Position:                    Senior Finance Manager

Location:                   Dublin, with option for hybrid working and based in the office at least two days per week

Hours of work:         Part-time [2.5 – 3 days per week, to be agreed with the successful candidate]

Salary:                       Pro-rata, depending on hours, of the full-time rate of €53,000 per annum, dependent upon experience, plus health insurance and employer contributory pension

Reports to:                Director of Operations

Irish Rule of Law International (IRLI) is a civil society organisation supported by both branches of the legal professions across the island of Ireland. We work to strengthen justice systems that uphold human rights across multiple jurisdictions.  Our current programmes strengthen access to justice in Malawi, advance survivor-centred justice in Tanzania, and support anti-corruption and accountability in Zambia. We also deliver a small number of projects, both in our programme countries and elsewhere, in cooperation with pro bono, civil society, and human rights partners. 

IRLI was Established in 2007 by the Law Society of Ireland and the Bar Council of Ireland. The Law Society of Northern Ireland and the Bar of Northern Ireland joined as partners in 2015. We are further supported by The Department for Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), Ireland, and the European Union.

We operate from offices in Dublin, Ireland, and Lilongwe, Malawi, with one staff member also currently based in Lusaka, Zambia. We adopt a multidisciplinary approach. Our work is locally driven, grounded in priorities identified by stakeholders, and delivered in partnership with communities through strong alliances with local organisations. Since our beginnings, we have collaborated with academics, judges, legal practitioners, policymakers, and civil society to deepen collective understanding of the relationship between the rule of law, democracy, sustainable development, and human rights.

IRLI originated in recognition of the increased emphasis placed on rule of law in development aid and in response to the number of requests for assistance received by Ireland involving the rule of law. We believe that members of the Irish legal profession have a significant role to play in enhancing the rule of law and shaping the progress of fragile societies. We have collaborated with academics, judges, legal practitioners, policymakers and civil society around the world to advance collective knowledge of the relationship between rule of law, democracy, sustained economic development and human rights.

Position Summary: 

IRLI has progressively grown through the years, expanding on both its programme portfolio and working networks. The organisation is now at an exciting juncture having recently completed its 2026 – 2030 strategic plan, and with an established broad programme base, ranging from access to justice, to institutional capacity building, and legal education.  Currently, IRLI’s finance support is managed by a third-party supplier, however, in the context of recent expansion and increased complexity of its work, the organisation now requires a Finance Manager to manage the finances in-house.  There will be a transitionary period from provision of financial management services by an external consultant, to enable a smooth transition of the finances to in-house. 

The organisation is looking for a person who will provide strategic and operational financial leadership to the charity, ensuring strong financial control, donor compliance, high-quality reporting, and effective support to programme teams across the organisation, to include in Ireland and across programme countries. .

The Finance Manager will work part time [2.5 – 3 days] and will be based in IRLI’s office in Dublin.  They will report to and work directly under the supervision of the Director of Operations. 

Main Responsibilities:

Strategy

• Contribute to the organisation’s overall strategic planning by developing and implementing financial strategies that support long-term programme growth and sustainability
• Lead multi-year financial planning, scenario modelling, and forecasting to support  programme scaling and resource allocation.
• Partner with Malawi Financial Manager to ensure programme budgets align with one another, and also with strategic priorities and maximise impact of donor funding.
• Provide financial analysis, insights, and recommendations to senior leadership and IRLI Board to inform strategic decisions and programme prioritisation.
• Support leadership in developing diversified funding strategies by analysing donor trends, funding risks, and cost recovery opportunities.

Financial Systems and Process Improvement

• Analyse existing accounting software system to assess if meets the needs of IRLI country programmes. 
• Offer expert advice on enhancement of software systems so they are fully responsive to needs of IRLI
• Oversee and manage accounts payable, accounts receivable, and payroll in Ireland.
• Streamline bookkeeping processes and eliminate duplication (e.g. integration of country-level accounting).
• Strengthen financial controls, documentation, and audit trails.
• Ensure finance systems support donor and programme reporting needs.
• Work with external auditors to prepare annual audits

Reporting

• Work with Programme Managers to lead on development of donor reports for all programme countries, except Malawi
• Provide support for donor reports for Malawi as necessary

Budget Development

• Work with Programme Managers and Country Directors to develop competitive and sustainable budgets
• Provide support for budget development for Malawi as necessary

Financial Risk Management

• Identify financial risks related to operating across multiple countries and design mitigation strategies, including currency, compliance, and operational risks.

Cost Efficiency and Resource Optimisation

• Analyse programme cost structures and recommend strategies to improve efficiency and ensure resources are used effectively.

Regional Financial Oversight

• Develop financial frameworks and systems that enable consistent financial management across country programmes.

Scaling and Growth Planning

• Assess financial implications of new programme launches, country expansion, and partnerships.

Capacity Building & Mentoring

• Work with Malawi Finance Manger to develop best practices for IRLI financial managemenet
• Build financial capability among programme staff through training and guidance.
• Reduce reliance on external providers for core finance functions.
• Develop and nurture strong working relationships with programme colleagues in Ireland and abroad

External Relationships

• Manage and oversee any outsourced finance support.
• Liaise with auditors, donors, and regulators as required.

Person Specification:

Essential

•  Fully qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA, CIMA or equivalent).
• Minimum of 10 years’ post-qualification experience, with 2-3 years of it in the charity / NGO sector
• Demonstrable experience working at the Ireland office and field / country programme level.
• Strong experience with institutional donor funding and reporting requirements.
• Excellent understanding of restricted funding and grant management and accounting.
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to support non-finance colleagues.

Desirable

• Experience working in international development or humanitarian contexts.
• Experience with Xero or similar cloud-based accounting systems.

• Experience supporting EU-funded or similarly complex donor programmes.

  Terms and conditions:

• Part-time [2.5 -3 days], to be agreed with the successful candidate.  Full time hours are 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday with 30 minutes for lunch per day
• Full time annual leave is 25 days per annum. Part time annual leave is pro rata
• A company pension scheme [IRLI shall match any contributions made by the Employee to the IRLI company scheme, to a maximum of 5%]
• Health Insurance contribution, up to €1,500 per annum
• Professional development opportunities development fees, agreed with the employee’s line manager 
• In addition to the statutory public holidays, IRLI gives 4 company days per year, one on Good Friday and three during the Christmas and New Year period [For part-time staff, this applies to any of these days which the staff member is working]