Finance and Administration Manager

Job Description

The International Education Funders Group (IEFG) is looking for a Finance and Administration Manager.

This is an exciting time to join the IEFG. The successful candidate in this position will join a small but dynamic team looking ahead to evolve IEFG’s offer to its membership in line with the ambition and potential of education philanthropy. We seek a team member who comes with ideas, drive and experience of growing a small organisation to meet the needs of its users. IEFG is maturing, and needs a capable, experienced individual to develop and maintain robust administrative and financial systems, processes and policies, and to ensure that the organisation meets its reporting obligations both to our funders and our fiscal sponsor.

The position-holder will be responsible for (i) leading IEFG financial management; (ii) growing the revenue of IEFG towards a sustainable funding strategy (IEFG currently relies on voluntary contributions from members); and (iii) risk management. These activities form the foundation upon which IEFG can work effectively and efficiently.

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SPECIFIC ACCOUNTABILITIES

1. Lead IEFG financial management, responsible for:

• Managing the process for building and reprofiling IEFG’s annual budget;
• Forecasting, tracking and reporting on IEFG’s annual budget to the Steering Committee and our fiscal sponsor;
• Monitoring IEFG’s balances and cashflow across multiple foreign currencies;
• Securing and processing voluntary member contributions from across the 100+ IEFG network (including receipting);
• Managing grants, and relationships with our funders and suppliers (e.g. technology suppliers);
• Following our fiscal sponsor’s finance procedures and working with their
  accounting team to ensure the IEFG accounts are accurate and up-to-date (e.g. posting IEFG expenditure on Xero; ensuring coding is accurate).

2. Lead the implementation of a sustainable funding strategy for IEFG, responsible for:

• Implementing IEFG’s medium-term fundraising strategy, including coordinating grant applications for restricted and unrestricted funding;
• Supporting the expansion of IEFG membership, including on-boarding new members;
• Working closely with the Executive Director to test and evolve the fundraising strategy into a long-term model that reduces IEFG dependence upon voluntary member contributions.

3. Lead risk management and mitigation, responsible for:

• Building, maintaining and evolving a risk register for IEFG;
• Ensuring IEFG operates robust internal controls;
• Keeping up to date with relevant laws, regulations and good practice;
• Working with our fiscal sponsor to ensure IEFG staff are trained to ensure understanding of their legal and regulatory obligations;

4. Support across IEFG Secretariat team responsibilities, to:

• Lead representation of IEFG on operations to our fiscal sponsor.
• Support the Executive Director in compiling and sending out SC and subcommittee papers and takes minutes as required.
• Join weekly Secretariat meetings and semi-regular Away Days.
• Take joint responsibility with the Secretariat for maintaining strong filing systems and good diary management.

The candidate will be required to travel at least once a year to IEFG events, dependent upon COVID-related travel restrictions.

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PERSON SPECIFICATION

Essential:

• Five or more years’ experience of financial and programme management (budgeting and financial administration, preferably in the not-for-profit sector and preferably involving foreign currency transactions).
• Experience taking an entrepreneurial approach to an innovative fundraising strategy, preferably in the not-for-profit sector.
• Experience of developing and implementing organisational policies (e.g. risk);
• Able to communicate clearly, verbally and in writing and both formally and informally.
• Logical and practical approach to tasks. Excellent organisational skills, attention to detail and ability to work to deadlines.
• Excellent interpersonal skills including sensitivity to cultural communication differences.
• Ability to handle confidential donor information with integrity and complete discretion.
• Working knowledge of Xero and CRM software (e.g. MemberClicks or EveryAction).

Desirable:

• Experience working in a start-up or small organisation, as part of a small team in which everyone feeds into strategic thinking and supports each other.
• Experience writing successful grant applications to philanthropic organisations.
• Ability to work independently with a team across diverse geographic settings.
• Experience in working within or with different organisational models, preferably those that have diversified income streams.

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HOW TO APPLY

Please send your CV (including names/contacts of two references) and a cover letter outlining why you are interested and what makes you the best candidate for this role to Gordana Kelava by 21st January 2022.
If shortlisted, we will invite you to a panel interview in early February 2022, and to complete a short written exercise on a financial management task. We aim to appoint someone who can start in March
2022.

About the Organization

The International Education Funders Group (IEFG) is an affinity network of foundations and donor advised funds that support basic education in the Global South (low and middle-income countries). In lay-person’s terms, the IEFG is like an international industry association, helping our members who are grantmakers learn from each other, exchange information and network, and strengthen their work and knowledge in the field. The IEFG is not a grantmaker itself, nor does it engage in advocacy. Its purpose is to help its members (grantmakers) have a stronger voice and impact in education by improving their strategic analyses and thinking, informing and assisting their grantmaking, and providing opportunities for collective learning and action.

The IEFG has no formal office. Members of the Secretariat work from their respective homes/chosen offices in various countries, across time zones. There are three other members to the current Secretariat, in addition to this role. Legally and financially, the IEFG has a fiscal sponsor based in the United Kingdom (Global Dialogue). If the successful candidate is based outside the UK, they will be offered comparative compensation either through a consultancy contract, or through an Employer of Record.

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