ABOUT LINK COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

Link Community Development is a family of organisations working in Malawi as well as Ethiopia, Rwanda and Uganda. Link Education International Formerly (Link Community Development International), based in the UK, provides support with programme and finance management, governance, communications and fundraising.

Link Community Development believes that a child, vulnerable adult or person at risk should never experience abuse of any kind. We have a responsibility to work in a way that promotes the welfare of all and protects them from harm. We have a zero tolerance approach to any harm to or exploitation of a child or vulnerable adult by any of our staff, representatives or partners.

Link Community Development Malawi (Link Malawi) works to improve access to and the quality of education in Malawi. Since 2008, we have delivered community-based school improvement projects focused on those suffering the highest economic, social and educational marginalisation. We work with schools, governments and educators to adopt low-cost solutions that improves children’s life-long-learning with a focus on literacy, numeracy, and inclusion for the most marginalized. and have delivered our inclusive school improvement process in over 500 schools and communities.

JOB PURPOSE

The Finance and Administration Manager will be responsible for supporting our strategic plan operationalization through contributing financial expertise and knowledge of managing complex programmes. This role is responsible for reviewing resources implementation to align with approved work-plans, and also alignment to internal and external approved contractual obligations, as well as providing financial information and advice to the Country Director and all officers. This role also requires provisions of day-to-day office administration for staff, operations and processes in supporting the Country Director.

INDICATIVE AREAS OF KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Overall management of LCD Malawi finances, including income from a range of sources and expenditure on projects.

• Lead on the development of annual, quarterly and monthly budgets for the organisation and for individual projects.

• Monitor and control expenditure in line with budgets.

• Coordinate annual, quarterly and monthly financial reporting to Link Education International(LEI) and to donors according to required timescales and individual specifications.

• Develop budgets for new project proposals in line with donor requirements.

• Support the Country Director and Project Managers to develop budgets for project activities and to manage expenditure accurately and transparently.

• Ensure the effective use of LCD Malawi’s financial management tools by all staff, and reviewing and adapting these tools as necessary to ensure they are fit for purpose.

• Support the Country Director and Project Managers to review expenditure to facilitate effective project planning and management.

• Present financial information and analysis to the LCD Malawi senior management team, LCD Malawi Board and LCD International at regular intervals, and to the relevant regulatory bodies in Malawi as required.

• Adopt and ensure compliance with LCD Malawi’s internal policies and procedures to ensure good practice in financial management.

• Ensure that LCD Malawi is compliant with all rules and regulations governing the financial management of NGOs.

• Manage the annual external audit for the organisation.

• Ensure the timely and accurate payment of bills, including staff payroll and office costs, and managing contracts with external service providers.

• Perform the role of LCD Malawi’s designated procurement manager responsible for sourcing, purchasing and supply management.

• Liaise with the Board of Directors to ensure transparency in financial management.

• Participate in the management of the organisation as part of the Senior Management Team.

• Line Manage all Finance and some Administration Department Officers and support their professional development.

• Any other responsibilities as delegated

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Knowledge and experience

Essential

• Degree with full ACCA /CIMA/ACA/CPA qualification

• Registered locally with (and a member in) the relevant accountants’ board

• Minimum 5 years’ continuous senior finance position experience

• Strong experience in administration (additional administration qualifications required)

• Strong technical skills and super user excel knowledge / experience

• Proven experience of managing multiple project budgets and reporting in accordance with the requirements of specific donors.

• Knowledge of the rules and regulations governing the financial management of NGOs.

Desirable

• Experience working with a small or medium sized international NGO.

• Strong experience of using Quick Books accounting software and advanced Excel skills

• Experience of working with major international donors.

SKILLS AND ATTRIBUTES

Essential

• A self-starter, able to work autonomously at all levels.

• High level of analytical skill.

• Proven interpersonal skills and the ability to work with colleagues with high workloads.

• Delegation, time management and prioritizing skills.

• Capable of rapid and quality turnaround on a high work load and multiple tasks.

• Strong written and spoken communication skills in Chichewa and English.

• High IT literacy in MS Office.

• Willingness to travel frequently to the field and spend time away from Lilongwe.

APPLICATION NOTES

• The post is full-time, with a 6-month probation, and based in Lilongwe.

• Link employees are entitled to a generous leave allowance and pension, health insurance and a staff development allowance.

• Salary is competitive, and dependent on experience and qualifications.

• The position will start as soon a candidate is available.

• Please send an Application Form, Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form, and CV (max 3 pages) to recruitment@lcdmalawi.org with the subject line “Finance and Administration Manager”. Application Forms are available here: www.linkeducation.org.uk/work-with-us

• The closing date for applications is 9am (Malawi time) on Monday 8^th January, 2024.

• A three-stage interview will take place from immediately after. Applicants must be available.

• Only candidates who are invited to interview will be contacted.

• We are an equal opportunity employer, and qualifying female candidates are encouraged to apply.