Opportunities available at Honeyguide

Position:                                            Assistant Finance and Admin – Programs

Location:                                           Arusha and travel all of Tanzania

Reporting to:                                   Finance and Administration Programs Coordinator

About Us

Honeyguide is a Tanzanian organization founded 15 years ago with the aim of advancing community-based and led approaches to conservation. Our reason for being is to make conservation deliver real benefits and be driven by local communities out of their interest and motivation. We are the only organization in Tanzania that solely focuses all of its activities and investments on community-owned and managed Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs).  We are committed to making community-led conservation work. We see community-led conservation areas as social enterprises that provide for both people and wildlife.

About the Project

We build governance and management of community-owned protected areas so they thrive as social enterprises for both people and wildlife. This project focuses on the management of these WMAs and is designed to build the capacity of the management team in the WMA to manage their finance, assets, administration and human resources.

Honeyguide has developed an approach to building the capacity of WMA management known as “ma&t” (management assessment and tools), which consists of two components; an assessment tool that provides an in-depth view of the status of management and a clear development path, along with a suite of 30+ tools and systems to support the WMA’s management development. The goal of the project is to, through training, coaching, mentorship, and the provision of the above tools, professional WMA management should be able to:

1. Function within an effective management structure, consisting of clear roles and strong leadership.
2. Follow WMA work plans and budgets, which are linked to long-term goals with stakeholder inputs, approved by the board, and implemented on an agreement.
3. Utilize robust management systems and tools with clear and transparent records.
4. Manage and report professionally on WMA assets.
5. Implement cost-efficient and impactful operations, such as the protection of people, property, WMA assets, wildlife, and habitat.

The project will require the team to regularly visit WMAs throughout Tanzania to provide training and coaching. The officer will be working with other members of this team and also other members of Honeyguide and our partners in other capacity-building teams.

Major duties and responsibilities

• Manage jointly with Finance and Administration Programs Coordinator the Toolbox for WMAs – this is a suite of finance and administrative tools and templates for WMAs such as HR policy, F&A policy excel spreadsheets and others. This will require the coordination to regularly review and update these tools, packaging them into an online folder or toolbox.
• Assisting with the development and implementation of the customized financial policies using the tools from the toolbox such financial policies. These must comply with regulatory requirements and best practices of the WMA.
• Conducting regular assessment of the WMA management system using MAT (Management Assessment Tools). This tool has been developed by HGF to provide a quick snapshot into the WMA management standards and system and provide a framework to strengthens the WMA management.
• Ensuring that financial transactions of the WMAs are accurately recorded and documented, and that all financial policies and procedures are adhered to.
• Conducting regular financial analyses and provide recommendations for improving financial performance and operational efficiency of the WMA.
• Providing financial training and support to other members of the management team and AA (Authorized Association) as well as staff and volunteers working in the wildlife management areas and HGF.
• Working closely with the WMA management team to develop and implement workplan, budgets and strategic plan which support the goals and objectives of the WMA.
• Conducting regular audits and reviews of financial records and transactions of the WMA to ensure compliance with relevant regulations and policies.
• Working closely with other departments and stakeholders to ensure that financial information is accurately communicated and properly used to support decision-making processes

With a particular focus on:

• Collaborating with partners in most of the WMAs we work with, you will be expected to collaborate, share and participate in the project activities with our implementing partners.
• Building the capacity of WMA’s financial and administration teams to enable them to become professional and accurate leads to increased investor confidence.
• Engage with the Honeyguide capacity-building team to continually evaluate the project approach, methodology and monitoring the results of the management organs of the WMAs within the regional landscapes.
• Identifies and aligns with the core values of the organization being innovation, integrity, sincerity, focus and adaptability.
• Undertake other duties as appropriate and as may be directed by the Line Manager.

 About you:

We are seeking a highly motivated individual to join our team of trainers who will work closely with our programs team and also our governance capacity-building team. This position is a fantastic opportunity for someone who has just graduated from accounting or any other financially related field and wants to join a team who have high ethics, professionalism and motivation to help local communities. You will be working with some experts, building innovative systems and tools to strengthen the Wildlife Management Areas’ financial accountability.

The job will take you often to the field all over Tanzania, expect at least 50% of the time to travel to remote and beautiful areas of Tanzania, and the other 50% will be in Arusha with a diverse team working in all fields of capacity building of WMAs in Tanzania.

Qualifications, experience  & competencies

•  Bachelor’s degree in accounting or a related field
• Knowledge of accounting principles and practices
• if you have experience in managing financial records and preparing financial reports, please mention this in your letter.
• We value excellent analytical and problem-solving skills
• Strong attention to detail and accuracy
• Proficiency in accounting software, spreadsheet applications, and other relevant tools
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team
• Excellent communication skills in explaining financial information to non-financial personnel
• CPA and experience will be an added advantage
• Able to manage tasks with timelines and prioritization.
• Reporting writing skills both in English and Swahili. These includes progress reports, updates and others.
• Is honest, humble and has a genuine interest in helping others and help local communities and seeing them grow.
• Able to travel regularly to remote community areas, work with rural communities and spend at least 50% of their working time with WMA management in their respective WMAs.
• Able to adapt to changing conditions and operate effectively in challenging environments including camping in the wilderness.

 How to apply

Applications must include a cover letter & CV with full contact details of three referees. Please do not send any copies of your certificates with your application at this stage. The application letter should be addressed to the Executive Director of the Honeyguide Foundation and submitted via email to job.mat@honeyguide.org by Monday 3rd April 2023. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted, and interviews will take place in Arusha.