Head of Finance & Operations

Educate! is hiring Head of Finance & Operations to carryout the following duties and responsibilities;

What You’ll Do

Financial Management & Reporting (40%)

Financial operations and control

• Own the country’s financial operations end to end — transaction processing, payroll inputs, cash and bank management, month-end close and the integrity of the ledger.
• Deliver accurate management accounts to the Managing Director and Global Finance to an agreed monthly calendar, with variance analysis that explains what happened and what should change.
• Manage cash flow and foreign exchange exposure across currencies, forecasting requirements and flagging risks early.
• Approve payments and transactions within delegated authority, escalating beyond it with a clear recommendation rather than an open question.

Budgeting and business partnering

• Run the annual and periodic budgeting cycle for the country: build the calendar, equip budget managers, consolidate inputs and challenge assumptions before numbers go to the Regional Finance and Operations Director and Managing Director.
• Partner with budget holders through the year so spend decisions are made with good information, not reconstructed after the fact.
• Produce donor financial reports that are accurate, on time and reconciled to the general ledger, and support proposal budgeting with realistic costings.

Operations, Procurement & Field Logistics (30%) 

• Oversee the Operations and Procurement Manager in running office administration, inventory, asset management and supplier relationships to agreed service standards.
• Ensure procurement is competitive, documented and compliant with organizational and donor rules, while fast enough that programs are never waiting on paperwork.
• Oversee field logistics — transport, warehousing and distribution — so program resources reach field locations on time and in full.
• Identify where process, automation or system changes would remove cost or delay; design the change, make the case for it, and lead adoption through the managers who own the process.
• Maintain a safe, well-run working environment across offices and field sites.

Compliance, Risk & Audit (20%)

• Maintain the internal control framework in practice — not just on paper — and test it periodically for gaps and workarounds.
• Lead the external audit and any donor or statutory audits: prepare the schedules, manage the fieldwork, and close out findings within agreed timelines.
• Ensure statutory compliance — tax, social security, NGO registration and employment obligations — and keep a current register of legal and regulatory status for the Regional Finance and Operations Director and Managing Director.
• Maintain the country risk register for finance and operations, with owners and mitigations, and escalate material risks promptly.
• Manage contracts and supplier agreements, liaising with external counsel, auditors and tax advisers as needed.

Team Leadership & Development (10%)

• Lead a team of managers and their staff across finance, operations and procurement, setting clear goals and holding a consistent performance standard.
• Run a real coaching cadence — regular one-to-ones, honest feedback, development plans — and build depth so the function is not dependent on any single person.
• Build the team’s capability in analysis, systems and business partnering, not only in processing.
• Model the Five Cultural Tenets and hold the team to them.

Who You Are 

• 5+ years of progressive finance and procurement experience, including 3+ years managing people — experience managing other managers is a strong advantage.
• A professional accounting qualification (CPA, ACCA, or equivalent) or an equivalent combination of qualification and experience.
• Demonstrated ownership of a full finance cycle: month-end close, management reporting, budgeting, and external audit.
• Experience with donor-funded, multi-currency operations, including donor financial reporting and grant compliance.
• Exposure to operations, procurement or supply chain management, or clear evidence of the judgment to take it on.
• Strong systems orientation — comfortable with accounting and ERP systems and confident redesigning a process rather than working around it.
• Demonstrated ability to operate well in complex and fast-changing environments.
• Passion for Educate!’s mission is a must, but past work in education or youth development is not required. We value diverse perspectives and encourage applications from people with a variety of backgrounds  looking at Educate!’s culture deck here

Terms

• A vibrant, mission-driven environment with a supportive and fun team.
• Flexibility—hybrid work environment (location dependent)
• Competitive salary based on experience.
• Competitive benefits based on location
• Learning & growth opportunities
• This is a Fixed term contract with a possibility of extension based on performance

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