Head of Finance and Administration

Position Summary

The finance function in a sports federation is not limited to bookkeeping. It must manage tournament budgets, travel advances, per diems, hotels, procurement, sponsor restrictions, payroll, compliance, bank controls, and board reporting. A weak hire may keep records, but a strong hire builds discipline, protects funds, and gives leadership decision-ready numbers.

Scope of authority

• May review, challenge, and return incomplete or unsupported requests before payment.
• May recommend process changes and control enhancements to management and the board.
• May withhold finance clearance where policy, budget, documentation, or control requirements are not met.
• Should have visibility over all bank accounts, commitments, and outstanding advances.
• Should not be bypassed in major financial commitments, event spending, or externally funded activity.

Detailed Duties and Responsibilities

1. Financial leadership and planning

• Lead development of the annual federation budget and any revised budgets during the year.
• Translate federation strategy, calendar, tournaments, camps, and development plans into costed financial plans.
• Build separate budget lines and cost centers for administration, events, teams, development programs, sponsorship activity, grants, and capital needs.
• Advise management before commitments are made so finance becomes part of decision-making, not a cleanup function after spending has happened.
• Produce rolling cash forecasts showing expected inflows, committed outflows, and pressure points.

2. Accounting and financial records

• Maintain complete, accurate, and timely accounting records for all federation transactions.
• Ensure every receipt, payment, advance, reimbursement, payroll item, accrual, asset acquisition, and liability is recorded properly and supported by documentation.
• Set up a chart of accounts and coding structure that can separate costs by event, department, donor, sponsor, or project.
• Close monthly books on time and maintain an audit trail strong enough for external review.
• Retain physical and digital files in an organized manner so documents can be retrieved immediately.

3. Internal controls and financial discipline

• Design and enforce approval workflows for requests, quotations, purchase orders, payment vouchers, travel advances, reimbursements, bank transfers, and cash withdrawals.
• Maintain a clear schedule of authority limits so staff know who can approve what amount and under what circumstances.
• Ensure no unsupported, verbal, duplicate, or unauthorized payment is processed.
• Implement surprise petty cash checks, monthly bank reconciliations, and review controls over advances and liquidations.
• Escalate suspected misuse, fraud indicators, irregular transactions, or control breaches immediately.

4. Banking, cash flow, and treasury

• Manage all federation bank accounts, banking mandates, signatory records, and online banking controls.
• Monitor cash balances daily or weekly depending on operational intensity and alert management to shortages before they become emergencies.
• Prepare bank reconciliations monthly for every account without exception.
• Control cash withdrawals, transfers, cheque use, and cash storage so funds are protected at all times.
• Plan cash requirements for travel-heavy periods, competitions, camps, and major procurement commitments.

5. Payments, procurement, and vendor controls

• Review payment vouchers to confirm there is an approved request, budget availability, supporting invoice, evidence of receipt, and correct calculations.
• Coordinate with procurement or requesting departments to ensure competitive sourcing and proper documentation.
• Maintain supplier records, monitor outstanding liabilities, and prevent duplicate or inflated payments.
• Review contracts and purchase terms for financial exposure, payment milestones, penalties, tax implications, and value-for-money concerns.
• Establish a clear payment calendar and aging review so critical vendors are managed properly.

6. Tournament, camp, travel, and per diem finance

• Prepare detailed budgets for every competition, camp, congress, meeting, or team travel activity before approval.
• Control advances for air tickets, accommodation, transport, meals, allowances, per diems, uniforms, and emergency expenses.
• Maintain traveler and delegation payment schedules with signatures or other evidence of receipt.
• Require post-event liquidation and reconciliation immediately after each event, with exceptions escalated in writing.
• Prepare post-event financial summaries comparing approved budget, actual spend, outstanding advances, and lessons learned.

7. Sponsorship, grant, and restricted funds management

• Track restricted sponsorship and grant funds separately from unrestricted operating funds.
• Ensure expenditure follows the approved purpose, timeline, and reporting conditions attached to each funding source.
• Maintain finance files for sponsors, donors, development partners, and funded projects.
• Prepare timely financial reports for funders, management, and the board.
• Monitor burn rates and flag under-spend, over-spend, or non-compliance before reporting deadlines.

8. Payroll and statutory compliance

• Prepare accurate payroll or review payroll prepared by staff before release.
• Ensure tax, pension, and other statutory obligations are calculated, documented, and remitted on time in line with applicable law and regulations.
• Maintain staff payment records, contracts, payroll change approvals, and reconciliation to attendance or approved pay schedules.
• Control salary advances, deductions, and reimbursements with clear approval and documentation.

9. Asset, inventory, and equipment control

• Maintain an up-to-date fixed asset register covering office equipment, computers, furniture, federation property, and any other controlled items.
• Support periodic inventory counts for uniforms, boxing equipment, office supplies, medals, branding materials, and event stock.
• Ensure disposals, write-offs, transfers, and losses are documented and approved.
• Coordinate with administration and operations so finance records match physical reality.

10. Management and board reporting

• Submit monthly management accounts that clearly explain income, expenditure, cash position, budget variances, outstanding advances, liabilities, and immediate risks.
• Prepare quarterly finance reports for the Executive Committee or Finance/Audit Committee.
• Translate numbers into decision-ready commentary, not just tables.
• Support the President, Secretary General, and board with financial analysis for major decisions, events, partnerships, and investments.

11. Audit, compliance, and external review

• Coordinate external audit preparation and serve as the main management counterpart to auditors.
• Prepare lead schedules, reconciliations, confirmations, and supporting documents required for audit or inspection.
• Track audit recommendations and ensure corrective actions are implemented.
• Maintain readiness for tax review, donor review, board review, and any other legitimate inspection of financial records.

12. Policy, systems, and continuous improvement

• Draft and maintain the federation finance manual and supporting procedures.
• Develop templates for request forms, payment vouchers, travel advance forms, liquidation forms, budget templates, and monthly reporting packs.
• Introduce or improve accounting software, spreadsheet controls, and document storage systems.
• Train staff on finance procedures so the system is understood federation-wide and not trapped inside one department.
• Build a culture of documentation, discipline, transparency, and timely reporting.

Essential qualifications and experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or a closely related discipline.
• At least five years of progressively responsible finance experience, ideally including leadership responsibility.
• Hands-on experience with budgeting, monthly closing, financial reporting, reconciliations, cash control, and audit support.
• Strong command of Excel and confidence using accounting software or equivalent structured systems.
• Demonstrated integrity, independence of mind, and willingness to challenge unsupported spending.
• Ability to work with senior leadership while still protecting controls and documentation standards.

Preferred background

• Experience in a federation, association, nonprofit, NGO, membership organization, or donor-funded environment.
• Exposure to event-heavy organizations where travel advances, allowances, and post-event liquidation are common.
• Professional qualification such as ACCA, CPA, or equivalent progress toward one.
• Experience presenting to boards, finance committees, sponsors, donors, or auditors.

Behavioral and leadership competencies

• High personal integrity and low tolerance for weak documentation.
• Calm under pressure and able to say no when procedures are being bypassed.
• Structured thinker who can turn a messy environment into a disciplined one.
• Able to communicate clearly with non-finance leaders and explain the story behind the numbers.
• Strong follow-through, discretion, and documentation discipline.

How To Apply

Apply through email; [email protected] or though ethiojobs