Finance Manager – THRIVE at Hivos East Africa

Role purpose

The Finance Manager is part of the THRIVE global program team and is responsible for the overall financial management of the program across participating countries, ensuring compliance with donor requirements and Hivos policies. Working closely with program, finance and partner teams, the Finance Manager provides financial oversight, supports planning and decision-making, and contributes to the effective, transparent and accountable management of program resources.

Key responsibilities

The key responsibilities of the role include:

Financial management

• Lead the financial planning, budgeting, forecasting and financial monitoring of the THRIVE program, ensuring effective stewardship of program resources.
• Provide financial oversight across the program, ensuring compliance with Hivos policies and procedures, donor requirements and applicable financial standards.
• Provide strategic financial guidance to the Project Manager on financial planning, budgeting, financial risks and resource allocation to support informed decision-making.
• Lead and coordinate all program financial audits, including donor, Hivos internal and external audits, ensuring timely preparation, coordination, resolution of audit findings and implementation of agreed corrective actions.
• Provide overall leadership and oversight for financial engagement with program partners and donor-related financial matters.

Quality improvement

• Ensure the consistent application of Hivos financial policies, procedures, tools and reporting practices across participating countries and partner organizations.
• Establish and maintain effective financial management practices, internal controls and risk management across the program.
• Provide financial capacity strengthening and ongoing technical support to implementing partners to ensure compliance with Hivos policies and donor requirements, effective budget management, timely financial reporting and sound financial stewardship throughout program implementation.
• Build and maintain effective working relationships with program teams, finance colleagues, partners, auditors and other relevant stakeholders.
• Review and validate financial transactions and supporting documentation to ensure accuracy, completeness and compliance with Hivos procedures before approval.

Financial reporting coordination

• Coordinate the preparation, consolidation and review of financial reports, forecasts and budget performance analyses for program management and donors.
• Develop and maintain financial reporting tools, templates and guidance aligned with Hivos financial policies and procedures to support consistent financial reporting across the program.
• Monitor financial performance, identify budget variances and financial risks, and recommend corrective actions where required.
• Lead financial due diligence, financial implementation planning and financial compliance across participating countries, as required.

Finance team management and supervision

• Serve as the line manager for the THRIVE Finance Officers, providing leadership, supervision, coaching, performance management and technical guidance to ensure consistent and effective financial management across the program.
• Foster collaboration, knowledge sharing and the consistent application of Hivos financial policies and procedures across the THRIVE finance team.
• Identify capacity-building needs and support the professional development of Finance Officers to strengthen program financial management.

Person specifications

Qualifications/Experience

• Master’s degree or equivalent in finance, accounting, business economics or related / similar
• Minimum of 5 years’ experience in finance, including the financial management of donor-funded programs, preferably within international NGOs or development cooperation environments.
• 1–3 years of managerial experience leading multicultural and geographically dispersed teams, including the supervision of staff and financial resources.
• Significant experience in grantmaking, including grant administration, disbursement, monitoring and grant closure processes, particularly in multi-country programs.
• Proven experience managing the full financial cycle of donor-funded programs, including budgeting, forecasting, financial monitoring and reporting.
• Advanced knowledge of accounting principles, financial management and project finance.
• Expertise in accounting, business economics, ERP/MIS systems and financial software.
• Experience overseeing audits, ensuring compliance with tax regulations and managing financial risks across multiple program countries.
• Experience in capacity building and providing technical guidance to finance staff and implementing partners.
• Fluency in English is essential. Additional languages such as Arabic or French are an asset.

Key Skills/Attributes

• Financial analysis, strategic thinking and problem-solving.
• Leadership and people management.
• Communication and stakeholder management.
• Planning and organizational skills.
• High attention to detail and accuracy.
• Integrity, accountability, professionalism and ethical judgement.