OVERVIEW

The African Institute for Development Policy (AFIDEP) is a regional non-profit research and policy institute established in 2010 to help bridge the gaps between research, policy, and practice in development efforts in Africa. Our primary purpose is to contribute to sustainable development through the use of evidence and advocacy to strengthen political commitment and resource allocation for development issues; inform the design and implementation of effective interventions; and strengthen governance and accountability structures for tracking development challenges in Africa.

AFIDEP is seeking to recruit experienced professionals to join its team. For further details, visit www.afidep.org.

Application Deadline: 11th September 2026

POSITION 1: HEAD OF FINANCE AND OPERATIONS

Reports To: Executive Director

Contract Type: Fixed-term contract — 2 years, renewable subject to funding and performance

Member of: Senior Management Team

Direct Reports: Finance team, Operations (Administration, Procurement, ICT, Facilities), and Audit & Compliance Officer (administrative line)

Budget Oversight: Full institutional and project portfolio (multi-donor, multi-currency)

KEY REQUIREMENTS

Essential:

• A Master's degree and Bachelor's degree in Commerce, Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or a closely related field from a recognised university.
• A full, current professional accounting qualification is mandatory — CPA, ACA, ACCA, ACMA, CFA, or equivalent.
• Current membership in good standing with a recognised professional accountancy body (e.g. ICPAK in Kenya, ICAM in Malawi, ACCA, ICAEW, or equivalent).
• A minimum of 10 years' progressive professional experience in finance and operations, with at least 5 years in a senior, multifunctional leadership role — preferably as Head of Finance, Director of Finance and Operations, or equivalent — within an international NGO, research organisation, or development institution.
• Extensive experience managing finances in a multi-donor environment, with demonstrated hands-on familiarity with the financial regulations and compliance requirements of major international development donors.
• Demonstrated experience managing financial operations across multiple country offices and currencies, including foreign exchange risk management and consolidated multi-currency reporting.
• Proven ability to lead, manage, and develop high-performing, multifunctional teams; experience building team capacity and managing staff across geographically dispersed locations.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central or a comparable ERP system, Microsoft Excel and financial modelling. Experience with Power BI or similar reporting tools would be an advantage.
• Working knowledge of statutory and regulatory environments in Kenya and/or Malawi, including NGO governance requirements, tax compliance, labour law, and relevant financial reporting obligations.
• Demonstrated ability to prepare and present complex financial information clearly and confidently to Board members, donors, and non-financial stakeholders.

Desirable:

• Experience managing internal and external audit processes, including donor financial reviews and statutory audits in multiple jurisdictions.
• Experience providing strategic oversight of institutional ICT infrastructure, systems security, and digital transformation initiatives.
• Familiarity with HR administration, compensation and benefits management, and employment law compliance in East or Southern Africa.
• Experience with grants management platforms such as Salesforce, Fluxx, or similar tools.
• Experience establishing or strengthening institutional procurement policies and supply chain management in an NGO context.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Strategic Financial Leadership

• Contribute to the development of AFIDEP's institutional strategic plans, translating organisational priorities into multi-year financial plans and resource frameworks.
• Lead the annual institutional planning and budgeting process, including financial resource allocation, cash flow projections, and cost recovery planning across all projects and country offices.
• Contribute to institutional resource mobilisation efforts by developing budgets for new grant proposals, reviewing donor agreements for financial feasibility, and advising on cost structures and indirect cost recovery rates.
• Monitor and report on financial performance against approved plans and budgets; provide the Executive Director and Senior Management Team with timely, actionable financial analysis and risk insights.
• Lead the development, review and execution of financial management, grant management, cost allocation, procurement, and related policies for input by the Senior Management Team and approval by the Board.

Financial Management & Reporting

• Oversee all finance and accounting functions, including general ledger management, accounts payable and receivable, payroll, bank reconciliations, and month-end and year-end close processes.
• Manage treasury operations including foreign currency management, banking relationships, investment of institutional reserves, and maintenance of adequate liquidity across all country offices.
• Ensure the preparation and timely submission of accurate financial reports for the Board, Executive Director, donors, and statutory authorities, in compliance with applicable accounting standards (IFRS) and donor requirements.
• Present financial reports, budget updates, and risk assessments to the Board and Finance/Audit Committee on a regular basis; serve as a trusted financial adviser to Board-level governance structures.
• Coordinate and manage the annual external audit process, maintaining audit-readiness throughout the year and implementing audit recommendations in a timely manner.
• Ensure accurate and timely payroll processing and compliance with statutory deductions, tax obligations, and labour law requirements in Kenya and Malawi, and any other jurisdictions where AFIDEP operates.

Grants & Donor Compliance

• Provide oversight of the full grants management lifecycle — from award acceptance and budget activation through expenditure tracking, financial reporting, and grant close-out — ensuring strict adherence to donor-specific financial requirements.
• Extensive experience managing finances in a complex multi-donor environment, with knowledge of the requirements of bilateral, multilateral and private foundation donors.
• Oversee financial due diligence, contracting, monitoring, and capacity building for sub-grantees and implementing partners.
• Maintain strong, trust-based financial relationships with donors and partners, managing financial queries, facilitating donor financial reviews, and proactively communicating on budget variances or compliance matters.

