Operations and Finance Manager at Youth Challenge International (YCI), Zanzibar – December 2025.

Operations and Finance Manager, Zanzibar, Tanzania

Location: Unguja, Zanzibar, Tanzania

Contract Length: 1 year (renewable)

Commitment: Full time, 40 hours/week

Compensation: 3,600,000 TZS gross/month + Health Benefits

Start Date: March 2026

About Youth Challenge International (YCI)

Youth Challenge International is accelerating youth innovation for good. Together with young leaders and innovators, we are creating a better future where people, planet, and profit can thrive. In over 30 countries, YCI has teamed up with young people and partner organizations to transform complex challenges into sustainable solutions; collectively, we learn fast, fail smart, and turn insights into action.

HerStart: Innovate the Future

HerStart is a YCI initiative advancing gender equality, innovation, and economic empowerment on a global scale. Through the HerStart: Innovate the Future program, YCI delivers dynamic entrepreneurship and leadership training, mentorship, and seed funding for young women to build businesses with positive community impact in Ghana, Tanzania, and Uganda. We co-design and co-implement HerStart with local partners in each country, leveraging the energy and skills of Canadian volunteers to further our impact.

Position Summary

Reporting to the Country Manager, the Operations and Finance Manager will oversee key organizational systems and processes for HerStart in Zanzibar, including financial performance processes and reporting, cash flow management, procurement, and human resources processes and policies. The role will drive program quality improvement efforts across all key program function areas.

Key Responsibilities

1. Operations Management:

• Coordinate and support all organizational systems and processes for YCI Tanzania, including the oversight of policies, procedures, and procurement.

• Ensure YCI remains compliant with local NGO and company registration and all required reporting in Tanzania.

• Support the Country Manager with all YCI Tanzania Human Resource functions, including management of country office contracts, performance reviews, onboarding, and recruitment of local staff.

• Co-lead the country health, safety, and security risk management portfolio to ensure the safety and security of staff, volunteers, partners, consultants, and participants.

• Support planning for Canadian volunteer arrivals and volunteer placements, including arrival and orientation logistics, training, accommodation, visas, local transportation, etc.

• Perform other duties as requested by the Country Manager.

2. Financial Management:

• Coordinate with YCI Canada to ensure appropriate financial and administrative management of the program and compliance with donor regulations.

• Prepare and submit high-quality financial reports, manage, and monitor cash flows related to project expenses.

• Lead the annual budgeting exercise in-country.

• Collaborate with the Country Manager and other technical team leaders to ensure program activities are implemented in accordance with the project budget and work plan.

• Identify areas of risk and take steps to reduce vulnerabilities.

• Act in accordance with accounting policies, procedures, and internal controls, ensuring compliance with national regulatory requirements, including annual audits and tax filing.

3. Technical Support and Training:

• Provide technical onboarding, training, and coaching to project staff, volunteers, partners, and participants as needed on processes, guidelines, and requirements for finance, operations, and human resources.

• Support Country Manager with daily project management, contributing to project decision-making.

• Facilitate accountability and quality assurance through formal and informal interactions with staff and partners.

4. Volunteer Management:

• Supervise international volunteers in their professional deliverables that advance the goals of HerStart and/or partner organizations.

• Provide coaching and mentorship to ensure their meaningful engagement and integration into the HerStart program.

Skills and Experience

• You are a self-starter with 5+ years of progressively responsible leadership experience in finance, operations, procurement, and/or human resources with a robust understanding of organizational accounting and financial functions.

• You have a strong understanding of sustainable community development.

• An appreciation of the contribution of volunteers to international development and, ideally, are experienced in supporting or working with volunteers.

• You have demonstrated experience providing management and oversight of office operations and the ability to explain accounting or financial concepts to necessary project stakeholders.

• You have a strong command of Microsoft Excel and other accounting software, with an analytical attention to detail.

• You are an effective communicator with excellent written and verbal English proficiency and you are a permanent resident or a Citizen of Tanzania (preference will be given to Zanzibar residents).

How to Apply

Please submit your CV and cover letter as a single PDF document, maximum 4 pages, saved in the following format: “First Name Last Name Operations and Finance Manager, Zanzibar”.

• Link to application form here.

• To ensure any incoming emails do not end up in your spam folder, please add rnzali@yci.org to your email contact list.

• Application deadline: December 31, 2025

• Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis as they are received, so we encourage early submissions. No phone calls or emails about the position can be accepted.

Policy Note

YCI commits to a zero-tolerance policy towards sexual exploitation and abuse. Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA) is everyone’s responsibility, and all employees are required to sign and adhere to the PSEA Policy and Code of Conduct, at all times.