Fresh Jobs at African Institute for Development Policy (AFIDEP)

Role Overview

AFIDEP is seeking to recruit an experienced Head of Finance and Operations (HoFO) to join its Senior Management Team. The HoFO is a critical leadership role responsible for the financial health, operational efficiency, and regulatory compliance of the Institute across all its country offices and programmes.

The successful candidate will be a strategic, results-oriented leader who combines deep technical expertise in finance and accounting with the ability to manage diverse operational functions — including administration, procurement, ICT, and facilities — and to lead and develop a multifunctional team. The HoFO will serve as the Institute’s primary financial steward, ensuring that resources are managed with rigour, transparency, and accountability to donors, the Board, and the communities AFIDEP serves.

This is a senior leadership role. Candidates must demonstrate both the strategic vision to drive institutional financial planning and the operational rigour to ensure robust systems, controls, and compliance across a complex, multi-donor, multi-currency environment.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Financial Leadership

• Institutional Financial Strategy: Contribute to the development of AFIDEP’s institutional strategic plans, translating organisational priorities into multi-year financial plans and resource frameworks.
• Annual Planning & Budgeting: Lead the annual institutional planning and budgeting process, including financial resource allocation, cash flow projections, and cost recovery planning across all projects and country offices.
• Resource Mobilisation Support: Contribute to institutional resource mobilisation efforts by developing budgets for new grant proposals, reviewing donor agreements for financial feasibility, and advising on cost structures and indirect cost recovery rates.
• Financial Performance Oversight: Monitor and report on financial performance against approved plans and budgets; provide the Executive Director and Senior Management Team with timely, actionable financial analysis and risk insights.
• Policy development and implementation oversight: Lead the development, review and execution of financial management, grant management, cost allocation, procurement, and related policies for input by the Senior Management Team and approval by the Board.

Financial Management & Reporting

• Finance & Accounting Operations: Oversee all finance and accounting functions, including general ledger management, accounts payable and receivable, payroll, bank reconciliations, and month-end and year-end close processes.
• Treasury & Cash Management: Manage treasury operations including foreign currency management, banking relationships, investment of institutional reserves, and maintenance of adequate liquidity across all country offices.
• Financial Reporting: Ensure the preparation and timely submission of accurate financial reports for the Board, Executive Director, donors, and statutory authorities, in compliance with applicable accounting standards (IFRS) and donor requirements.
• Board & Audit Committee Engagement: Present financial reports, budget updates, and risk assessments to the Board and Finance/Audit Committee on a regular basis; serve as a trusted financial adviser to Board-level governance structures.
• External Audits: Coordinate and manage the annual external audit process, maintaining audit-readiness throughout the year and implementing audit recommendations in a timely manner.
• Payroll & Tax Compliance: Ensure accurate and timely payroll processing and compliance with statutory deductions, tax obligations, and labour law requirements in Kenya and Malawi, and any other jurisdictions where AFIDEP operates.

Grants & Donor Compliance

• Grants Management: Provide oversight of the full grants management lifecycle — from award acceptance and budget activation through expenditure tracking, financial reporting, and grant close-out — ensuring strict adherence to donor-specific financial requirements.
• Donor Compliance: Extensive experience managing finances in a complex multi-donor environment, with knowledge of the requirements of bilateral, multilateral and private foundation donors.
• Sub-Grantee Management: Oversee financial due diligence, contracting, monitoring, and capacity building for sub-grantees and implementing partners.
• Donor & Partner Relations: Maintain strong, trust-based financial relationships with donors and partners, managing financial queries, facilitating donor financial reviews, and proactively communicating on budget variances or compliance matters.

Risk Management & Internal Controls

• Internal Control Environment: Design, implement, and continuously improve financial and operational internal controls to safeguard institutional assets, prevent fraud and conflict of interest, and ensure compliance with applicable policies, laws, and regulations.
• Asset Management: Maintain an accurate and up-to-date institutional asset register; ensure appropriate insurance coverage for all institutional assets and operations.
• Risk Management: Lead the identification, assessment, and mitigation of financial and operational risks; maintain the institutional risk register and report risk status to the Senior Management Team and Board.
• Audit & Compliance Oversight: Provide administrative line management to the Audit and Compliance Officer, supporting the effective functioning of the internal audit function while safeguarding its independence. Ensure timely implementation of internal audit recommendations.

