Head of Finance & Grants

Job Title: Head of Finance and Grants

Job Summary

The Head of Finance and Grants will serve as a strategic leader responsible for driving excellence in financial management, overseeing complex grants administration, and spearheading investment mobilization initiatives. This role demands advanced expertise in private sector engagement, blended finance structures, and innovative investment approaches to unlock new funding streams, strengthen organizational sustainability, and scale program impact. By combining rigorous financial oversight with the ability to design and manage partnerships that leverage both donor resources and commercial capital, the Head of Finance and Grants will ensure that the organization remains compliant, resilient, and positioned as a leader in advancing inclusive, market-driven development.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Financial Leadership & Systems Governance (30%)

• Provide visionary leadership in aligning financial strategies with organizational priorities, ensuring long-term sustainability and growth.
• Drive resource mobilization through donor funding, private sector partnerships, and blended finance instruments, while overseeing robust financial planning, forecasting, and investment strategies.
• Establish and enforce internal controls, compliance frameworks, and enterprise risk management processes that safeguard assets and maintain donor confidence.
• Integrate modern financial technologies, approaches, and solutions, strengthening staff capacity and fostering transparency with stakeholders.
• Position the organization as both a strategic architect of financial sustainability and a guardian of governance systems—balancing innovation in finance with accountability and resilience.
• Provide strategic oversight of financial operations, ensuring accurate financial data management.
• Ensure effective governance of financial systems (ERP/PeopleSoft), workflows, and data integrity.
• Develop, review, and strengthen financial policies, procedures, and operational systems.
• Oversee treasury, cash management, and accounts payable processes to ensure liquidity and operational continuity — including timely collection from donors and management of partner and other advances.
• Ensure timely and accurate financial reporting to management, donors, and partners.
• Maintain compliance with CARE policies, donor regulations, and Government of Kenya.

Budgeting, Forecasting & Financial Sustainability (25%)

• Annual Budget Development: Lead the preparation of organizational and program budgets, ensuring alignment with strategic priorities and donor requirements.
• Participatory Budgeting: Engage program teams and stakeholders in the budgeting process to enhance ownership and accuracy.
• Cost Efficiency: Identify opportunities to optimize resource allocation and reduce overheads without compromising program quality.
• Financial Forecasting Models: Develop and maintain dynamic forecasting tools to anticipate revenue flows, expenditure patterns, and funding gaps.
• Scenario Planning: Use predictive analysis to model best-case, worst-case, and most-likely financial scenarios.
• Donor Pipeline Tracking: Monitor grant pipelines and private sector commitments to forecast cash flow and liquidity needs.
• Diversified Funding: Drive strategies to balance donor grants with private sector investments, blended finance, and internally generated revenue.
• Resilience Building: Establish reserves and contingency funds to cushion against shocks such as donor withdrawal or economic downturns.
• Value for Money: Implement frameworks to measure efficiency, effectiveness, and impact of financial resource use.
• Innovation in Finance: Explore impact investment, social enterprise models, and partnerships that generate sustainable income streams.
• Financial Planning: Lead country-wide financial planning, budgeting, and forecasting to strengthen financial sustainability and strategic decision-making.
• Country Office Oversight: Maintain oversight of the Country Office Master Budget and lead forecasting to identify funding gaps early.
• Monitoring & Evaluation: Monitor cost recovery and financial health, including Shared Program Costs and support costs.
• Risk Management: Conduct financial risk analysis and trend monitoring to inform senior management decisions.
• Financial Advisory: Advise the Country Director and SMT on resource availability, scenario planning, and strategies to avoid financial deficits or cost overruns.
• Support medium- to long-term financial viability through multi-year financial strategies aligned with program ambitions and donor commitments.

