Director of Finance and Administration

Children of the Nations is a duly registered NGO in Malawi with a mission to raise children who transform Nations. It partners with nationals to provide Christ-centered care for orphaned and destitute children, enabling them to create a positive and lasting change in their nations In order to fulfill its vision effectively and excellently, a rare opportunity has risen to engage qualified persons of Malawian origin to fill the post tenable at its head office in Lilongwe. COTN therefore, invites applications from suitable candidates to fill the position of Director of Finance and Administration on a fixed term employment contract.

Main purpose of the position

Primary Function: Work with COTN national staff to establish strategy, procedure and organizational guidelines to implement finance and administration standards and procedures for staff and all stakeholders.

Secondary Function: Liaison with internal and external stakeholders to empower national staff through training, meetings, workshops and seminars to implement finance and administration initiatives in all COTN centers in Malawi.

The Finance and Administration Director is a member of the Management Team and reports to the Country Director. The incumbent is responsible for ensuring that the accounting and internal control systems are operating all the time and that financial and other reports are produced in a timely manner.

Main duties and responsibilities

• Managing the Finance Department and providing leadership, guidance and direction in planning and execution of all financial activities.
• Provision of ongoing financial and administrative support to COTN and its programmes, as well as to the Board of Trustees, to ensure that COTN is able to implement its work plans;
• Provision of necessary support policies, procedures and donor guidelines in the management, finandal, administrative and human resource areas are properly implemented and in a timely marner;
• Communicating with and answering queries raised by the Board of trustees, management and donors concerning financial and administrative matters;
• Obtaining monthly funding requirements from various COTN departments and making reasonable monthly cash requirement forecasts to ensure the coordinating activities of COTN are not slowed down due to inadequate funding in the accounts maintained by COTN;
• Developing, implementing and maintaining a sound accounting and financial management and control systems that ensures proper records and controls resulting in accuracy and reliability of finandal information;
• Production of annual accounts and providing technical assistance to the external auditors;
• Production of accurate monthly, quarterly and annual financial management accounts in compliance with the generally accepted accounting practices (GAAPs) for use in decision-making by management;

• Coordinating the data processing function and maintaining an efficient computerized accounting system;
• Implementing expansion of COTN revenue base through fadlitation of project proposal writing for relevant grants to supplement Head Office funds
• Maintenance of the fixed asset register and physically checking their existence ensuring that the assets are safe and used only for the furtherance of the objectives of the organization;
• Coordinating the preparation and where necessary revise annual budgets and consolidate thereof and providing all heads of departments with approved budgets;
• Manage and supervise day to day activities of the finance and odministration department;
• Networking with relevant stakeholders
• Regularly visiting COTN centers, orphans and destitute groups and staff in the centers and other stakeholders for financial management checks
• Active participation in management and board meetings, as well as weekly meetings with the Country Director or his/her appointee.
• Providing continuous institutional and on-the-job training to ensure that accounting personnel maintain leading edge skills at all times.

Skills, qualifications and experience

• Excellent communication skills, able to effectively capture and convey corporate ideas
• Experience and ability to work in a flexible and cross-cultural environment
• Post graduate degree in finance and accounting, business administration or strategic management, ACCA/CIMA, Bachelor’s degree in Accounting/Business Administration with more than 7 years’ experience working in a senior management position. A member of ACCA, CIMA and ICAM
• Experience working with Children from troubled backgrounds will be an added advantage.
• Knowledge and experience in implementing Child Safeguarding/ protection polices
• A proactive person who is able to work independently and at the same time a good team player
• Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to work independently
• Mature born-again Christian who has the potential to provide spiritual counselling and parental advice when need be.
• Knowledge in the use of Quick Books or any accounting pockage os well as Microsoft word, Excel etc.

Interested candidates are requested to submit their application letter and a comprehensive curriculum vitae, copies of their qualifications, contact details and three traceable referees of which one must be a previous supervisor to: gideonmonjeza@cotni.org copy pikekaminyoghe@cotni.org. or if it’s by hand to: The Human Resources Officer, Children of the Nations, P.O. Box 1205, not later than 4th July 2025, Thursday, 4:00pm.