Operations Management

• Administration & Facilities: Provide strategic oversight of institutional administration, including facilities management, office operations, lease agreements, and vendor contracts across all AFIDEP offices.
• Procurement: Ensure the development and consistent application of transparent, value-for-money procurement policies and procedures, including supplier prequalification, tendering, and contract management.
• ICT Governance: Oversee AFIDEP’s ICT infrastructure and systems, ensuring that technology investments support institutional effectiveness, data security, and business continuity.
• Policy and Systems Development: Lead the continuous development, refinement, and upgrading of financial and operational management policies and systems to ensure robust, efficient, and audit-ready institutional infrastructure.

Team Leadership & Development

• Team Management: Recruit, lead, mentor, and develop the Finance and Operations team across all AFIDEP locations, fostering a high-performance, collaborative, and learning-oriented culture.
• Capacity Building: Build the financial management and operational capacity of non-finance staff across the Institute, ensuring that programme teams understand and adhere to financial and compliance requirements.
• Succession & Continuity: Identify and develop internal talent to ensure continuity of key finance and operations functions and build organisational resilience.

Qualifications and Experience

Essential

• Education: A Master’s degree and Bachelor’s degree in Commerce, Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or a closely related field from a recognised university.
• Professional Certification: A full, current professional accounting qualification is mandatory — CPA, ACA, ACCA, ACMA, CFA, or equivalent.
• Professional Membership: Current membership in good standing with a recognised professional accountancy body (e.g. ICPAK in Kenya, ICAM in Malawi, ACCA, ICAEW, or equivalent).
• Senior Experience: A minimum of 10 years’ progressive professional experience in finance and operations, with at least 5 years in a senior, multifunctional leadership role — preferably as Head of Finance, Director of Finance and Operations, or equivalent — within an international NGO, research organisation, or development institution.
• Multi-Donor Environment: Extensive experience managing finances in a multi-donor environment, with demonstrated hands-on familiarity with the financial regulations and compliance requirements of major international development
• Multi-Country & Multi-Currency: Demonstrated experience managing financial operations across multiple country offices and currencies, including foreign exchange risk management and consolidated multi-currency reporting.
• People Leadership: Proven ability to lead, manage, and develop high-performing, multifunctional teams; experience building team capacity and managing staff across geographically dispersed locations.
• Financial Systems: Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central or a comparable ERP system, Microsoft Excel and financial modelling. Experience with Power BI or similar reporting tools would be an advantage.
• Regulatory Knowledge: Working knowledge of statutory and regulatory environments in Kenya and/or Malawi, including NGO governance requirements, tax compliance, labour law, and relevant financial reporting obligations.
• Board-Level Communication: Demonstrated ability to prepare and present complex financial information clearly and confidently to Board members, donors, and non-financial stakeholders.

Desirable

• Audit Management: Experience managing internal and external audit processes, including donor financial reviews and statutory audits in multiple jurisdictions.
• ICT Governance: Experience providing strategic oversight of institutional ICT infrastructure, systems security, and digital transformation initiatives.
• HR Administration: Familiarity with HR administration, compensation and benefits management, and employment law compliance in East or Southern Africa.
• Grant Management Systems: Experience with grants management platforms such as Salesforce, Fluxx, or similar tools.
• Procurement Systems: Experience establishing or strengthening institutional procurement policies and supply chain management in an NGO context.

