Finance Manager - Zambia

Job Description

The Finance Manager will provide strategic financial leadership and oversight for the Zambia Office, ensuring strong financial stewardship, compliance, risk management, and operational efficiency. The role reports directly to the Country Director, with a dotted-line reporting relationship to CHAI’s International Controller.

The Finance Manager will lead all country finance functions, strengthen internal controls, support program teams with financial insights, and ensure full compliance with CHAI policies, donor requirements, and Zambian statutory regulations. The role also focuses on building and managing a high-performing finance team aligned with CHAI’s mission.

Financial Leadership & Strategic Management

• Provide strategic financial leadership to support long-term sustainability and operational excellence.
• Lead annual budgeting and quarterly/bi-annual reforecasting processes in collaboration with the Country Director and Program Teams.
• Provide financial analysis, cost allocation guidance, and expenditure tracking to inform sound programmatic decision-making.
• Present monthly and annual financial performance reports to country leadership, highlighting risks, trends, and recommendations.
• Monitor foreign exchange exposure and report gains/losses in accordance with donor and internal requirements.
• Oversee fixed asset management and maintain an up-to-date asset register.

Budgeting, Reporting & Grant Management

• Develop detailed annual budgets and grant financial plans aligned with donor requirements.
• Lead preparation and submission of accurate and timely monthly financial reports, including:
• Bank reconciliations
• Budget variance analysis
• Cash flow projections
• Ensure donor financial reporting meets all compliance standards and deadlines.
• Conduct ongoing budget monitoring and grant tracking to support effective resource utilization.
• Maintain accurate entries in accounting systems and ensure proper documentation for all transactions.

Treasury & Cash Management

• Manage country treasury functions including cashbooks, bank accounts, receivables, and payables.
• Prepare cash forecasts and fund requests to ensure adequate liquidity for operations.
• Monitor bank and petty cash balances to ensure sufficient funding for uninterrupted program delivery.
• Oversee petty cash management, reconciliations, and supporting documentation.
• Serve as the primary liaison with banks and coordinate international payments with HQ finance teams.

Systems, Controls & Audit

• Strengthen and maintain robust internal controls, policies, and procedures in compliance with CHAI and donor standards.
• Maintain and update the Country Finance & Compliance Manual.
• Ensure all payment vouchers comply with CHAI internal financial procedures.
• Guarantee proper filing and documentation of financial transactions to ensure audit readiness.
• Lead preparation and coordination of internal, external, donor, and compliance audits.
• Proactively identify financial process gaps and implement system improvements.

Procurement & Vendor Oversight

• Provide financial oversight of procurement processes to ensure transparency, value for money, and policy compliance.
• Participate in vendor selection processes and review major procurements for compliance.
• Collaborate with HR and Program Teams to manage vendor relationships and ensure timely payments.
• Mitigate financial and procurement-related risks.

Payroll & Regulatory Compliance

• Oversee payroll review and ensure timely statutory remittances including PAYE, NAPSA, NHIMA, and other obligations.
• Ensure compliance with Zambian tax laws, NGO regulatory requirements, and annual statutory filings.
• Monitor compliance with insurance, contractual, and property requirements.
• Maintain strict confidentiality of payroll and sensitive financial information.

Team Leadership & Capacity Building

• Lead, mentor, and supervise the finance team to promote high-performance and professional development.
• Strengthen team capacity in budgeting, compliance, financial systems, and customer service.
• Support workforce planning and recruitment in collaboration with HR.
• Provide financial onboarding and training to staff to reinforce accountability and internal controls.
• Serve as a trusted financial partner to Program Managers, Country Leadership, HQ Finance, auditors, tax authorities, and banks.

Risk Management & Governance

• Identify financial risks, liabilities, and compliance gaps and recommend mitigation strategies.
• Ensure adherence to CHAI’s safeguarding, anti-fraud, and compliance principles.
• Support governance processes and financial transparency across the country office.

Other Duties

• Perform additional finance-related responsibilities as assigned by the Country Director or senior leadership.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or related field.
• Professional accounting qualification (ACCA, CPA, or equivalent) required.
• MBA or advanced degree is an added advantage.
• Minimum 10 years of progressive experience in financial management, preferably within international NGOs or donor-funded environments.
• Demonstrated experience in budgeting, grant management, donor financial reporting, and audit coordination.
• Strong knowledge of Zambian financial regulations and statutory compliance requirements.
• Experience with donors such as Global Fund, bilaterals, Unitaid or similar is an added advantage.

Technical Skills

• High proficiency in accounting systems and ERP platforms (e.g., QuickBooks, NetSuite, Unit4/Agresso).
• Advanced MS Excel skills.
• Strong financial analysis, forecasting, and reporting capabilities.

Core Competencies

• Strategic thinking and sound financial judgment.
• Strong leadership and team development skills.
• High integrity and discretion.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving ability.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to translate financial data for non-finance audiences.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, safeguarding, and anti-fraud principles.
• Ability to work effectively in multicultural and cross-time-zone environments.