Job Description

SOLA, Inc.

Remote: US-based

Finance Director

Start Date: Immediate

sola-afghanistan.org

Overview

SOLA Inc (The School of Leadership Afghanistan) is a nonprofit organization based in the United States, whose mission is to educate Afghan girls. SOLA Inc. provides oversight, funding and operational support, and governance to a number of programs, the largest of which is SOLA School, Rwanda. SOLA School is an Afghan-led school for Afghan girls, the only school of its kind in the world. Named for the Pashto word for peace, SOLA was founded in 2016 by visionary educator Shabana Basij-Rasikh and is committed to developing the next generation of Afghan female leaders. The school provides a rigorous academic program in a safe, supportive environment for Afghan girls in Grades 6-12. For the first five years of SOLA, the school operated in Kabul, Afghanistan. In 2021, following the return of the Taliban, the program relocated to Kigali, Rwanda. The school currently offers a boarding program, and plans are underway to expand the campus to accommodate additional students. In 2024, the SOLAx program was launched, expanding educational access to Afghan girls worldwide, via an innovative app-based platform.

Now, SOLA Inc is seeking an experienced and mission-aligned individual to serve as its next Finance Director. Reporting directly to President and co-founder, Shabana Basij-Rasikh, the Finance Director oversees the Senior Accountant and partners closely with colleagues at SOLA, Inc., SOLA School, Rwanda and SOLAx. The position is fully remote, and the Finance Director is expected to contribute positively and frequently to SOLAS highly collaborative and convivial team culture. This exciting opportunity is available immediately. Ideal candidates will show considerable experience in nonprofit accounting and team management and commitment to SOLAS mission. This is a remarkable opportunity to make a lasting impact to a transformational organization.

Mission

The SOLA mission is to educate Afghan girls: to create a leadership generation of women who will one day return home to Afghanistan and rebuild all that the Taliban have destroyed. What began in Kabul continues now in Rwanda.

At a Glance

Established: 2016

SOLA Inc: 13 employees

SOLA School, Rwanda: 75 employees

SOLA School, Rwanda Enrollment: 150

Long Term Investment Funds: $20 million

Annual operating budget: $8.6 million

Responsibilities

The SOLA, Inc. Finance Director serves as:

1. The finance and accounting thought leader for all SOLA entities
2. The managing finance director of SOLA Inc. and SOLAx

SOLA Finance Leadership

• Own the School of Leadership-Afghanistan ERP (NetSuite). Maintain and continuously improve functionality, workflows, integrations, and automations.
• Ensure accurate and timely recording and entry of all financial transactions, enterprise wide. Consolidate financial reporting for SOLA entities.
• Ensure all entities follow documented internal controls. Continuously improve internal controls.
• Establish and maintain accounting manual and improve documentation of internal processes.
• Oversee the fiscal management and accounting of SOLA School Rwanda. Mentor and provide ongoing training to the Rwandan accounting staff.
• Expectations of a minimum two (2) visits to SOLA School in Rwanda annually
• Interface regularly with management and other SOLA staff in the US and in Rwanda.
• Review and communicate monthly, quarterly, and annual consolidated financials with the president, the Treasurer, the Finance and Investment Committees of the Board, and the Board
• Serve as the staff liaison to the Board of Directors Finance and Audit Committee and the Investment Committee.
• Produce timely and fully costed assessments for proposals for school improvement and development initiated by SOLAs president, ensuring they are sustainable through long-term financial plans.
• Maintain / establish a comprehensive set of finance and financial governance policies.
• Serve as the staff liaison to the Construction Committee and oversee the fiscal management of construction and capital projects.

SOLA Inc. & SOLAx Managing Finance Director

• Manage the SOLA Inc. finance team (currently one accountant).
• Oversee all financial transactions and accounting for SOLA Inc. and SOLAx.
• Oversee all financial period closing processes including balancing liabilities, intercompany elimination, investment and banking account reconciliations, fixed asset depreciation, etc.
• Track fixed assets and depreciation.
• Manage SOLAs banking relationships and bank accounts.
• Manage expense management program and corporate purchasing card program platform (Navan).
• Manage SOLAs cash and short-term investments, ensuring adequate liquidity to meet requirements while optimizing the return on money market investments.
• Drive budget control protocols including effective and compliant vendor selection, contract, and payment.
• Lead the development of annual budgets and near-term and long-term financial projections.
• Oversee annual audit, report results to the Board of Directors Finance and Audit Committee.
• Prepare 990 reports. Ensure that all required tax and state filings are made on time. Ensure all regulatory requirements are adhered to and evidenced.
• Work with the Development staff to track and manage all gifts, grants, and other revenues. Track restricted or directed revenues and related expenses.
• Support Development with relevant materials for grant applications, donor stewardship reports, etc.
• Prepare and approve payroll.

Candidate Requirements

• CPA or other accounting license or certificate
• Significant nonprofit accounting experience
• Management / leadership experience
• Located in the US, with ability to work in the United States (US citizenship or green card)
• Willingness to travel to Rwanda at least two times a year to visit campus

The most competitive candidates are likely to possess most or all the following qualities:

• Experience working in educational settings;
• Experience using NetSuite ERP;
• Superb communication skills; excellent written, verbal, and presentation skills to a wide variety of stakeholders;
• Demonstrated ability to understand complex subjects, distill them, and then communicate them to varied audiences;
• Ability to supervise, manage, and delegate multiple functions and activities;
• Ability to remain calm, flexible, and work effectively under pressure;
• Cultural competency and the capacity to work effectively with diverse constituencies
• Proven record of accomplishment designing, implementing, and managing large-scale organizational change;
• Experience on senior administrative teams and working with non-profit Boards;
• Skilled at negotiating, initiating, and stewarding contracts with external vendors.

Learn More

Click on the links below to learn more about SOLA INC.

To Apply

Interested and qualified candidates are invited to contact the consultant directly. The search will move very quickly, and candidates are encouraged to submit the following materials as separate PDF documents as soon as possible:

• A cover letter expressing their interest in this particular position
• A current rsum
• List of five professional references with name, relationship, phone number, and email address of each (references will not be contacted without the candidates permission)

Sara Shulman

Practice Leader Development and Finance/Senior Consultant

sara.shulman@carneysandoe.com

The full-time salary for this position is $115,000-$130,000. The starting salary is based upon, but not limited to, several factors which include years of experience, education level, and expertise. SOLA Inc. employees work remotely.

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