Competencies

The following competencies are integral to success in this role:

• Strategic Leadership: Ability to think and plan strategically across a complex, multi-function portfolio; translate institutional strategy into operational and financial plans.
• Financial Acumen: Deep technical mastery of financial management, accounting standards, and donor compliance requirements; ability to identify financial risks and develop practical solutions.
• People Management: Commitment to developing others; ability to build cohesive, high-performing teams across functions and geographies, and to manage performance constructively.
• Communication & Influence: Excellent written and verbal communication skills; ability to present complex financial and operational information clearly to diverse audiences, including Boards, donors, and programme colleagues.
• Integrity & Accountability: The highest standards of personal and professional ethics; a visible champion for financial transparency and institutional accountability.
• Problem-Solving: Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities; ability to diagnose complex operational and financial challenges and design pragmatic, sustainable solutions.
• Relationship Management: Ability to build and maintain effective, trust-based relationships with donors, partners, auditors, and internal stakeholders.
• Adaptability: Comfortable working in a dynamic, fast-paced environment; able to manage competing priorities and adapt approaches in response to evolving organisational needs.

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Role Overview

AFIDEP is seeking an experienced and detail-oriented Grants Manager to lead the effective management of the Institute’s grants portfolio, from pre-award due diligence through to award close-out. The Grants Manager will work closely with the Finance and Programmes teams to ensure that all grants are managed in full compliance with donor requirements and AFIDEP’s policies. He/she will play a key role in strengthening the Institute’s systems for grants and sub-grants management.

The successful candidate will be a meticulous, results-oriented professional who combines deep technical expertise in grants and contracts management with strong donor compliance knowledge.  The Grants Manager will serve as a key link between AFIDEP and its donors, ensuring that grants are managed with rigour, transparency, and accountability to donors, the Board, and stakeholders.

Key Responsibilities

Grants Strategy

• Grants Portfolio Planning: Contribute to institutional planning by tracking the grants pipeline, funding gaps and renewal timelines across all projects and country offices.
• Proposal Budgeting: Develop and review budgets and budget narratives for new funding proposals, in collaboration with programme teams.
• Financial Feasibility Review: Review donor solicitations and draft agreements to assess financial feasibility, flag unfavourable terms, and advise on cost structures and indirect cost recovery rates.
• Cost Recovery Planning: Support the application of AFIDEP’s cost allocation and indirect cost recovery methodology across new and existing grants.

Grants & Donor Compliance Management

• Award Set-up & Activation: Lead the review and activation of new awards, ensuring donor terms and conditions are understood and translated into internal budgets and compliance checklists.
• Donor Compliance: Maintain up-to-date knowledge of the compliance requirements of bilateral, multilateral and private foundation donors, and ensure grant implementation adheres to these at all times.
• Grant Close-out: Coordinate timely and compliant close-out of completed awards, including final financial reporting, asset disposition and documentation archiving.
• Donor & Partner Relations: Serve as a key point of contact for donors on grants administration matters, managing financial queries and facilitating donor financial reviews.

Financial Monitoring & Reporting

• Budget Monitoring: Track grant expenditure against approved budgets, flag variances, and work with project teams to ensure spending remains on track and within donor rules.
• Donor Financial Reporting: Coordinate the preparation and timely submission of accurate financial reports to donors, in compliance with donor requirements and applicable accounting standards (IFRS).
• Management Reporting: Provide the Finance and Programme leadership with timely, actionable analysis of grants portfolio performance, burn rates and compliance risks.
• Audit Support: Support internal and external audits related to grants and contracts, maintaining audit-ready documentation and helping implement audit recommendations.

Sub-Grants & Partner Management

• Due Diligence: Lead financial and organisational due diligence assessments of prospective sub-grantees and implementing partners.
• Sub-Agreement Management: Draft and manage sub-grant and sub-contract agreements, ensuring donor flow-down clauses are correctly applied.
• Disbursement & Compliance Monitoring: Track sub-grantee disbursements, review partner financial reports, and monitor compliance with agreed budgets and donor rules.
• Partner Capacity Building: Build the financial management and compliance capacity of sub-grantees and partner institutions through training and ongoing support.

