ORGANISATION OVERVIEW

The Science for Africa Foundation (SFA Foundation) is a non-profit, public charity organisation that supports strengthens and promotes science innovation in Africa. The goal of the SFA Foundation is to address the continent’s most pressing developmental needs by generating scientific knowledge that solves problems and informs decision-making.

We serve the African research ecosystem by funding excellent research and innovation ideas; enabling interdisciplinary collaboration among researchers, building and reinforcing environments that are conducive for scientists to thrive and producing quality research that generates new, locally relevant knowledge.

The SFA Foundation takes a holistic approach to the development of science. Our programmatic initiatives are crafted to cater to the entire science ecosystem and span across the value chain from early discovery sciences to translation sciences and target cross-cutting gaps.

Our commitment to strengthening the entire research ecosystem is reflected in the creation of major science and innovation programmes implemented through a well-established grant-making scheme, advocacy, and promotion of scientific excellence, emphasis on intra-Africa collaboration and evidence-based policymaking mechanisms.

POSITION OVERVIEW

Position Title	Finance Manager - Training
Department	Finance, Grants and Procurement
Reporting To	Head of Finance, Grants and Procurement
Position Location	Nairobi, Kenya

JOB PURPOSE

This role will work on the Africa Pandemic Sciences Collaborative, a high-profile and multi-year partnership between SFA Foundation, the Pandemic Sciences Institute (PSI) at the University of Oxford, and Mastercard Foundation.

The Finance Manager — Training will strengthen financial governance and capacity in African partner organisations through tailored, culturally relevant training. The ideal candidate will have extensive experience in finance roles (including financial leadership roles) across diverse institutions, the ability to co-create solutions with stakeholders from varied backgrounds, and exceptional facilitation skills to harmonise outcomes. They must effectively explain complex financial principles and accounting concepts, adapting them to suit organisational needs while fostering sustainable financial systems and competencies. This role demands a proven ability to co-create solutions with diverse stakeholders, harmonising outcomes through collaboration across cultural and organisational contexts. The role requires a strategic thinker who can select or develop the most relevant financial tools and training methods for each partner institution, ensuring the practical application of best practices in diverse settings.

The candidate must possess exceptional relationship-building skills, enabling them to engage and foster strong, trust-based partnerships with senior leaders – including at Vice-Chancellor level — and finance professionals at universities and research institutions.

They should demonstrate the ability to secure buy-in and active support for the adoption and integration of the Good Financial Grant Practice (GFGP) standard, its tools, and underlying philosophies. This includes effectively communicating the value of GFGP in enhancing financial governance, aligning it with institutional priorities, and embedding its principles into organisational practices to drive long-term impact and sustainability.

They will help build robust financial competencies and sustainable systems to support impactful research and programmatic outcomes across Africa.

PRINCIPAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Capacity Building and Training

• Co-Delivery of Training: Design and deliver finance capacity-strengthening programs for seven African organisations, with potential expansion to their partners. This will require travelling within Africa on a regular basis.
• Training of Trainers: Develop and implement a "training of trainers" program for grant accountants at the SFA Foundation, focusing on the principles and implementation of Good financial governance at the organisational level using Good Financial Grant Practice (GFGP) standard as a tool.
• Cultural Relevance: Develop and adapt training materials to ensure they are culturally and locally relevant, incorporating regional practices and examples.
• Innovative Techniques: Use immersive, practical, and innovative training methods to enhance learning and engagement.
• Bespoke Approaches: Conduct sensitisation and familiarisation workshops to gain agreement on tailored approaches for each organisation.
• Active Facilitation: Facilitate hands-on learning experiences that encourage active participation and practical application of financial concepts.
• Diverse Learning Styles: Adapt training delivery methods to suit various learning styles and cultural contexts.