Risk Management & Internal Controls

• Design, implement, and continuously improve financial and operational internal controls to safeguard institutional assets, prevent fraud and conflict of interest, and ensure compliance with applicable policies, laws, and regulations.
• Maintain an accurate and up-to-date institutional asset register; ensure appropriate insurance coverage for all institutional assets and operations.
• Lead the identification, assessment, and mitigation of financial and operational risks; maintain the institutional risk register and report risk status to the Senior Management Team and Board.
• Provide administrative line management to the Audit and Compliance Officer, supporting the effective functioning of the internal audit function while safeguarding its independence. Ensure timely implementation of internal audit recommendations.

Operations Management

• Provide strategic oversight of institutional administration, including facilities management, office operations, lease agreements, and vendor contracts across all AFIDEP offices.
• Ensure the development and consistent application of transparent, value-for-money procurement policies and procedures, including supplier prequalification, tendering, and contract management.
• Oversee AFIDEP's ICT infrastructure and systems, ensuring that technology investments support institutional effectiveness, data security, and business continuity.
• Lead the continuous development, refinement, and upgrading of financial and operational management policies and systems to ensure robust, efficient, and audit-ready institutional infrastructure.

Team Leadership & Development

• Recruit, lead, mentor, and develop the Finance and Operations team across all AFIDEP locations, fostering a high-performance, collaborative, and learning-oriented culture.
• Build the financial management and operational capacity of non-finance staff across the Institute, ensuring that programme teams understand and adhere to financial and compliance requirements.
• Identify and develop internal talent to ensure continuity of key finance and operations functions and build organisational resilience.

Working Conditions: The position will be based either in Lilongwe, Malawi or Nairobi, Kenya. Given its institute-wide mandate, the role requires regular travel to AFIDEP's other country offices and project sites across Africa. Travel is estimated at up to 20–25% of working time.

POSITION 2: GRANTS MANAGER

Department: Finance and Operations

Reports to: Head of Finance and Operations

Contract Type: Fixed-term – 2 years, renewable

KEY REQUIREMENTS

Essential:

• A Master's degree in Business Administration, Finance, Accounting, International Development or a related field.
• At least 5–7 years of relevant progressive experience in grants and contracts management, preferably within the NGO sector or donor-funded environment.
• Strong working knowledge of the compliance requirements of major donors.
• Demonstrated experience managing sub-grants or sub-contracts to partner organisations.
• Professional accounting or grants management qualification (e.g. CPA, ACCA, CIMA) is an added advantage.
• Excellent analytical, organisational and financial management skills, with high attention to detail.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to explain compliance requirements clearly to non-specialists.
• Proficiency in financial and grants management software and advanced Microsoft Excel skills.
• A collaborative, proactive approach and the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines under minimal supervision.

Desirable:

• Experience supporting internal and external audit processes, including donor financial reviews and statutory audits across multiple jurisdictions.
• Familiarity with grants and financial data systems, with an appreciation of data security and system controls relevant to grants management.
• Familiarity with staff costing as it relates to grant-funded staffing, including donor rules on staff costs, benefits and compliance.
• Experience with grants management platforms.
• Familiarity with procurement policies and processes as they relate to donor compliance and grant-funded purchases in an NGO context.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Grants Strategy

• Contribute to institutional planning by tracking the grants pipeline, funding gaps and renewal timelines across all projects and country offices.
• Develop and review budgets and budget narratives for new funding proposals, in collaboration with programme teams.
• Review donor solicitations and draft agreements to assess financial feasibility, flag unfavourable terms, and advise on cost structures and indirect cost recovery rates.
• Support the application of AFIDEP's cost allocation and indirect cost recovery methodology across new and existing grants.

Grants & Donor Compliance Management

• Lead the review and activation of new awards, ensuring donor terms and conditions are understood and translated into internal budgets and compliance checklists.
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of the compliance requirements of bilateral, multilateral and private foundation donors, and ensure grant implementation adheres to these at all times.
• Coordinate timely and compliant close-out of completed awards, including final financial reporting, asset disposition and documentation archiving.
• Serve as a key point of contact for donors on grants administration matters, managing financial queries and facilitating donor financial reviews.

Financial Monitoring & Reporting

• Track grant expenditure against approved budgets, flag variances, and work with project teams to ensure spending remains on track and within donor rules.
• Coordinate the preparation and timely submission of accurate financial reports to donors, in compliance with donor requirements and applicable accounting standards (IFRS).
• Provide the Finance and Programme leadership with timely, actionable analysis of grants portfolio performance, burn rates and compliance risks.
• Support internal and external audits related to grants and contracts, maintaining audit-ready documentation and helping implement audit recommendations.

Sub-Grants & Partner Management

• Lead financial and organisational due diligence assessments of prospective sub-grantees and implementing partners.
• Draft and manage sub-grant and sub-contract agreements, ensuring donor flow-down clauses are correctly applied.
• Track sub-grantee disbursements, review partner financial reports, and monitor compliance with agreed budgets and donor rules.
• Build the financial management and compliance capacity of sub-grantees and partner institutions through training and ongoing support.

