A finance manager in South Sudan

International development is as much a business as it is a labor of love, and chances are you won’t choose your next assignment based on the money. That said, compensation is an important part of human resources management, and comprehensive data on salaries and benefits is hard to come by. That’s why Devex is shedding light on the salaries and work of those holding jobs that international development organizations commonly hire for. It’s part of our mission to help aid professionals do good and make informed decisions about their careers. Today’s spotlight is on an internationally hired finance manager working for an NGO in South Sudan. - Position title: finance manager - Seniority: senior level - Position type: full time - Year: 2013 - Salary: roughly $3,500 monthly - Benefits: medical insurance, accommodation, transport, five days R&R every eight weeks - Sample tasks: manage finances on a day-to-day basis, provide senior management support on all aspects of financial management, performs quarterly cash flow forecasts, payment requests and monthly bank reconciliations, monitor, maintain and further develop appropriate financial controls and systems, train and support partners on all related financial matters - Key qualifications for the job: bachelor’s degree in accounting or finance, proactive, multi-tasking South Sudan foreign aid job market As the world’s newest nation, South Sudan has massive development needs. The World Bank notes that “without a history of formal institutions, rules or administration accepted as legitimate by its society, South Sudan must build its institutions from scratch.” Humanitarian needs are also staggering. For 2013, the United Nations set a goal of $1.16 billion to help 4.6 million in the African country, including 2.3 million needing food assistance. Organizations working in South Sudan have expressed a need for experts in emergency response as well as program management, field coordination and monitoring and evaluation for projects in a wide range of sectors including agriculture, health, and water and sanitation. Check out vacancies in South Sudan and for ”finance managers”. Compensation isn’t everything The details provided in this article were derived from a survey of select development workers stationed in various parts of the globe. Due to the sensitivity of the information, we are keeping the respondents’ identities and organizations confidential. Compensation varies greatly from one job, country or organization to another. Even for the same position, differences in remuneration occur based on educational background, experience and an applicant’s most recent salary, an organization’s need and the sector it operates in, as well as whether it is hiring locally or internationally. Also, some organizations offer more generous benefit packages than others, or they offer perks such as regular travel, training or other career development services that should not be discounted. For senior-level international hires, in particular, benefits such as housing and education allowances often amount to tens of thousands of dollars per year. At the end of the day, aid workers tell us that the chance to help alleviate suffering and lift people out of poverty are well worth any pay cut they may have encountered switching from the private sector. Read more Devex Salary Spotlights.