Strategic Co-Creation and Collaboration

• Partnerships: Work collaboratively with the University of Oxford PSI Senior Capacity Development Manager and other stakeholders to co-create training programs.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Build professional credibility with senior leaders, including Provosts, Vice Chancellors, and Chief Financial Officers.
• Cross-Cultural Collaboration: Harmonise outcomes through facilitation with diverse stakeholders from different cultures and organisational contexts.

Program Development and Continuous Improvement

• Implementation: Develop bespoke on the job implementation approaches, which may include Gap Analyses. Conduct detailed assessments of existing policies and practices and/or actual process against best practices in financial governance.
• Material Development: Oversee the creation of high-quality training materials, working with external consultants where necessary.
• Feedback and Metrics: Evaluate training effectiveness through surveys, performance metrics, and participant feedback, using insights to continuously improve content and delivery.

Mentorship and Support

• Competency Building: Mentor and support partner organisation staff in applying financial principles to their roles, fostering confidence and proficiency.
• Immersive Learning: Provide on-the-job training and guidance to ensure practical application of financial concepts.

Programme and Stakeholder Management

• Relationship Building: Establish and maintain strong relationships with key stakeholders to ensure the success of training initiatives.
• Collaboration: Work with other departments to align training programs with organisational goals and identify additional capacity-building needs.
• Sustainability Focus: Champion long-term sustainability by building financial governance structures that support organisational goals.
•  Programme management: Provide input into programmatic reports and give updates at programmatic meetings as required. Work collaboratively with co-leads for other workstreams (including the Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning team) as required.

PERSON SPECIFICATIONS

Academic Qualifications

• A bachelor’s degree graduate in business related studies with professional qualification in accounting (e.g., CPA, ACCA, CIMA) with significant experience in financial management.

Experience

• Over 10 years experience in finance roles across diverse organisations, including African institutions, ranging from simple to complex structures.
• Experience working with international funders, accreditation bodies, and certifying organisations.
• Experience in developing, adapting, and delivering training materials using innovative and tailored methods.

Knowledge, Skills and Attributes

• Must have a high level of integrity.
• Must understand and demonstrate the Foundation’s values such as respect, accountability, excellence, diversity, and inclusion.
• Must demonstrate the ability to build strategic relationships.
• Must be an effective communicator and excellent problem-solving skills.
• Must be a critical thinker and innovative.
• Must demonstrate the ability to make decisions, plan, organise and manage work.
• Must have a high level of adaptability, engagement readiness and fast thinking.
• Must have the capability to initiate action and keen on quality.
• Must be attentive to details.
• Must have exceptional presentation and public speaking skills.
• Must demonstrate the ability to collaborate and build trust with others.

Competencies

• Familiarity with the Good Financial Grant Practice (GFGP) standard or similar quality standards.
• Deep understanding of financial principles, accounting standards, and grant management practices.
• Facilitation Skills: Exceptional ability to lead workshops, foster engagement, and harmonise outcomes across diverse stakeholders.
• Strategic Thinking: Capacity to develop and implement tailored financial training strategies aligned with organisational goals.
• Communication: Proficient in explaining complex financial concepts to varied audiences in clear, relatable ways.
• Cultural Sensitivity: Ability to adapt training approaches to align with the cultural and organisational contexts of partner institutions.
• Problem Solving: Innovative and analytical approach to addressing capacity-building challenges.
• Project Management: Strong organisational skills to effectively manage multiple tasks, timelines, and priorities.

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Should you meet the competencies above, please submit a cover letter and a current Curriculum Vitae not exceeding 5 pages including three professional referees to [email protected]

The cover letter should be no more than two pages long and explain why you are interested in this post and how your skills and experience make you a good fit. The documents should be saved in MS Word or PDF in the following format: Your First Name-Your Last Name-Document Name-Date (mmyy) e.g., DeusWan-CV-092022-SFA Foundation or Deus-Wan-CoverLetter-092022-SFA Foundation.

THE DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS IS FRIDAY, 28 FEBRUARY 2025.

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SFA Foundation has a commitment to safeguarding people and environment and this forms part of our background checks.