Risk Management & Systems Development

• Identify, assess and escalate financial and compliance risks across the grants portfolio, and maintain an up-to-date grants risk log.
• Support the design and consistent application of internal controls over grant income, expenditure and sub-grant disbursements.
• Maintain an accurate, up-to-date grants tracking system and ensure accessible records of all active and closed awards.
• Contribute to the continuous review and improvement of AFIDEP's grants and sub-grants management policies and procedures.

POSITION 3: AUDIT & COMPLIANCE OFFICER

Reports To: Administratively to the Executive Director & Operations; Functionally to the Board Audit Committee

Direct Reports: None at appointment; potential to supervise staff as the function grows

Contract Type: Fixed-term contract — 2 years, renewable subject to funding and performance

KEY REQUIREMENTS

Essential:

• A Master's degree in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration, or a closely related field.
• A current, full professional certification is mandatory — CPA, ACCA, CIA, or equivalent. CIA certification (Certified Internal Auditor) is particularly desirable given the nature of this role.
• A minimum of 8 years' progressive professional experience in internal audit, financial management, or compliance, with at least 5 years in an international NGO, research organisation, or development institution operating within a multi-donor environment.
• Demonstrated, hands-on familiarity with complex multi-donor environment, with knowledge of the requirements of bilateral, multilateral and private foundation donors.
• Working knowledge of statutory and regulatory environments in Kenya and/or Malawi, including NGO governance, tax compliance, and relevant financial reporting obligations.
• Demonstrated experience designing and managing financial control systems or audit software within complex, multi-project environments; proficiency with ERP systems and advanced use of Microsoft Excel.
• Familiarity with recognised risk management frameworks such as COSO or ISO 31000, and experience maintaining institutional risk registers.
• Demonstrated working knowledge of IIA International Professional Practices Framework (IPPF) or equivalent internal audit standards.

Desirable:

• Experience in IT general controls review, ERP access management audits, or cybersecurity compliance assessments.
• Experience with grants management platforms.
• Prior experience working across multiple country offices or managing compliance in a geographically dispersed organisation.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Audit Planning & Management

• Develop and obtain Board Audit Committee approval for an annual internal audit plan based on a systematic risk assessment of the Institute's activities, projects, and processes.
• Lead and conduct audits in accordance with IIA standards, producing formal audit reports with clear findings, root causes, management responses, and agreed corrective actions and timelines.
• Track implementation of audit recommendations and escalate unresolved or high-risk findings to the Board Audit Committee.

Financial & Accounting Compliance

• Conduct rigorous audits of all financial records to ensure compliance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), AFIDEP's financial policies, and applicable statutory requirements in Kenya and Malawi.
• Demonstrate hands-on familiarity with complex multi-donor environment, with knowledge of the requirements of bilateral, multilateral and private foundation donors.
• Evaluate, monitor, and recommend improvements to financial and operational internal controls to safeguard institutional assets and prevent fraud, waste, and abuse.

Risk Management

• Maintain and periodically update AFIDEP's institutional risk register using recognised frameworks (e.g. COSO, ISO 31000), and work with management to ensure appropriate risk mitigation measures are in place.
• Establish and communicate fraud risk policies and whistleblower mechanisms; lead or support investigations into suspected financial irregularities.
• Identify and curate relevant financial data and evidence to maintain internal risk and compliance tracking systems.

Systems & Operational Review

• Evaluate the design and operating effectiveness of AFIDEP's financial management and ERP systems, including IT general controls and access management, to ensure data integrity and security.
• Design and operationalise tools, standard operating procedures (SOPs), and processes to ensure institutional policies are consistently applied across all departments and country offices.
• Identify inefficiencies and recommend process improvements that strengthen value for money across institutional operations.

Governance & Reporting

• Monitor and ensure compliance with applicable statutory and regulatory requirements in all countries where the Institute is registered (currently Kenya and Malawi, USA), including NGO regulations, tax obligations, and labour law provisions relevant to AFIDEP's operations.

Capacity Building

• Design and deliver targeted, practical training for staff across all departments to build sustainable in-house understanding of financial compliance, internal controls, and accountability requirements.
• Promote a culture of proactive compliance and ethical conduct across the Institute, acting as a visible champion for accountability standards.

HOW TO APPLY (FOR ALL POSITIONS)

Interested candidates should submit the following to:

Email: recruitment@afidep.org

Please state the position title in the subject line of your email:

• "Head of Finance and Operations"
• "Grants Manager"
• "Audit & Compliance Officer"

A cover letter (maximum 2 pages) clearly articulating your suitability for the role, with specific reference to relevant experience.

A detailed curriculum vitae including three professional referees with current contact details.

Application Deadline: 11th September 2026

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and early submission is encouraged.

AFIDEP is an Equal Opportunity Employer, and qualified women are strongly encouraged to apply. AFIDEP does not charge a fee at any stage of the recruitment process.