Head of Finance

Head of Finance

The Head of Finance provides strategic and operational leadership for CIVICUS' financial management. The role combines strategic thinking and hands on delivery and requires a leader who can thrive in a dynamic mission driven and solutions focussed environment with high levels of accountability and transparency.

The Head of Finance is responsible for managing CIVICUS's finance team, organisational financial strategy, budgeting and planning, financial reporting, audit management, risk oversight and compliance with funder, statutory, and regulatory requirements. The role encompasses mentoring and supervising finance staff, ensuring robust financial systems and controls are in place, and providing high-quality financial insights to support effective programme delivery and organisational decision making.

Working closely the Chief Operations Officer (COO) the Head of Finance is responsible for embedding sound financial management across the organisation, ensuring stewardship, accountability, transparency and long-term financial sustainability.

Areas of Responsibilities:

• Lead the preparation of accurate and timely financial reports, for budget holder, management, board, donors and other stakeholders.
• Oversee organisational budgeting, forecasting and financial performance monitoring.
• Ensure the timely preparation of annual financial statements and compliance with IFRS, US GAAP and other applicable standards.
• Oversee month-end and year-end processes, including the review of balance sheet reconciliations and financial controls.
• Lead and coordinate statutory, organisational, donor and project audits, ensuring compliance with regulatory and donor requirements.
• Review and approve donor financial reports ensuring accuracy and compliance with the accounting system and funding agreements.
• Oversee financial systems and reporting tools ensuring they effectively support financial management, reporting, compliance and decision making.
• Drive continuous improvement in financial processes, controls and systems to enhance efficiency, accountability and data integrity.
• Ensure compliance with tax, statutory and regulatory requirements across relevant jurisdictions.

Accounting, Control systems and procedures:

• Lead the design, implementation and continuous improvement of financial policies, procedures, controls and systems to ensure effective financial governance and accountability.
• Maintain and periodically review the finance manual and related policies to ensure they remain fit for purpose and aligned with organisational needs, regulatory and donor requirements and best practice.
• Ensure integrity, reliability and effectiveness of financial systems.
• Drive innovation and digital transformation within the finance function by identifying and implementing system enhancements, automation opportunities, and best practice solutions that improve efficiency, data quality, and decision making.
• Provide financial analysis, insights and recommendations to support decision making by Budget holders, management, and the board.
• Monitor compliance with approved financial policies, procedures and internal controls across the organization and address areas of non-compliance.

Budgeting & Budgetary Control:

• Lead the development and consolidation of organisational budgets and forecast ensuring alignment with strategic priorities and available resources.
• Oversee budget performance through regular monitoring and expenditure analysis against approved budget and recommending corrective actions.
• Coordinate the preparation and review of proposal budgets ensuring cost recovery, compliance with donor requirements and alignment with organisational priorities.
• Strengthen budgeting and financial management capacity across the organisation providing guidance, training and support to budget holders in the management of restricted and unrestricted funds.
• Support budget holders to make informed financial decisions through the provision of budget analysis, forecasting and financial planning insights.

People Management:

• Supervise and mentor a high performing finance function, fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration and continuous improvement and a high standard of service.
• Build team capacity through effective coaching, professional development and knowledge sharing.
• Set clear objectives and conduct probation, performance and development reviews ensuring team performance aligns with organisation goals.
• Support and empower team members to maximise their effectiveness, delivering high quality responsive and value-added service across the organisation.

Others:

• Undertake other duties and responsibilities, as reasonably required, that are consistent with the scope, seniority and objectivity of the role.
• Provide high-quality ad hoc financial analysis, modelling, forecasts and scenario planning to support strategic decision-making, organisational planning and resource allocation.
• Contribute to organisational initiatives, cross functional projects and change management activities providing financial expertise and leadership as required.
• Maintain a strong understanding of the organisational priorities, risks and opportunities, proactively identifying and addressing emerging financial issues.
• Act as a champion of sound financial stewardship, accountability and continuous improvement across the organisation.
• Demonstrate and promote CIVICUS' values and principles fostering a culture of collaboration, integrity, inclusion and respect.

Person Specification:

Education and Language & Qualifications:

• A recognised professional qualified accountant (ACCA, CPA, CIMA, CIPFA or equivalent) with at least seven years post qualification experience, including at least 3 years in a Head of Finance role.
• Senior level experience in a finance leadership role within an organisation of similar scale and complexity.
• Strong written and verbal English skills.

Essential Knowledge, skills and Experience:

• Experience in the non-profit sector.
• Extensive experience in establishing and administering financial processes for restricted donor funding within the not for profit sector.
• Comprehensive knowledge of institutional donor regulations and financial compliance standards, including those of the European Union, US Foundations and European government agencies.
• Ability to analyse, evaluate, and summarise financial records for accuracy and compliance with procedures, rules, and regulations, while effectively communicating financial information to non-financial team member in a clear and understandable manner.
• Extensive experience in creating and leading training interventions for non-finance teams to enhance organisation financial management and adherence to financial standards.
• Proven ability to build and lead high-performing, geographically dispersed teams by empowering employees, delegating responsibilities effectively, clearly defining roles, and promoting individual and team accountability.

Desirable Knowledge, Skills and Experience:

• Sound understanding of human rights and social justice principles.
• Proven experience in driving innovation through the implementation of automated financial systems, process improvements, and technology solutions to enhance efficiency, accuracy, and financial reporting.
• Knowledge of one or more UN languages other than English is desirable.

The closing deadline for applications is on the 14th of August 2026 at 11:59pm SAST. Short listed candidates will be contacted 3 weeks after the closing date to schedule interviews.

Application instructions:

• Applicants are advised not to use autofill when completing the application form for this job. To avoid errors, please fill out the form manually without using autofill.
• AI-generated CVs/resumes and cover letters are not permitted. All application materials must be written by the applicant and accurately reflect the applicant's skills, qualifications, and experience. Applications that contain AI-generated materials will not be considered.

We appreciate and consider each application submitted. However, given the large volume of applications received, we find it impossible to respond to each applicant immediately. You will hear from us within three weeks only if you're shortlisted for the next steps. We will update all applicants once the position has been filled.

CIVICUS reserves the right to withdraw any of our vacancies at any time.