Director, Finance & Administration

To apply, please visit our Careers page at: https://www.akashinga.org/careers

DIRECTOR, FINANCE & ADMINISTRATION | AKASHINGA

Department: Finance & Administration

Reports To: Chief Executive Officer

Location: Remote. Preference will be given to candidates residing in the United States. Candidates based outside the U.S. may be considered if they can demonstrate extensive experience working at U.S. 501(c)(3) organizations and are able to maintain substantial overlap with U.S. business hours. Periodic travel to Southern Africa is required.

Contract Type: Full-time Salary: Compensation is based on experience and benchmarked against local market data within a comparable leadership band, while also aligned with a global compensation framework to ensure internal equity and consistency across regions.

To apply, please email your resume and cover letter to: careers@akashinga.org

WHY THIS ROLE EXISTS

Akashinga is a global nonprofit entering a focused phase of institutional strengthening, investing in the governance, systems, and financial infrastructure required to sustain and scale a proven conservation model. We are seeking a Director of Finance & Administration to lead this work, strengthening compliance and ensuring our financial systems match the ambition and scale of our mission.

This role is critical to providing oversight and continuity across our global finance and administrative systems, ensuring consistency, alignment, transparency, and accountability across both US and Africa-based operations. It is a unique opportunity to enhance the financial and administrative infrastructure of a mission-driven organisation operating on a global scale. For a high-performing leader, it offers significant opportunity for expanded scope and responsibility.

ABOUT AKASHINGA

Founded in 2009, Akashinga is a global nonprofit delivering community-driven conservation across Southern Africa. We partner with local communities to protect ecosystems while advancing women-led economic opportunity and leadership.

Akashinga's primary programmes operate across Zimbabwe and Mozambique, with partnership and funding relationships extending to Botswana and Namibia, protecting more than 13 million acres. Our workforce of 400+ employees is 98% locally staffed and 63% female, with US-based development & fundraising, brand & marketing, HR, management, and finance teams.

NON-NEGOTIABLE EXPERIENCE

Please note that applications will only be considered from candidates with direct, hands-on nonprofit accounting experience as described below.

• 8+ years of progressive leadership experience, including at least 5 years in a finance, administration, or operations leadership role with a U.S. 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Experience working exclusively with in-country NGOs or non-U.S. nonprofit entities does not meet this requirement.
• Direct, hands-on leadership of US nonprofit accounting under GAAP and IRS compliance, including external audits, IRS Form 990 preparation, and management of donor-restricted funds.
• Strong understanding of the accounting treatment for pledges, restricted funding, and donor-designated revenue.
• Leadership of organisation-wide budgeting, forecasting, cash flow management, and resource planning across multiple countries and currencies, to support financial sustainability and informed decision-making.
• Experience overseeing cross-functional administrative and organisational systems in a multi-country environment, leading through managers.
• Proven ability to translate strategic priorities into administrative and operational systems, partnering with senior leadership on strategy, risk management, and organisational planning.
• Experience building alignment, accountability, and consistent standards across geographically dispersed teams and functions.

WHAT YOU WILL LEAD

Financial Leadership, Integrity & Compliance

• Lead multi-country budgeting, forecasting, cash flow planning, and financial modelling across teams and regions.
• Oversee financial reporting and improve visibility into key performance indicators for leadership and Board decision-making.
• Build and refine scalable financial systems, processes, and controls to support organisational growth and transparency.
• Serve as the organisation's primary financial authority, with ownership of financial policies, controls, systems, and risk management.
• Own US nonprofit accounting under GAAP, including month- and year-end close, ensuring compliance with IRS and state regulations, donor requirements, and applicable country regulations.
• Lead IRS Form 990 preparation and annual external audit, targeting a clean opinion each year.
• Oversee multi-entity and, where applicable, multi-currency financial operations.

Administration, Systems & Organisational Effectiveness

• Provide global oversight of administrative and organisational systems, ensuring they support programme delivery at scale.
• Partner with leadership to ensure financial planning, resource allocation, and administrative systems align with the 2026-2030 strategic plan.
• Identify gaps, inefficiencies, and bottlenecks across financial and administrative systems and workflows, and lead process improvements that strengthen organisational effectiveness.
• Oversee vendor relationships, contracts, and service agreements, ensuring effective governance and alignment with organisational needs.
• Work closely with the Systems team to ensure core tools and platforms support accurate financial reporting and informed decision-making across global operations.

Executive & Board Partnership

• As part of the Steering Committee and Leadership Team, strategically guide the organisation's financial and administrative functions, ensuring resources are aligned with long-term organisational goals and operational priorities.
• Prepare and deliver Board-ready reporting, insights, dashboards, and analysis.
• Translate complex financial and organisational data into clear, decision-ready information for non-financial leaders.

Team Leadership & Organisational Capacity

• Lead, mentor, and develop internal finance and administrative teams across multiple geographies, building local leadership capacity and a culture of accountability.
• Build high-performing, accountable, and collaborative teams aligned to organisational priorities.
• Standardise workflows, SOPs, and accountability structures to support consistency and scale.
• Ensure effective adoption of tools and systems (e.g., QuickBooks, DocuSign, ClickUp, Microsoft 365, and other core platforms).
• Oversee Finance, HR, and Systems, and partner cross-functionally with leadership to strengthen organisational effectiveness and readiness for future scale.

Donor & Grant Stewardship

• Ensure accurate tracking, reporting, and stewardship of donor-restricted funds, grants, and pledges, with 100% on-time, accurate donor and grant financial reporting.
• Partner with Development to build donor budgets, forecasts, and financial reports.
• Develop cost-effectiveness, fundraising impact, and resource utilisation metrics.

KEY DELIVERABLES

Within the first 12-18 months, the Director of Finance & Administration will deliver:

• Clean, on-time annual audits and full regulatory compliance, including IRS Form 990 and strong internal control standards, with zero material findings.
• Reliable, decision-ready financial reporting for the CEO, Steering Committee, Leadership Team, and Board, with timely month-end close.
• Consistent budgeting, forecasting, and cash flow management processes aligned to strategic priorities and supporting proactive decision-making.
• Strengthened oversight, alignment, and accountability across US, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe finance operations.
• Clear ownership, documentation, and standardisation of core financial processes, systems, and key vendor and service agreements.
• Improved coordination and efficiency across country programmes through stronger planning, controls, and cross-functional alignment.
• Accurate, compliant donor and grant financial reporting, with strong stewardship of restricted funds, pledges, and donor commitments.
• Scalable systems, workflows, and SOPs supporting organisational growth and multi-country effectiveness.
• A high-performing finance function with clear roles, accountability, and leadership capacity to support future expansion.

This is not a back-office role. It is a leadership position that directly enables frontline conservation. The Director of Finance & Administration ensures that our teams in the field have the systems, resources, and support they need to deliver impact every day.

OUR VALUES & HOW WE LEAD

We seek leaders who demonstrate courage, act with integrity, build strong partnerships, take ownership of their responsibilities, and are committed to unlocking the potential of others.

HOW TO APPLY

To be considered for this role, please email your resume and cover letter to: careers@akashinga.org

Akashinga is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, colour, religion, national origin, ancestry, sex, age, disability, or status as a disabled veteran.

www.akashinga.org

Akashinga offers a competitive benefits package tailored to each candidate's location. Full details will be shared during the first round of interviews.

English — Fluent (required)