Senior Lead, Institutional Finance and Grants Management at Masakhane Research Foundation

Position Overview

• Leads and is accountable for the development, governance and performance of MRF’s institutional finance and grants management function. The Senior Lead, Institutional Finance and Grants Management establishes the strategic frameworks, policies, controls, systems and delegated authorities required to manage institutional resources and the full grants portfolio responsibly. The
• Senior Lead, Institutional Finance and Grants Management provides oversight of financial sustainability, organisational risk, donor compliance, institutional reporting and team performance, while delegating the day-to-day management of finance and grants activities to the relevant role holders. This position reports to the Director of the Masakhane African Languages Hub.

Key Responsibilities

Institutional Finance & Grants Architecture

• Lead the development and continuous strengthening of MRF's organisation-wide finance and grants management systems, policies, procedures and controls.
• Build a scalable institutional framework capable of supporting MRF's growth, multiple funding streams and increasingly complex donor and partnership arrangements.
• Establish clear processes for the full grants lifecycle, from funding opportunity and grant acceptance through implementation, reporting, close-out and audit.
• Develop appropriate institutional frameworks for incoming grants, outgoing grants, sub-grants and fiscal sponsorship arrangements.
• Establish grants governance, approval authorities, risk thresholds, due diligence standards and escalation mechanisms.
• Work with leadership to strengthen financial planning, institutional sustainability, reserves, cost recovery and appropriate allocation of organisational/core costs.
• Ensure finance and grants systems remain proportionate to MRF's size and values while meeting fiduciary, statutory and donor requirements.

Project Financial Management & Oversight

• Lead the annual budgeting process and provide high level financial analysis and forecasting to ensure long-term program sustainability. Develop financial strategies aligned with project goals across diverse regional contexts.
• Oversee the project finance team in monitoring all accounts, including General Ledger (GL), bank reconciliations, and balance sheet accounts. Maintain and continuously improve internal controls and financial policies.
• Collaborate with teams to ensure accurate donor reporting and financial forecasting. Ensure full compliance with donor regulations and local statutory laws in all operating countries.
• Serve as the primary focal point for internal and external audits to maintain "clean" reports. Troubleshoot financial issues and implement risk mitigation measures throughout program implementation.

Incoming and Outgoing Grants Management

Incoming grants

• Oversee the financial and compliance aspects of MRF's incoming grant portfolio, from proposal development and due diligence through contracting, implementation, reporting and close-out.
• Review donor agreements and funding conditions to identify financial, operational, compliance and institutional risks before acceptance.
• Establish systems for tracking grant obligations, restricted funding, reporting requirements, expenditure, co financing and key compliance milestones.
• Work closely with leadership and programme teams to ensure new funding is financially viable and contributes appropriately to MRF's institutional sustainability.

Outgoing grants and fiscal sponsorship

• Lead the design and oversight of MRF's outgoing grants, sub-granting and fiscal sponsorship mechanisms.
• Establish proportionate processes for partner assessment, due diligence, contracting, disbursement, financial monitoring and grant close-out.
• Ensure grant-making mechanisms balance fiduciary responsibility with Masakhane's commitment to accessible, community-centred funding.
• Develop differentiated risk and compliance approaches appropriate to the size, maturity and context of grantees rather than applying a uniform compliance model.
• Ensure communities and partners receive appropriate financial management support throughout the grant lifecycle.

Capacity Strengthening & Technical Assistance

• Institutional Development: In collaboration with project teams, provide advisory support to  grantees on sound financial management to help them successfully implement projects.
• Sustainability Coaching: Support the design and delivery of demand-driven technical assistance focused on financial sustainability, enabling community organizations to secure diverse funding and absorb larger grants over time.
• Partner Readiness: Work to develop a pipeline of "funding-ready" community partners through training, monitoring, and onsite compliance visits.

Team Leadership & Collaboration

• Provide ongoing coaching to finance staff to enhance their ability to troubleshoot complex issues and collaborate across project functions.
• Design and implement a delegation of authority (DoA) matrix that empowers staff while maintaining oversight of high risk transactions.
• Balance distribution of tasks across the team to prevent burnout during peak reporting and audit seasons.

Education and Professional Certification

• Master’s degree or higher in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, Economics, or a related field required.
• Active professional certification (CPA, ACCA, CA, or equivalent) is strictly required.
• Specialized certification in grant management, financial risk, or executive leadership (e.g., PMP, CRA, or equivalent) strongly preferred.

Professional Experience

• 10+ years of progressively responsible experience in executive financial management and multi-million dollar grants oversight, with at least 5 years in a senior strategic leadership role within international non-profits, philanthropic foundations, or global research institutes.
• Proven track record of designing, modernizing, and scaling enterprise-wide financial architecture, risk management frameworks, internal controls, and compliance systems.
• Demonstrated mastery of the end-to-end lifecycle of complex, multi-donor incoming and outgoing grants, sub-awards, fiscal sponsorships, and consortium funding models.
• Expert compliance knowledge of major international donors, governmental aid agencies, and private philanthropic foundations.
• Extensive experience building, mentoring, and directing high-performing, geographically dispersed finance teams across pan-African and international contexts.