Finance Director

Management Sciences for Health (MSH) is seeking a Finance Director for two U.S. Government (USG)-funded projects in Ethiopia: Implementing the America First Global Health Strategy (AFGHS) and the Supply Chain Strengthening (SCS) projects. 

MSH is a global health nonprofit that makes foundational changes to health systems to protect people from diseases and improve their health. MSH collaborates with local partners, from ministries of health to communities, to strengthen and complement existing health systems. Since 1971, MSH has worked in more than 150 countries to help ensure sustainable, resilient, and equitable access to quality health care around the globe. 

OVERALL RESPONSIBILITIES 

Reporting to the Senior Director for Finance & Administration (SDFA), the Finance Director leads day-to-day financial management, accounting, budgeting, forecasting, cash management, and reporting for the AFGHS and SCS projects. The role translates approved work plans, budgets, policies, and donor requirements into sound processes, analyses, controls, and reports; supervises the country finance and accounting team; and supports project managers and technical teams in timely implementation and informed decision-making. 

Working within MSH and project financial and administrative frameworks, the Finance Director provides analyses and recommendations to the SDFA, implements approved decisions, and escalates material variances, compliance concerns, cash-flow constraints, suspected fraud, and other significant financial risks. 

SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES 

Budgeting, Forecasting, and Financial Analysis: 

• Coordinate annual work plan budgets, life-of-project forecasts, activity budgets, and periodic reforecasts for SDFA and project leadership review and approval. 

• Consolidate technical and operational budget inputs, verifying completeness, accuracy, coding, assumptions, and alignment with approved work plans and cost principles. 

• Monitor expenditures, commitments, pipelines, burn rates, and budget variances, and provide monthly analyses and recommended corrective actions to the SDFA and project leadership. 

• Maintain current project financial projections and support scenario analysis, budget realignments, and budget amendment packages under the direction of the SDFA. 

• Prepare routine and ad hoc dashboards and management reports highlighting trends, risks, and required decisions. 

Accounting, Cash Management, and Financial Reporting: 

• Oversee daily accounting operations, including transaction review and coding, journal entries, reconciliations, month-end close, accounts payable and receivable, advances, and supporting documentation. 

• Coordinate monthly cash forecasts and funding requests for SDFA review and approval, monitor liquidity, and promptly flag projected shortfalls or excess cash. 

• Prepare timely internal and donor financial reports, invoices, and supporting schedules for SDFA review and authorized submission. 

• Maintain accurate data in MSH systems and complete, current, organized, audit-ready project financial records. 

• Monitor staff time charging and cost allocation for accuracy and consistency with approved budgets, activities, and levels of effort; resolve routine discrepancies and escalate recurring or material concerns. 

Internal Controls, Compliance, and Audit Support: 

• Implement established financial policies, standard operating procedures, donor requirements, approval workflows, and segregation-of-duties controls. 

• Conduct routine quality-control reviews of financial transactions and supporting documentation before processing or submission for approval. 

• In collaboration with the Compliance Manager, monitor adherence to USG financial requirements and MSH policies, document exceptions, and recommend corrective actions to the SDFA. 

• Support fraud prevention and detection within the finance function, immediately escalating suspected fraud, misconduct, conflicts of interest, or significant control weaknesses in accordance with MSH policy. 

• Provide practical guidance and training to project staff on budgeting, financial documentation, allowable costs, time charging, and other finance-related compliance requirements. 

• Coordinate finance-team preparation for internal and external audits, financial reviews, and compliance assessments under SDFA direction. 

• Compile requested schedules and supporting documents and track findings and approved corrective actions. 

• Monitor recurring findings and control gaps, providing the SDFA with status updates and recommendations. 

Team Management and Collaboration: 

• Directly supervise assigned finance and accounting staff, including annual goal-setting, routine coaching, quality review, performance feedback, and identification of training needs. 

• Allocate finance-team workloads to support timely close, reporting, payment processing, forecasting, and project implementation. 

• Collaborate with technical, procurement, operations, contracts, and subaward colleagues to ensure timely, accurate, and appropriately documented financial information. 

• Maintain regular coordination with MSH corporate finance teams on accounting, reporting, systems, and financial-control matters, keeping the SDFA informed of material issues. 

QUALIFICATIONS

• Master’s degree in finance, accounting, business administration, or a related discipline; an equivalent combination of relevant education and experience may be considered. 

• Minimum of 7 years of progressively responsible experience in financial management or accounting for international development programs, including experience supervising finance or accounting staff. 

• Demonstrated experience with budgeting, forecasting, cash-flow planning, financial analysis, month-end close, reconciliations, and internal and external financial reporting. 

• Experience supporting USG-funded projects and applying USG financial compliance requirements in Ethiopia. 

• Demonstrated ability to implement internal controls, maintain audit-ready documentation, support audits, and complete corrective actions. 

• Strong analytical, planning, organizational, and problem-solving skills, with consistent attention to accuracy and detail. 

• Ability to explain financial information clearly to non-finance colleagues and to work collaboratively across technical and operational functions. 

• Advanced QuickBooks Online and Excel skills, including data extraction and manipulation, pivot tables, filtering, and sorting; experience with Costpoint or similar enterprise financial systems is desirable. 

• Excellent oral and written English and Amharic; proficiency in another Ethiopian language is a plus. 

• Ability to travel as required. 

MSH is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, status as a protected veteran, or any other protected category under applicable federal, state, and local laws. MSH complies with Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act, Section 4212 of the Vietnam Era Readjustment Assistance Act, as amended, and all related applicable regulations.

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