Girl Effect – Head of Finance, Nairobi.

Who We Are

Girl Effect is a creative non-profit empowering girls to change their lives.

Started by the Nike Foundation, we are experts in media, mobile, brand and international development; a unique mix of skills that we use to solve global problems in a different way. 

We work across the world in places where girls are marginalised and vulnerable. We create youth brands and mobile platforms for young people in ways that they love and interact with. We deliver these through the media and mobile tech that we use every day – from apps that build skills, to TV dramas they explore virtual issues, to magazines written by girls.

Context of Role

Girl Effect is an ambitious organisation in transition. We’re building on our solid foundations to evolve how we deliver our work – including through a growing team in Nairobi.

As our new Head of Finance you’ll help us build that team in Nairobi, strengthening our systems and processes as we do so. You’ll directly lead a team of five colleagues based in Nairobi or London, as well as providing coaching and direction to finance professionals in each of our country offices.

It’s an exciting time to join Girl Effect and we’re looking for high-potential candidates who are keen to sharpen their skills and bring fresh thinking to our work.

What You’ll Do

Your primary responsibility will be to help further transform our global finance function. Working closely with the Interim Chief Finance & Operations Officer you’ll help us ensure we’ve got the right people, processes and systems in place to provide first-rate business partnering, robust financial controls, and excellent insight to our colleagues and stakeholders. Coaching and supporting the finance team, as well as working collaboratively with colleagues in other teams is critical for this role. 

Further, you will:

• Design and help to deliver our budgeting and forecasting processes, integrating with our business planning cycle
• Steer the roll-out of a a new Global Finance Manual, with refreshed core processes and training for different user groups 
• Provide leadership and direct input into the global year-end and audit cycle, including owning the relationship with our group audit firm
• Help craft our treasury strategy, including working with external firms and producing clear policy papers for consideration by our Board
• Lead of internal reporting process, including engaging with our leadership team and the Board Finance Committee 
• Provide thought leadership to colleagues in the programme design and donor proposal development processes, acting as a critical friend and ‘commercial’ thinker

Who You Are

• Experienced within a charity or foundation – whether national or international 
• Chartered Accountant with a CPA/ACCA, likely with 5+ years of post-qualification experience 
• Experienced (and enthusiastic) when it comes to coaching and mentoring colleagues – whether as an existing team lead or as a confident line manager 
• Demonstrable experience across a mix of financial accounting, management accounting, and financial transactions
• Involvement or oversight of finance transformation/systems implementation 
• Effective communicator at a senior level, written and verbal
• A positive and solution-oriented strategic thinker
• A collaborative problem-solver, able to work flexibly as part of a global team in a fast-paced and changing environment – with a willingness to directly support the team
• Strong interpersonal and influencing skills, able to manage conflict and handle sensitive issues, particularly in cross-cultural and cross-departmental contexts

What Else You Should Know

As we continue to scale and grow – we are hugely ambitious for our future and we are looking for people who are driven by this 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.

Shortlisted candidates will be assessed on our organisational values at the interview stage. The successful candidate(s) will be expected to adhere to our safeguarding policy. We encourage candidates to read and understand our safeguarding policy, the executive summary of which can be found here. We have zero tolerance to all forms of violence against children, beneficiaries and staff.
At Girl Effect, 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 to create a lasting impact.  

Click to Apply

This role is being recruited as a 12 month fixed term contract.

Closing date for applications: 30th November 2020