Risk Management & Systems Development

• Grants Risk Management: Identify, assess and escalate financial and compliance risks across the grants portfolio, and maintain an up-to-date grants risk log.
• Internal Controls: Support the design and consistent application of internal controls over grant income, expenditure and sub-grant disbursements.
• Grants Management Systems: Maintain an accurate, up-to-date grants tracking system and ensure accessible records of all active and closed awards.
• Policy Development: Contribute to the continuous review and improvement of AFIDEP’s grants and sub-grants management policies and procedures.
• Identify and escalate risks in grant implementation and contribute to the continuous improvement of AFIDEP’s grants management policies and procedures.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

Essential

• A Master’s degree in Business Administration, Finance, Accounting, International Development or a related field.
• At least [5–7] years of relevant progressive experience in grants and contracts management, preferably within the NGO sector or donor-funded environment.
• Strong working knowledge of the compliance requirements of major donors
• Demonstrated experience managing sub-grants or sub-contracts to partner organisations.
• Professional accounting or grants management qualification (e.g. CPA, ACCA, CIMA) is an added advantage.
• Excellent analytical, organisational and financial management skills, with high attention to detail.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to explain compliance requirements clearly to non-specialists.
• Proficiency in financial and grants management software and advanced Microsoft Excel skills.
• A collaborative, proactive approach and the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines under minimal supervision.

Desirable

• Audit Management: Experience supporting internal and external audit processes, including donor financial reviews and statutory audits across multiple jurisdictions.
• ICT Governance: Familiarity with grants and financial data systems, with an appreciation of data security and system controls relevant to grants management.
• Staff Cost Management: Familiarity with staff costing as it relates to grant-funded staffing, including donor rules on staff costs, benefits and compliance.
• Grant Management Systems: Experience with grants management platforms
• Procurement Systems: Familiarity with procurement policies and processes as they relate to donor compliance and grant-funded purchases in an NGO context.

Competencies

The following competencies are integral to success in this role:

• Strategic Thinking: Ability to think and plan strategically across a complex, multi-donor grants portfolio; translate institutional and donor priorities into practical financial and compliance plans.
• Financial Acumen: Deep technical mastery of financial management, accounting standards, and donor compliance requirements; ability to identify financial risks and develop practical solutions.
• Communication & Influence: Excellent written and verbal communication skills; ability to present complex financial and compliance information clearly to diverse audiences, including donors, auditors and programme colleagues.
• Integrity & Accountability: The highest standards of personal and professional ethics; a visible champion for financial transparency and institutional accountability.
• Problem-Solving: Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities; ability to diagnose complex compliance and financial challenges and design pragmatic, sustainable solutions.
• Relationship Management: Ability to build and maintain effective, trust-based relationships with donors, partners, auditors, and internal stakeholders.
• Adaptability: Comfortable working in a dynamic, fast-paced environment; able to manage competing priorities and adapt approaches in response to evolving organisational needs.

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Role Overview

AFIDEP seeks to recruit an experienced Audit and Compliance Officer to join its team on a fixed-term contract. The successful candidate will be responsible for ensuring the Institute’s financial and operational integrity by establishing and operating a risk-based internal audit and compliance function that provides independent assurance to AFIDEP’s leadership and Board.

The role carries an institute-wide mandate, covering all departments, projects, and country offices, to ensure adherence to international accounting standards, donor-specific financial regulations, statutory obligations, and internal AFIDEP policies.

Key Responsibilities

Audit Planning & Management

• Annual Risk-Based Audit Plan: Develop and obtain Board Audit Committee approval for an annual internal audit plan based on a systematic risk assessment of the Institute’s activities, projects, and processes.
• Audit Execution: Lead and conduct audits in accordance with IIA standards, producing formal audit reports with clear findings, root causes, management responses, and agreed corrective actions and timelines.
• Follow-up: Track implementation of audit recommendations and escalate unresolved or high-risk findings to the Board Audit Committee.

Financial & Accounting Compliance

• Financial Records Audit: Conduct rigorous audits of all financial records to ensure compliance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), AFIDEP’s financial policies, and applicable statutory requirements in Kenya and Malawi.
• Donor Compliance: Demonstrated, hands-on familiarity of complex multi-donor environment, with knowledge of the requirements of bilateral, multilateral and private foundation donors
• Internal Controls: Evaluate, monitor, and recommend improvements to financial and operational internal controls to safeguard institutional assets and prevent fraud, waste, and abuse.

