Budget Manager

The Organization

Search for Common Ground (SFCG) is an international non-profit organization that promotes peaceful resolution of conflict. With headquarters in Washington, DC and a European office in Brussels, Belgium, SFCG’s mission is to transform how individuals, organizations, and governments deal with conflict - away from adversarial approaches and toward cooperative solutions. SFCG seeks to help conflicting parties understand their differences and act on their commonalities. With a total of approximately 600 staff worldwide, SFCG implements programming in 35 countries, including in Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and the United States. 

Within Sub-Saharan Africa, SFCG works in twenty countries: Angola, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Chad, Central African Republic, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Guinea, Kenya, Liberia, Madagascar, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda and Zimbabwe.  In Zanzibar, SFCG has worked extensively with the Government of National Unity, as well as with 7 local radio stations and a variety of civil society partners. The main goals of the program have involved supporting national unity, increasing citizen engagement in governance and supporting the Government of National Unity, a body created in response to previous electoral violence in the archipelago. With a push for independence and a contentious constitutional reform process, SFCG will continue working with local partners to encourage peaceful elections later this year.

Summary of Position

SFCG is planning a project to be implemented in partnership with a number of civil society and media organizations, institutions like the Zanzibar Election Commission, and political actors, to facilitate a series of dialogues around the elections. The project will be implemented in both the pre- and post-electoral period, over approximately 18 months.

The Budget Manager will be responsible for overall financial management of the project and will work directly with the Zanzibar Finance and Admin Assistant on all financial issues related to the project. The Budget Manager will report to the Project Manager as well as the Tanzania Country Director.

Responsibilities

• Ensure good quality finance and administration systems as per the standard Search for Common Ground procedures and policies are functioning and maintained throughout the program;
• Ensure correct account management in accordance with the grant agreement;
• Prepare monthly budget tracking and spending analysis, and assist the Project Manager and Country Director with decision-making.
• Supervise and provide training, where necessary, in finance and administration procedures to concerned SFCG staff members working on the project;
• Oversee partner sub-awards, including training for partner staff, reconciliation of partner advances, and approval of expense documentation;
• Liaise with the Zanzibar Admin and Finance Assistant as well as other relevant Tanzania program operational staff on all financial issues related to the Zanzibar office;
• Prepare monthly reports on expenditures and send these together with scanned copies of original receipts and other expenditure-related documentations, including bank statements, cash and bank reconciliations, payroll  to relevant SFCG teams at SFCG’s HQ;
• Support the Project Manager with ensuring compliance to all Grant agreements for financial reporting and procurement. This includes field level compliance to all legal aspects of the grant agreement.
• On the basis of internal cash available and planned expenditure, send monthly cash requests for the program to SFCG HQ, with the  approval of the Project Manager and the  Country Director.
• In collaboration with the Project Manager and the Finance and Admin Assistant, maintain available SFCG bank accounts in Zanzibar.
• Ensure Project Manager has accurate information for communications with the donor on all finance related issues with the grant.
• Advise and assist the Tanzania team in the creation of viable new proposals and budgets.
• Contribute to the overall financial management of the Tanzania program.

As job descriptions cannot be exhaustive, the position holder may be required to undertake other duties that are broadly in line with the above key duties.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in a related area with at least five (5) years of experience in administration of projects, finance and operations, preferably in the peace-building, development and/or related fields.
• Experience and proven track record in financial management.
• Experience working in fragile environments, preferably in Sub-Saharan Africa.
• Experience in Sub grant management
• Dynamic, motivated, and flexible leader with creative problem-solving skills.
• Knowledge of major donor rules and regulations and the ability to manage donor funding, including the EU and USAID.
• Excellent managerial, interpersonal and networking skills, as well as the ability to conduct professional working relationships.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, especially Microsoft Excel.
• Ability to manage multiple activities at once.
• Strong oral and written communication skills.
• Entrepreneurial spirit; Creativity, Be proactive and work as team member.
• Spoken and written fluency in English; proficiency in Swahili is desirable.

Salary: Commensurate with experience and education, with excellent benefits.

To Apply:  Please submit a cover letter and resume through our online application system at:https://sfcg.bamboohr.com/jobs/view.php?id=225. The closing date for applications will be April 8, 2015. Please be sure to include minimum salary requirements (in currency figures) or current salary, projected start date, and to mention where you found this posting. No phone calls please. Only applicants invited for an interview will be contacted. Please see our web site www.sfcg.org for full details of our work.