ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION
WE ARE NO LONGER ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR THIS POSITION.
Amazi Water is a unique Christian water charity that is achieving what is potentially the most real-world “Impact per Dollar” of any mainstream charity. They are the first and only implementing water organization in Burundi, Africa, which is the poorest country in the world. Their mission is to bring clean water to the entire country of Burundi. Their goal is 20-20-100 x 2030, which means:
Up to 20 liters of clean water per person per day,
Within a 20-minute walk from home,
For 100% of the communities in Burundi by the year 2030.
To date, Amazi Water has already brought clean water to nearly 3 million people, and is about one-third of the way towards achieving their ambitious mission and goal.
Bringing clean water to communities that lack access to clean water, radically transforms the lives of everyone in that community. Clean water dramatically changes the health of the people, it increases access to education, it improves family dynamics and lowers divorce rates, and it significantly increases the overall productivity and economics within the community. Numerous studies have shown that clean water (by itself) will lower the child mortality rate by about 2/3rds. No other development step comes close to matching the impact that clean water provides.
Amazi Water has been proclaimed as “the world’s leading example of sustainable development in the water sector,” and will be featured in the upcoming new movie with Matt Damon called “Our Blue World” (due to be released in early 2024).
HOW THEY ACCOMPLISH THEIR MISSION
Amazi Water is both a water charity and a vertically integrated, implementing water organization, constructing their own solar-powered, sustainable water projects. They have over 225 employees, own over 60 vehicles and drilling rigs, and operate out of a brand-new, secure headquarters compound in Bujumbura, Burundi.
Nearly all other water charities are fund raising organizations, who raise money for water projects, and then contract the actual work to separate “for-profit” companies. That multi-step approach is expensive, and since the contractors are typically only hired for initial construction, it exasperates the challenge of long-term sustainability, which is why about one-half of the hand-pump water wells constructed in Africa are not functioning at any moment in time.
Things are different with Amazi Water because they employ 3 repair and maintenance teams, who are strategically located around Burundi. These teams can keep at least 95% of all water projects fully operational at any moment in time.
Another key difference is related to the “type” of water project they build. Amazi Water is focused on constructing solar-powered, electrical pump projects with reservoir tanks and multiple water taps that are piped out up to one kilometer in each direction. These projects are able to place a water tap within a 20-minute walk, for everyone located within a 15 square kilometer region. These solar water projects are also far more reliable than hand pumps.
Amazi Water is explicitly a Christian NGO – they partner with local churches, distribute Bibles, and share the gospel in the communities they serve as part of the sanitation and hygiene training program.
BURUNDI—THE FORGOTTEN COUNTRY
Burundi has a plethora of undesirable distinctions, like being the poorest country, the most malnourished, and the least globalized. It was also bypassed by all major water charities (due to the government and the difficult operating environment) and it became known in the water sector as “The Forgotten Country.” As a result, Burundi had the lowest access to clean water in all of Africa.
After struggling with the Burundian government for years, God opened the doors for Amazi Water to work unimpeded at the beginning of 2021, when the new president announced a nation-wide, “Water for All” program and exclusively authorized Amazi Water to work freely everywhere in the country. Now Amazi Water has been able to make considerable progress towards their goal, and the percentage of the population with access to clean water in Burundi has jumped from a mere 15% access to about 40% current access.
AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE
If you are passionate about Jesus Christ, and you seek excellence in all you do, and you are driven to make a difference, then you may be the type of person who would excel at Amazi Water.
Amazi Water doesn’t currently have a U.S. office, but much of the top leadership and 3 of the board members are based in the DFW area in North Texas. The 2023 budget was $7 million (USD), and the intent is to increase funding to the mid-teen millions in order to achieve their nation-wide water coverage goal by 2030.
POSITION PROFILE
Position Title: Finance Director
Reports to: Bob Thorp, President
Direct Reports: Burundian Finance team and Bookkeeper in USA
Location: Remote
POSITION OVERVIEW
The Director of Finance will be accountable for planning, management, and guiding of Amazi Water’s financial operations, as well as our operations in Burundi, and support countries of Kenya, and South Africa.
