Location: Johannesburg – Hybrid / Remote
Type: Full-time, 1-year contract with an option to renew based on performance and funding
Reporting to: Chief Executive Officer

Beneffits:

• Flexible work arrangements, including remote work options.
• Opportunities for professional development and continued learning.
• Chance to make a meaningful impact on urban communities around the world through innovative data solutions.
• Monthly therapy stipend up to R900.
• 22 days of leave (pro rata'd).
• 1 x menstrual leave day a month.
• Monthly wifi reimbursement up to R600.
• Once off financial contribution to the cost of a wifi UPS, if needed.

Join us at Open Cities Lab and be part of a dynamic team dedicated to shaping the future of urban living through technology and design. Apply now to contribute your expertise and creativity to our impactful work.

Job Description – Financial Manager

OCL develops and implements digital and data products in multiple cities across international boundaries. As a Non-Profit Company (NPC), our sustainability depends on rigorous accountability to key funding partners and we must manage the international transfer of funds, ensuring adherence to impeccable standards of governance.

The Finance Manager (FM) provides both strategic leadership and operational management of OCL’s finances, ensuring financial sustainability, robust governance, and compliance with statutory and Donor requirements. Reporting to the CEO, this role is responsible for financial planning and forecasting, reporting, bookkeeping, and the financial management of contracts and grants. The Finance Manager leads all financial operations, providing timely and accurate insights to support strategic decision-making across the organisation.

A critical aspect of the role includes oversight of funder administration—ensuring grant compliance and producing high-quality reports—as well as the supervision of an administrative professional responsible for broader organisational administration. The FM will champion the continuous improvement of financial systems and processes to ensure resilience and scalability. The ideal candidate is a values-driven professional with strong technical expertise, clarity in communication, and the ability to engage both financial and non-financial stakeholders. This is a high-impact role at the intersection of civic innovation and financial stewardship—perfect for someone excited to shape financial practice in a fast-growing, remote-first, mission-led organisation.

We reserve the right to redeploy the successful candidate into any other role, as required.

• Leading all financial operations including budgeting, forecasting, reporting, and bookkeeping.
• Ensuring compliance with statutory and Donor requirements, internal governance frameworks, and internal controls.
• Managing the financial dimensions of contracts and agreements, including fund allocation, reporting, and risk mitigation.
• Preparing and submitting timely and accurate Donor financial reports aligned to grant conditions.
• Supervising and supporting a general administrative professional responsible for organisational administration.
• Providing financial insights  and strategic recommendations to senior leadership.
• Overseeing payroll, reconciliations, and financial documentation in line with audit and regulatory standards.
• Supporting and refining financial systems, digital tools, and reporting frameworks for scalability.
• Collaborating with cross-functional teams to align financial planning with organisational administration.
• Liaising with external stakeholders including auditors, funders, and regulatory standards.
• Championing financial literacy and accountability across the organisation.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, or related field OR equivalent
• Professional certification (e.g., CA(SA), CIMA) desirable

Key Requirements

• Experience (3–5 years minimum)
  • Proven track record in financial management, accounting or bookkeeping, preferably within nonprofit or donor-funded organisations.
  • Hands-on experience managing budgets, forecasts, cash-flow and multi-project financial reporting.
  • Practical expertise in payroll processing, statutory compliance and reconciliations.
  • Demonstrable involvement in contract management and procurement processes.
  • Experience maintaining audit-ready records, supporting external audits and upholding strong internal controls.
  • Exposure to risk management and compliance frameworks
    
    
• Technical Skills & Expertise
  • Proficiency in bookkeeping and accounting systems such as Pastel, Xero or QuickBooks.
  • Advanced skills in Excel or Google Sheets, including experience building dashboards and interpreting financial data to guide
  • Strong understanding of donor funding models, grant and organisational compliance and reporting requirements specific to South African NPCs.
  • Comfortable developing, documenting and improving financial systems, processes and internal controls to support a fast-changing
  • Familiarity with digital collaboration tools (Google Workspace, Slack, Notion) and other financial software.
  • Ability to prepare and present clear, concise financial reports to non-finance team members and stakeholders.
    
    
• Core Competencies
  • Not-for-Proffit Expertise: Deep knowledge of the nonprofit landscape, donor reporting standards and grant management.
  • Financial Management: Capacity to lead budgeting cycles, cash-flow forecasting and multi-project-and-product financial
  • Audit & Controls: Proven ability to maintain audit-ready books, establish robust controls and support risk-management processes.
  • Donor & Contract Finance: Skill in preparing donor financial reports and overseeing contractual and procurement finances.
  • Process Improvement: Capacity to design and refine financial procedures, ensuring efficiency and scalability.
  • Analytical Aptitude: Strong analytical skills, with the ability to interpret complex data and translate findings into actionable
  • Communication: Excellent verbal and written communication—able to explain financial information clearly to non-finance colleagues.
  • People Management: Experience mentoring or supervising team members and collaborating effectively across distributed teams.

Culture and values

• Personal values aligned with OCL's aspirational
• High ethical standards, integrity, and a strong desire for continuous learning and growth.
• Commitment to ongoing performance improvement and coaching programmes.
• A go-getter.