Country Finance Manager at International Alert

The purpose of this role is to lead International Alert Nigeria’s finance function, providing strategic financial leadership and oversight to ensure sound financial management, compliance, and sustainability of the country programme. The Finance Manager will manage the finance team and assume overall responsibility for financial planning, reporting, internal controls, and regulatory compliance in line with Nigerian laws and International Alert’s global policies and procedures.

International Alert Nigeria implements peacebuilding and conflict prevention programmes across multiple states, contributing to inclusive peace processes, strengthened social cohesion, improved governance, and enhanced conflict analysis and response. The Nigeria portfolio comprises grants from a range of institutional donors and partners and continues to evolve in scale and complexity.

The Finance Manager works closely with the Country Director, Programme team and Senior Management Team (SMT), supporting programme delivery through strong financial stewardship, oversight of partner financial management, and ensuring accuracy, transparency, and accountability in all financial and operational processes. The role plays a key part in strategic decision-making, risk management, and organisational growth within the Nigeria country programme.

Duties and Responsibilities

Manage Alert Nigeria financial systems including oversight and compliance 

• Assume overall responsibility for donor financial reporting, ensuring compliance with any legislative and donor requirements – including inter alia reports, forecasts, and projections. 
• Ensure that the accounting package Microsoft Business Centra (Dynamic 365) is maintained in a proper manner and utilized in an appropriate & effective manner. This will include uploading the monthly accounts and then running the subsequent reports.
• Establish & maintain a donor financial management system to optimize funding & to ensure efficient & accurate reporting to donors.
• Maintain an effective & efficient system of internal controls which comply with Alert financial guidelines or policies. 
• Maintain a strong control environment, ensuring accounting records are complete and accurate.
• Lead on the development of financial process and systems, contributing to more effective financial control and adding real value to Country program.
• Ensure that the country financial operations comply with legal & statutory requirements e.g. audit & financial reporting to all relevant national authorities.
• Be the focal point for any internal or external audits – including provision of supporting documentation. 
• Ensure office accounts are maintained in accordance with Alert’s finance systems and donor requirements.
• Ensure monthly financial reports as well as expenditure forecasts / cash-flows are produced in timely fashion.
• Ensure Alert’s tax payments and other statutory obligations such are administered in accordance with Nigeria law.
• Ensure adequate controls over cash and bank management are constantly monitored and updated to minimise the risk of fraud and misappropriation.
• Ensure that all financial records & accounts are compiled timely, accurately and in line with international accounting standards & donor regulations.
• Ensure that sufficient funds are maintained in bank and cash accounts and initiate requests to Head Office for additional funds.
• Ensure that all expenses are authorized in line with Nigeria procurement manual, with correct segregation of duties, and efficiently processed.
• Provide senior level advice, information and analysis to the Country Director, the SMT, Budget-holders, and Managers on all aspects of programme financial and management.
• Provide technical financial advice and expertise where required. 
• Coach and support Project Managers in interpreting financial information to enable them to make decisions based on financial reports.
• Assume overall responsibility for developing and maintaining the Nigeria Country Budget – including identifying funding gaps and proposing pro-active solution to managing those gaps. 
• Review and revise the Country and Project Budgets [latter in conjunction with Project Managers] as required by the Alert budget cycle [revised at least twice per year]. 
• Support the SMT by developing new project budgets as required.
• Provide the Country Management team with an opinion on the ability of Alert to meet any financial contractual obligations.
• Provide training to staff across the country program in relation to financial policies and procedures, including those within Microsoft Business Central.
• Assist in the induction and orientation of country staff with regards to Alert Nigeria finance systems. 

Line-management 

• Direct line management responsibility of Finance Officer
• Participate in the effective and efficient management of the Alert Nigeria programme and contribute to its organisational development.
• Support NGO partners in the development of sound finance systems and the management of funds, as required.
• Contribute to strategy at country level around partner capacity building. 
• Liaise closely with the Finance Business Partner (FBP), International Accountant and Alert’s Finance team in London, ensuring streamlined finance management between Nigeria and London, and providing required information in required formats. 
• Support Country Director in donor liaison and fundraising, including inputting on in-country fundraising strategy.
• Contribute to Alert more widely 
• Participate in the development and implementation of the Alert Nigeria Country Strategy and be an active team member in the SMT. 
• Assist with investigations into alleged fraud and irregularities.
• When delegated, represent Alert Nigeria, and participate in conferences and seminars.
• Contribute to team-wide communications and knowledge management and participate in organisation-wide events and discussions on related topics/projects.
• Any other tasks as may be reasonably required.

Travel Requirements 

• The position will be based in Abuja, Nigeria with regular travel to other Alert field offices in Nigeria where partners are present.

Talents 

At Alert, we have introduced Talent Management to our business model as we believe talented people are crucial to the success of our work.  We believe all individuals are talented and success comes in matching the right talents to the right roles.  For this role, the skills, qualifications, and experience listed below are important, but we believe that to be great in this job you are likely, first and foremost, to have a talent for being able to manage finances strategically as well as having the core technical competencies. 

This is what we will be looking for above all else.

Person Specification

• Degree or master’s degree in BA, Accounting, Finance, or related field is required
• At least 10 years in progressively senior financial roles within large and/or global organizations, with at least 5 years in a management capacity (Previous Finance Leadership experience).
• At least 5 years’ experience in grants management as well as an understanding of major donors USAID, Dutch MoFA, FCDO, Canada MoFA, GIZ, EC, Sida, UNDP regulations with international NGO country office experience
• Experience in staff supervision and support

Working Knowledge:

• Determine and apply correct accounting treatments.
• Able to Identify & Mitigate Operational, Financial and Business Risks.
• Financial Processes & Accounting Operations Management
• Management & Financial Reporting including Financial Forecasting & Budgeting
• Demonstrated people management and leadership capabilities in a fast-growing organization.
• Ability to assess risks and exercise judgment in making important decisions (Risk Management & Internal Controls Management).
• Demonstrated experience and skill with budget preparation and analysis, financial reporting preparation and presentation and the proven ability to translate technical financial data into informative reports
• Strong accounting skills and experience, including management of the general ledger, journal entries, payroll, payables, and balance sheet
• Excellent communication, networking and inter-personal skills including the ability to communicate effectively (spoken) and read reports in English; ability to prepare reports in English
• Excellent strategic, analytical, and problem-solving ability 
• Can identify creative solutions within minimal resources
• Ability to work to tight deadlines and deliver high-quality outputs under pressure, with minimal supervision 
• Strong computer skills (e.g. MS Word, Excel etc)
• Exercises judgement to reach balanced conclusions, and understands the need to take account of perceptions and attitudes of different sides to a conflict 
• Can lead a diverse team, and acts with emotional energy and intelligence to motivate and inspire others 
• A team player, able and willing to understand the perspectives of others and adapt his/her plans and ideas accordingly, as well as explain his/her perspectives to others 
• Has considerable experience in working in partnerships with local organisations
• Comfortable in multi-cultural situations
• Possesses a can-do approach, willing and able to improvise and adapt

DESIRABLE REQUIREMENTS

• Qualification in Management ICAN/ANAN/ACCA (part qualified)
• Experience of managing staff remotely
• Experience of using Microsoft Business Central -Dynamic 365