Awards, Compliance & Partnership Financial Stewardship (25%)

• Grant Lifecycle Oversight: Lead the full cycle of awards management, from proposal budgeting and negotiation to implementation, monitoring, and closeout.
• Donor Reporting: Ensure timely, accurate, and compliant financial reporting to donors, highlighting impact and accountability.
• Audit Readiness: Maintain systems and documentation that meet donor and external audit standards.
• Regulatory Adherence: Guarantee compliance with international donor requirements and local statutory laws.
• Policy Enforcement: Implement and monitor organizational policies on procurement, financial controls, and ethical standards.
• Risk Mitigation: Identify and address compliance risks proactively to protect organizational reputation and funding streams.
• Capacity Strengthening: Build financial management capacity of local partners, ensuring they meet donor and organizational standards.
• Transparent Collaboration: Establish clear financial agreements, reporting mechanisms, and accountability frameworks with implementing partners.
• Shared Value Creation: Align financial stewardship with programmatic goals, ensuring partnerships deliver both impact and sustainability.
• Monitoring & Evaluation: Monitor grant budgets, expenditures, and cost recovery to ensure effective utilization of donor resources.
• Timely Reporting: Ensure timely, accurate, and transparent donor financial reporting.
• Integrity Due Diligence Processes: Lead financial due diligence and risk assessments for implementing partners.
• Coordinate and support statutory, internal, and donor audits related to grants.
• Strengthen financial management capacity of partners and staff to ensure compliance and accountability.

Finance Team Leadership & Organizational Capacity (15%)

• Team Management: Lead and develop a high-performing, inclusive finance team, fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Staffing: Together with HR, ensure effective staffing, recruitment, and deployment of finance staff across programs; support talent development, succession planning, and skills strengthening.
• Key Performance Management: Lead performance management, coaching, and professional development initiatives.
• Training: Promote financial literacy and accountability among finance and non-finance staff.
• Strategy Management: Contribute to country strategy development.

Other Responsibilities

• Perform other assigned responsibilities as needed.

Qualifications

Education

• Master’s Degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, Business Administration, or a related field.
• Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Management, or a related field.
• Fully Certified Public Accountant (CPA and/or ACCA) and in good standing with ICPAK.

Experience

• 10+ years of progressive finance and grants management experience, with at least 5 years in senior leadership.
• Proven track record managing multi-donor portfolios (USAID, EU, UN, DFID, World Bank, Global Fund, etc.).
• Experience structuring partnerships with banks, investors, and corporates (private sector engagement).
• Demonstrated ability to design and manage facilities combining grants, concessional loans, and private capital (blended finance expertise).
• Strong background in internal controls, risk management, and statutory compliance.
• At least 7–10 years of progressive financial leadership experience.
• Strong NGO financial management background with experience managing donor-funded projects.
• Proven private-sector experience in corporate finance, investment, or consulting.
• Familiarity with financial regulations and government/donor reporting requirements.
• Country Office experience and knowledge of relevant donor financial policies (e.g., USAID, EU) is an advantage.

Technical Skills

• Advanced accounting and financial management knowledge.
• Strong analytical skills, financial problem-solving, and sound judgment in complex and non-recurring situations.
• Expertise in ERP systems (SAP, Oracle, Microsoft Dynamics) and other financial software applications.
• Proficiency in IFRS, GAAP, and donor compliance frameworks.
• Financial modeling, forecasting, and scenario planning.
• Proficiency in use of AI tools.
• Web-based financial system experience, including PeopleSoft/ERP, is preferred.

Core Competencies

• Strategic Financial Leadership: Aligning financial strategies with organizational priorities.
• Systems Governance: Establishing robust internal controls and compliance frameworks.
• Budgeting & Forecasting: Leading annual budgeting processes and multi-year financial projections.
• Partnership Stewardship: Building financial capacity of local partners and ensuring accountability.
• Innovation in Finance: Leveraging impact investment, social enterprise models, and digital finance tools.
• Excellent leadership, coaching, and negotiation skills with the ability to inspire and develop teams.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to influence senior stakeholders and build cross-functional partnerships.
• High degree of integrity, financial accountability, and commitment to CARE’s values and mission.