Head of Operations and Finance at Gatsby Africa

Job Title:                             Head of Operations and Finance

Reports to:                         Tanzania Country Director

Functional reporting to:         Operations Director (UK), Head of Finance (UK)

Direct Reports: HR and Administration Manager; Finance Manager; Finance, Administration and Logistics Officer

Location: Dar es Salaam with regular presence in Mwanza and occasional regional and international travel.

In 1967 David Sainsbury wrote out a cheque for five pounds to establish the Gatsby Charitable Foundation. Lord Sainsbury has since given Gatsby more than £1 billion to distribute to charitable causes in fields he is passionate about, including neuroscience, plant science and public policy. More information can be found at www.gatsby.org.uk. Gatsby Africa is the charitable company set-up to implement the foundation’s programmes in Africa. Our 120+ staff work from offices in Dar es Salaam, Mwanza, Iringa, Nairobi and London.

GATSBY’S WORK IN AFRICA

Gatsby has worked to create jobs, raise incomes and build opportunities for people in Africa since 1985.We are currently focused on East Africa, where economies have enjoyed high growth for more than a decade, but where the benefits of that growth have not been shared widely. With millions of young people joining the labour market each year and climate change adding further pressures, East Africa urgently needs economic transformation – growth with depth that will radically change economies, rapidly create jobs and offer large numbers of people pathways out of poverty.

We aim to support this by demonstrating how high-potential sectors – such as commercial forestry in Tanzania – can be transformed to benefit more people for the long-term. We fund and implement programmes that look to catalyse and influence large-scale and lasting change in priority sectors. We build and support local organisations dedicated to sector transformation. We also share what we are learning with others – such as governments and donors – who share our goals.

Our programmes include:

• Tanzanian Cotton & Textiles: Rapidly creating tens of thousands of decent textiles jobs while ensuring more than 500,000 cotton farmers can access the quality inputs and training they need to improve agronomy, increase yields and raise quality.
• Tanzanian Forestry: Building a vibrant commercial forestry sector that underpins downstream wood and energy industries and delivers widespread economic, social and environmental benefits to Tanzanian citizens.
• Kenyan Forestry: Introducing innovative technologies and models to transform Kenya’s commercial forestry sector, protect the environment and benefit millions of Kenyan citizens.
• Tanzanian Tea: Triggering domestic and foreign investment by building partnerships and demonstrating innovative models that boost the profits of farmers and factories and see
  benefits shared more equitably.
• Rwandan Tea: Trialling new ownership structures and methods of supporting farmers to allow the sector to fulfil its world-class potential, while ensuring smallholders benefit from its growth. We have also developed and continue to support two independent organisations dedicated to sector transformation in the region, and governed, managed and staffed by East Africans: Kenya Markets Trust (which runs programmes in three key Kenyan sectors), and the regional industry development organisation Msingi, which works in aquaculture and textiles & apparel.

The Role

The Head of Finance and Operations for the Tanzania Branch will play several crucial roles. The position will be responsible for financial and operational leadership, delivery, enhancing branch and organisational communications, and contributing to branch and programme decision-making, including providing strategic guidance on all operational matters. The Head of Finance and Operations will lead the day-to-day operations and finance function (finance, HR, health, safety and security, collaborations, logistics and procurement, IT and technology). This will include managing the branch’s Senior Operations and Finance staff and supporting their development, plus collaborating on relevant cross-cutting initiatives with our offices in Nairobi and London. The position will also manage operational risk and reporting on behalf of the branch.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Educated to at least degree level with relevant qualifications in Finance, Management, and Compliance and/or as a Certified Public Secretary.
• Professional accountancy qualification – CPA, ACCA, CA or equivalent .

EXPERIENCE

• A minimum of 10 years’ diverse work experience, ideally in both private and not-for- profit environments.
• A strong track record of successfully leading projects with multiple workstreams and a complex range of stakeholders.

SKILLS

• Experience of leading a finance function in a private or public sector organisation.
• In-depth knowledge of Tanzanian regulatory law and compliance requirements, and a good understanding of HR and employment issues.
• Understanding of the Tanzanian context and political economy, with an existing network of contacts.
• A proven track record of strong management skills, building teams and systems, and working within a complex, fast-paced professional environment.
• A proven relationship builder with strong stakeholder engagement skills.
• A self-starter with the ability to generate ideas and translate them into working practice.
• Excellent judgement with an ability to think through different courses of action and make pragmatic, practical decisions.
• Ability to explain financial matters to non-specialists.
• Thinks strategically and laterally to provide innovative solutions to challenges.
• Fluency in English and Kiswahili, both written and verbal.

PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES

• Empathises with GA’s mission and values and brings both a commitment to African development and an understanding of the development landscape.
• Integrity and professionalism, setting and demonstrating the highest ethical and moral standards, and displaying a strong sense of personal accountability.
• Approachable and authoritative, with excellent listening and influencing skills. Able to hold the line when needed.
• Maintains discretion and confidentiality when appropriate.
• Able to travel within East Africa and to London when required

• Operational Risk Management and Reporting
• Leadership, Communication and Coordination
• Operations Team Development and Relationships
• Financial Management and Reporting
• HR Management and Reporting
• Security Management
• Procurement and Logistics
• Information Management and Technology

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Closing Date: 18th October 2020