Risk Management

• Enterprise Risk Assessment: Maintain and periodically update AFIDEP’s institutional risk register using recognised frameworks (e.g. COSO, ISO 31000), and work with management to ensure appropriate risk mitigation measures are in place.
• Fraud Prevention & Response: Establish and communicate fraud risk policies and whistleblower mechanisms; lead or support investigations into suspected financial irregularities.
• Risk & Compliance Databases: Identify and curate relevant financial data and evidence to maintain internal risk and compliance tracking systems.

Systems & Operational Review

• ERP & Financial Systems: Evaluate the design and operating effectiveness of AFIDEP’s financial management and ERP systems, including IT general controls and access management, to ensure data integrity and security. Policy & SOP Development: Design and operationalise tools, standard operating procedures (SOPs), and processes to ensure institutional policies are consistently applied across all departments and country offices.
• Operational Efficiency: Identify inefficiencies and recommend process improvements that strengthen value for money across institutional operations.

Governance & Reporting

• Regulatory Compliance: Monitor and ensure compliance with applicable statutory and regulatory requirements in all countries where the Institute is registered (currently Kenya and Malawi, USA), including NGO regulations, tax obligations, and labour law provisions relevant to AFIDEP’s operations.

Capacity Building

• Staff Training & Mentorship: Design and deliver targeted, practical training for staff across all departments to build sustainable in-house understanding of financial compliance, internal controls, and accountability requirements.
• Compliance Culture: Promote a culture of proactive compliance and ethical conduct across the Institute, acting as a visible champion for accountability standards.

Qualifications and Experience

• Education: A Master’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration, or a closely related field.
• Professional Certification: A current, full professional certification is mandatory — CPA, ACCA, CIA, or equivalent. CIA certification (Certified Internal Auditor) is particularly desirable given the nature of this role.
• Experience: A minimum of 8 years’ progressive professional experience in internal audit, financial management, or compliance, with at least 5 years in an international NGO, research organisation, or development institution operating within a multi-donor environment.
• Donor Compliance Knowledge: Demonstrated, hands-on familiarity of complex multi-donor environment, with knowledge of the requirements of bilateral, multilateral and private foundation donors.
• Regulatory Knowledge: Working knowledge of statutory and regulatory environments in Kenya and/or Malawi, including NGO governance, tax compliance, and relevant financial reporting obligations.
• Financial Systems: Demonstrated experience designing and managing financial control systems or audit software within complex, multi-project environments; proficiency with ERP systems and advanced use of Microsoft Excel.
• Risk Frameworks: Familiarity with recognised risk management frameworks such as COSO or ISO 31000, and experience maintaining institutional risk registers.
• Audit Standards: Demonstrated working knowledge of IIA International Professional Practices Framework (IPPF) or equivalent internal audit standards.

Desirable

• IT/Systems Audit: Experience in IT general controls review, ERP access management audits, or cybersecurity compliance assessments.
• Grants Management Systems: Experience with grants management platforms.
• Multi-country Experience: Prior experience working across multiple country offices or managing compliance in a geographically dispersed organisation.

Competencies

The following competencies are integral to success in this role:

• Professional Integrity & Independence: The highest standards of personal and professional ethics; ability to maintain objectivity and independence under pressure.
• Analytical Rigour: Strong capacity to interpret complex financial data, identify patterns, and reach well-reasoned audit conclusions.
• Communication & Influence: Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to present technical audit findings clearly and persuasively to non-financial stakeholders — including senior management and Board members
• Relationship Management: Ability to build trust and constructive working relationships with colleagues across the Institute while maintaining the professional scepticism required of an independent audit function.
• Attention to Detail: Meticulous approach to documentation, evidence, and reporting, with a commitment to accuracy.
• Initiative & Self-Management: Ability to plan and prioritise a complex workload independently, adapt to shifting priorities, and deliver to deadlines without close supervision.
• Data Literacy: Ability to organise, interpret, and present complex financial information clearly, including proficiency in data visualisation tools for communicating audit findings.