Finance Manager- SOS Social Enterprise

Job Description

Who we are

SOS Kindergartens and SOS Schools were initially established as affiliated facilities to SOS Children’s Villages in Ethiopia to provide formal education to children drawn from SOS Family Care and the surrounding community. Except for a few scholarship holders, the majority of the students were paying tuition fees which were not more than 50 percent of the cost of education services. Later on (end of 2016), with the change in the legal and funding stream, these educational establishments were transformed into business entities. In converting the facilities from not-for-profit into a subsidiary profit-making enterprise, SOS Children’s Villages in Ethiopia is leveraging external resources as an alternative funding model.

The “enterprise” in this form has a dual objective of making a profit while achieving a social purpose. The business generates funds (profit) to implement programs, expand the scope of operations, enhance employee capacity and build infrastructure. In addition, the enterprise was intended to serve as the centre of excellence in the provision of quality educational service to citizens and thereby impact the quality of education by other service providers in regions where the enterprise has a presence.

Currently, SOS Schools operate as a business in 5 City Administrations of 5 Regional States – Mekelle, Harar, Hawassa, Bahir Dar and Jimma – Mekelle being the oldest one and Jimma the youngest one.

Our Commitment to Safeguarding  

At SOS Kindergartens and SOS Schools, safeguarding isn’t just a policy, it’s a foundational value embedded in everything we do. We are unwavering in our commitment to protecting the children, young people, adults, and communities we serve, as well as our workforce and resources.

We cultivate an environment of trust and accountability where every voice is heard and respected. All successful candidates will be expected to champion our holistic safeguarding principles, actively upholding our Child & Youth Safeguarding Policy, Code of Conduct, and regulations against sexual misconduct, fraud, and corruption.

By joining our team, you commit to integrating these vital standards into your work, ensuring the highest levels of safety, ethics, and integrity in every action and partnership.

Together, we create a world where everyone feels safe, respected, and protected

Join Our Mission:

we are looking for Finance Manager to lead and manage the full finance function of SOS Enterprise across all business lines and regions, ensuring accurate financial reporting, robust internal controls, transparency, and efficient use of resources, compliance with relevant Ethiopian regulations and SOS policies, timely budgeting/forecasting, and sound financial stewardship to support the sustainable growth of all branches (schools, furniture manufacturing, rentals, dairy farms, and future ventures).

Key Responsibilities

Financial Strategy, Budgeting & Forecasting

• Build and maintain an annual budgeting and forecasting cycle for the enterprise and all branches/business categories
• Develop financial scenarios and recommendations to support expansion decisions
• Lead cost-control and productivity initiatives (unit economics, margins, cost allocation effectiveness)
• Advise Executive Management on financial strategy, risks, and opportunities

Financial Management & Reporting

• Ensure timely, accurate, and complete monthly, quarterly, and annual financial statements for Head Office, and All branches/business units
• Present consolidated financial reports to the Executive Team and/ or Board
• Maintain management reporting packages (P&L, balance sheet, cash position, variance analysis, KPI dashboards)
• Ensure correct cost center / activity-based reporting so that performance can be assessed by business line and region

Internal Controls, Compliance & Audit Readiness

• Design, implement, and continuously improve internal control systems across the organization, including:
  • Cash handling and bank reconciliation procedures
  • Approval matrices for expenditures
  • Inventory controls (where applicable: materials, WIP, finished goods)
  • Fixed asset registers and depreciation practices
  • Payroll controls and benefit payments (in coordination with HR & Admin Manager)
• Ensure compliance with Ethiopian laws, tax obligations, and any donor/NGO-related reporting expectations that apply to SOS operations
• Prepare for and support internal and external audits, responding to findings with corrective action tracking
• Monitor expenditures and ensure they are within approved budgets
• Identify and implement cost-saving initiatives

Cash Flow, Liquidity & Financial Risk Management

• Manage cash flow planning and ensure funding needs are anticipated
• Strengthen working capital management (receivables, payables, inventory where applicable)
• Assess and mitigate financial risks (currency, credit risk, vendor concentration, delayed collections)

Financial Systems & Process Improvement

• Oversee the finance function’s tools and systems (ERP/accounting software, D-365, budgeting tools, document management).
• Standardize financial processes across branches for consistency and auditability
• Identify process inefficiencies and drive continuous improvement (automation, simplified reporting templates, stronger documentation).

Pricing, Costing & Financial Performance

• Support pricing decisions and margin tracking for business lines:
  • Furniture manufacturing (unit cost, overhead allocation, scrap/waste control)
  • Building rental (occupancy vs. revenue forecasting; maintenance cost tracking)
  • Dairy farms (feed costs, productivity/production metrics, mortality/culling cost controls)
• Ensure proper costing models and profitability reporting

Governance, Policies & Financial Leadership

• Propose and update financial policies, procedures, and expenditure approval workflows
• Provide finance guidance to business unit heads and ensure responsible stewardship
• Lead finance committees/working groups when required

Key Interfaces / Stakeholders

• Internal: General Manager (primary), Executive Management, HR & Admin Manager, all HQ departments, Regional/Business Managers, Finance Coordinators, SOS CVE Finance department
• External: Banks, auditors, tax authorities, government agencies, suppliers, Bank relationship managers

Work Conditions / Travel

• Based at Head Office; expected regular travel to branches/regions for financial reviews, audits/support, training and internal control rollout
• Travel frequency: as determined by annual travel schedule and reporting calendar.

Ethics Statement

• Upholds SOS CV values and ensures financial integrity and compliance
• Ensures child-safeguarding-adjacent compliance where applicable (e.g., procurement of school services, vendor governance)

Our Ideal Candidate?

Let’s find out if we’re a match. The next step in our process depends on how your background closely align with the below criteria’s.

Essential Requirements (Must-Have):

• Education: • Master’s degree in accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or related field (or equivalent professional qualification)
• Experience:• Minimum 7–10 years progressive experience in finance/accounting management, preferably within:
•  Multi-site organizations, and/or
• Manufacturing and/or agriculture enterprise environments, and/or
• Regulated/non-profit-linked operations.
• Strong practical experience in budgeting, financial reporting, internal controls, and audit management.

Role specific Competencies

• Strong knowledge of Ethiopian accounting standards/tax requirements and corporate financial controls
• Ability to design and enforce policies and approval frameworks
• Advanced skills in financial analysis and variance reporting
• Proficiency with spreadsheets and accounting tools; strong Excel ability required
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication across regions
• High integrity and strong ethics (audit readiness, documentation discipline)

Desired Assets (Nice-to-Have): 

•  Professional training certifications (or ongoing pursuit)
•  Additional compliance/tax training

How to Apply

 Does This Sound Like You?

To apply, please submit your updated resume via: >> SOS Children’s Villages Application portal (ICIMS).

We actively champion diversity and inclusion and strongly encourage women to step forward and apply. As part of our unwavering commitment to holistic safeguarding protecting children, youth, adults, and assets our selection process emphasizes value alignment and includes thorough background checks for all potential hires.

SOS Children’s Villages in Ethiopia is an equal opportunity employer, providing fair consideration to all applicant regardless of race, colour, religion, gender, ancestry, national origin, age, disability, marital status, or class.

Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.