We are looking for a skilled professional with a demonstrated history of successfully leading financial operations at an international non-profit organization, exceptional communications and cross-cultural interpersonal abilities, and a track record of navigating complex financial and Forex situations. Duties will include supervising accounting and finance staff, overseeing and improving internal controls, leading the development of a financial strategy and annual budgets, building, and overseeing Amazi Water’s financial systems and policies, monitoring expenditures, overseeing grant financials, monitoring cash flow, managing the organization’s treasury, overseeing accounting and tax compliance, and reporting to the President and the Board.
The Director of Finance will work closely with the President, Country Director, and Finance & Administration to ensure Amazi Water’s financial operations continue to evolve to meet the needs of the organization and its strategic objectives. This full-time position reports to the President, and works closely with Burundi staff, and the US Development and Marketing Teams.
DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES
Oversee Amazi Water’s accounting and audit, including compliance with accounting standards in USA, Burundi (operations), supporting countries of Kenya, and South Africa.
Perform final review of monthly financial statements and annual audit for USA and Africa offices.
Ensure Amazi Water’s compliance with USA and Burundi tax regulations.
Perform regular authorizations of payments and wire transfers in Amazi Water’s USA banking system and cash flow maintenance.
Maintain short- and long-term investment strategies, and existing and future banking relationships.
Oversee and management of financial systems, including Sage, PowerBi, and integrations with other Amazi Water software, and lead the implementation of future financial system upgrades.
Oversee grant and sub-grant financial management to ensure the efficient and compliant use of donor resources.
Lead the annual budgeting process with the support of the global finance team and oversee regular budget analysis and reforecasting.
Analyze and present financial reports in an accurate and timely manner.
Supervise the Texas and global finance teams and liaise with Country Director to ensure adequate financial capacity in Burundi.
Oversee and collaborate in the documentation of Amazi Water’s financial policies and procedures, including regular review and improvement of global internal controls, and ensure adequate orientation and training program for all policies.
Coordinate USA and Burundi external audits; implement corrective action plan as needed.
Identify and review risks and propose mitigation with senior management.
QUALIFICATIONS
Seven or more years of experience leading international non-profit financial operations.
Prior experience having final responsibility for the quality and content of all financial data, reporting, and external audit coordination.
Prior experience in US-based international non-profit, fund, and grant accounting.
Strong knowledge of GAAP and financial regulations. Demonstrated depth of knowledge and skills of GAAP. Effectively applying this technical knowledge to solve a range of problems and provide guidance to Finance employees.
Advanced proficiency with Sage or similar software.
Prior experience with PowerBi preferred.
Ability to translate financial concepts to and effectively collaborate with non-finance and cross-cultural colleagues.
Excellent interpersonal communication skills, oral, written, in person or virtually.
Flexibility and proven ability to handle multiple tasks, deadline pressures, and complexities of international banking.
Excellent interpersonal and cross-cultural skills, including flexibility and a sense of humor.
Demonstrated ability to build respectful relationships with colleagues from different cultural, linguistic, and educational backgrounds.
Minimum of a B.A. in business, finance, accounting or related.
CPA or related advanced degree preferred.
Fluent written and spoken English is required.
Proficiency in French, Swahili, or Kirundi highly desired.
WORKING CONDITIONS
Work hours will be discussed based on the location of the candidate but shall be established to balance an overlap between US Central Standard Time and Burundi time zones.
The position is USA-based. Legal permission to live and work in USA is required.
Small office in the Dallas/Fort Worth area preferred, but home-based may be considered. Hybrid work schedule if located within commuting distance of office.
Up to four (4) international trips a year to Burundi, with a possible stopover in Kenya or South Africa.
You can learn much more about the work of Amazi Water by visiting www.amaziwater.org.
WE ARE NO LONGER ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR THIS POSITION.