Senior Finance Manager

About the job

About Palladium

Operating in over 50 countries, Palladium is a global consulting and implementation company working in partnership with governments, businesses, investors, and communities to design and deliver solutions that create lasting positive impact. We address some of the world’s most complex challenges across infrastructure, economic growth and natural capital, health, energy, climate and environment, and digital transformation—strengthening systems, institutions, and markets to support inclusive and sustainable development. Our more than 2,100 staff worldwide work as trusted advisors across diverse contexts, combining deep technical expertise, implementation techniques, and innovative technology to deliver locally informed, client-focused solutions that help organizations achieve measurable, sustainable impact.

Palladium is part of GISI’s global family of companies, which aims to create solutions for the world’s most complex challenges. With annual revenues of $14 billion, GISI’s approximately 15,000 employees are engaged in projects across 100 countries worldwide providing construction, program/project management, and engineering consulting services.

Project Overview

The America First Global Health Strategy (AFGHS) – Palladium award supports country-led efforts to strengthen health systems, advance global health security, and sustain essential health services in alignment with the America First Global Health Strategy. Leveraging Palladium’s expertise in health systems strengthening, digital transformation, and data use, the project will strengthen governance, service delivery, and decision-making through integrated and interoperable systems across priority health programs. The award also supports stronger health financing, public financial management, and accountability mechanisms to promote resilient, efficient, and country-owned health systems.

Position Summary

Senior Finance Manager is a full-time position to support the local activities and oversee the Ethiopia America First Global Health Strategy Palladium project finances through an office based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. This position is responsible for managing the project finances, accounting, and financial administration, as well as reporting of the project, including budget administration, accounting, banking and cash management, and financial reporting. The position reports to the Director of Finance and Operations on a day-to-day basis with specific financial reporting to Director of Finance & Administration at Palladium’s US office in Washington, DC. This position may also supervise finance and administrative staff located in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Primary Duties And Responsibilities

Budgeting and Forecasting

• Oversee day-to-day financial management and accounting for the projects; maintains and manage financial accounts in coordination with the Country Director and the Palladium DC office.
• Prepare annual budgets, projections and financial plans with the Director of Finance and Operations, the HQ Director, Finance & Administration and the HQ Project Delivery Manager, using the operational cost estimates supplied by the Finance and Operations Manager (FOM).
• Prepare the monthly cash forecast and cash requirement estimates for HQ. Maintain the rolling 12-month cash-flow forecast and financing plan, aligned with the results-based payment schedule.
• Track budget against actual spending, prepare variance and burn-rate analysis, and keep expenditure within the approved budget.

Accounting and Reporting

• Maintain the project’s financial accounts and records in QuickBooks, coded to the chart of accounts and project charge codes.
• Ensure field vouchers are prepared accurately with supporting documents, verify coding and supporting documents, and approve QuickBooks entries.
• Enter petty cash transactions in QuickBooks and reconcile petty cash. Ensure supporting documents are filed in hard and soft copy.
• Close each month, submit accruals to the HQ Project Delivery Manager, and prepare and submit the monthly financial reports for the Director’s review.
• Track tax withholding and prepare tax filings. Administer VAT exemptions and VAT reimbursement claims.
• Apply revenue recognition and milestone tracking under the results-based payment model.

Payment Review

• Review every payment request for documentation, budget availability and donor compliance before it goes to the Director for authorization.
• Review the payroll against staffing records and recommend approval to the Director.
• Review travel expense reports and travel advance clearances and submit them to the Director for approval.

Banking, Cash and Internal Control

• Administer the project bank account: signatory updates, bank relations and statements.
• Prepare the monthly bank reconciliation for the Director’s review and sign-off.
• Carry out petty cash counts.
• Assist in establishing, maintaining, and updating organizational financial policies and procedures to guide the work of project staff and management.
• Identify potential areas of financial and compliance vulnerability and risk and develop or implement corrective action plans to resolve identified challenges and issues.

Compliance, Audit and Assets

• Ensure the project meets donor financial requirements and complies with U.S. Government and Palladium policies.
• Coordinate internal and external audits and respond to financial findings. The FOM supplies operational documents and the Grants & Contracts Specialist supplies award files.
• Carry out the annual physical asset verification, independently of the FOM, who keeps the asset register.
• Implement fraud mitigation practices and ensure systems and processes are implemented effectively.

Communication and Mentoring

• Maintain regular communication with the senior leadership team at HQ by providing relevant and timely financial information for planning and decision-making purposes.
• Participate in regular meetings (phone or Teams) with Washington DC staff to discuss financial items.
• Mentor and supervise finance staff on finance tasks.
• Perform any other responsibilities as may be directed.

Required Qualifications

• A bachelor’s degree (minimum), or a master’s Degree (desirable), in Accounting, Business Management, or other relevant fields.
• At least 8 years of work experience in broader finance and administration management with an international organization, including office management, HR, finance, IT, and logistics.
• Demonstrable financial management experience on U.S government-funded programs, including U.S. government policy, procedures, and reporting requirements.
• Experience developing, managing, oversight, and reporting on multi-million-dollar budgets.
• Experience with results-based or milestone-based awards and the related cash-flow forecasting and revenue recognition.
• Excellent financial and analytical and communication skills, with the interpersonal skills to work at all levels.
• Experience directly managing finance and administration staff persons.
• Proven problem identification and resolution experience with budgeting, forecasting, banking, tax authorities, foreign currency transactions, and other related issues.
• Able to communicate effectively and excellent interpersonal skills to form effective working relationships at all levels.
• Experience with QuickBooks, Costpoint and other accounting and budget monitoring tools.
• High level of computer literacy.
• Proven experience in managing expenditure within budget.
• Must be legally authorized to work in Ethiopia.

Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis. We encourage you to apply early as the position may close once a suitable candidate is found. Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Link: https://palladium.csod.com/ux/ats/careersite/2/home/requisition/25694?c=palladium

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, or status as a protected veteran. Should you require any adjustments or accommodations to be made due to a disability or you are a neurodivergent individual, or for any other circumstance, please email our team at [email protected] and we will be in touch to discuss.