filings, and any other nonprofit reporting requirements for the Luminos Fund (Ethiopia) entity.
• Oversee the monthly financial close for the Ethiopian entity, including the preparation of monthly-to-actuals reports and various reconciliations.
• Lead development of the annual budget for the Luminos Fund (Ethiopia) program.
• Ensure that all Luminos financial policies are implemented with the highest levels of integrity.
• Provide ongoing financial capacity-building to internal team members and external partners.
• Cultivate and manage relationships with implementing partners, trusted vendors, and service providers. Assist in the review of financial transactions prepared by other in-country finance team members.
• Proactively identify and manage financial and operational risks, ensuring full compliance with Ethiopian laws, international accounting standards, and Luminos Fund’s internal policies.
• Undertake other ad hoc projects as assigned.

Administration

• Partner with the U.S. Finance team to manage financial compliance, including in-country registration, accreditation, and tax compliance.
• Review and revise local organization policies and procedures on an annual basis.
• Support compliance and due diligence processes for donors, partners, and service providers.
• Manage the implementation of procurement policies and processes, including monitoring local market rates to ensure operational cost-effectiveness.
• Supervise two finance team members.

Grant Management

• Support budgeting and contracting processes with implementing partners.
• Support the development of financial reporting templates and training materials for implementing partners.
• Ensure sound financial oversight of grants to implementing partners, including disbursement tracking, expenditure review, audit preparedness, and compliance with donor and Luminos Fund requirements.
• Review budget utilization reports from implementing partners to ensure proper documentation and reporting.
• Support timely preparation of grant financial reports for donors.
• Provide targeted training and ongoing support to implementing partner finance officers and/or managers to strengthen their understanding and application of the Luminos Fund’s financial policies, procedures, and reporting templates, thereby ensuring compliance and improving the quality of financial reporting.

QUALIFICATIONS

Required Skills and Experience

• Bachelor’s or master’s degree in accounting, finance or business. Association of Chartered Certified Accountant (ACCA) designation strongly preferred.
• 7-10 years of financial management experience in a corporate or nonprofit setting with international operations.
• Proficient in nonprofit IFRS and U.S. GAAP accounting.
• Proficient in English.
• Experience managing annual audits in compliance with IPSAS, IFRS and U.S. GAAP, and local requirements of the Ethiopian authorities.
• Advanced skills and experience in Sage Intacct, MS Excel, Word, SharePoint, and PowerPoint.
• Ability to work remotely and cross-culturally with international teams, demonstrating compassion, understanding, and respect.
• Strong team player with excellent cross-functional collaboration skills, a supportive attitude, and able to foster smooth and cooperative working relationships with program teams.
• Superb attention to detail, time management, and organizational skills.
• Ability to manage multiple assignments under deadlines.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to convey complex information effectively and build strong relationships with diverse stakeholders.
• Experience with donor reporting on multiple grants, including restricted funding, strongly preferred.
• Strong knowledge of and existing relationships with key regulatory bodies in Ethiopia desired.

LUMINOS CORE BELIEFS AND VALUES

1. We believe that every child is capable of learning a remarkable amount in a short period of time, if given the chance.
2. We keep children’s joy and well-being at the heart of everything we do.
3. We embrace assessment as a key component of effective teaching and learning.
4. We celebrate and empower local leadership throughout our work with partner communities and governments.
5. We use research, program data, and skilled classroom observation in the tenacious pursuit of excellence.
6. We celebrate the unique contexts and cultures of the communities we serve in our curricula and pedagogy.
7. We act with the highest standards of integrity and care, ensuring mutual accountability among colleagues and partners.
8. We take the initiative to solve problems where we find them, managing details large and small, with urgency.
9. We act deliberately to ensure that our organization is inclusive for people of different genders, racial backgrounds, ethnicities, sexual orientations, religious beliefs, abilities, and other sources of diversity.
10. We build deep, authentic relationships with our supporters in celebration of the mutually transformative power of giving.