Open to opportunities

Tawanda Chitima

@tawandachitima

Chartered Certified Accountant driving finance, donor compliance, and administration for global, multi-million-dollar programs.

Zimbabwe

Message

What I'm looking for

I’m looking to lead finance and administration in mission-driven, donor-funded environments—owning financial oversight, compliance, audit readiness, and ERP-driven efficiency, while mentoring teams to deliver clean reporting and strong partner performance.

I’m a Chartered Certified Accountant (FCCA) with over 21 years’ experience leading finance and administration functions in international non-profit and donor-funded organisations. I’ve managed multi-million-dollar USAID, FCDO/DFID, Global Fund, UNITAID, BMGF and SIDA projects, bringing discipline to financial oversight, reporting, and strategic planning.

In recent roles as a Senior Regional Finance & Administration Director and Multi-Country Director, I oversaw end-to-end administration and finance—covering procurement, HR, grants, payroll, IT, and office operations. I approved donor financial reports and monitored performance of large USAID portfolios (e.g., US$60M Malawi and US$33M Namibia), while advising senior leadership on compliance and administration.

I’m known for strong audit outcomes and governance in complex environments. At Population Services International, I directed finance and administration for US$28–43M annual budgets across major donor programs, delivering clean audits annually (2015–2023) with no significant findings, while supervising 25+ staff and strengthening systems during high-stakes periods.

I also bring practical transformation experience, including capacity building and ERP implementation across teams and partners. From Lawson ERP (10 years) and QuickBooks Enterprise/Online to Navision, Syspro, and Pastel, I help organisations improve efficiency through robust reconciliation, cost control, subaward oversight, risk management, and donor-compliant financial processes.

Experience

Work history, roles, and key accomplishments

Senior Finance & Admin Director

Project HOPE Namibia

Sep 2023 - May 2025 (1 year 8 months)

Oversaw administration and finance functions (procurement, HR, grants, payroll, IT, and office administration) and advised senior leadership on financial strategy and compliance. Approved donor financial reports and monitored US$60M Malawi and US$33M Namibia USAID projects.

Donor Reporting Grant Management Procurement Operations Payroll Compliance Management Financial Strategy

Multi-Country Finance Director

Population Services International

Apr 2022 - Sep 2023 (1 year 5 months)

Led finance and administration teams to improve transparency and efficiency across PSI operations, providing financial support and capacity development to program staff. Oversaw financial reporting, audits, subaward management, payroll, and statutory compliance.

Finance Leadership Financial Reporting Audit Management Payroll Administration Statutory Compliance Capacity Building Finance Support

Director, Finance & Operations

Population Services International

Nov 2015 - Mar 2022 (6 years 4 months)

Directed finance and administration for US$28–43M annual budgets across major donor programs, delivering clean annual audits (2015–2023) with no significant findings. Supervised 25+ staff and managed procurement, asset management, and grant realignments including COVID-19 protocols.

Budgeting and forecasting Audit Coordination Procurement Management Asset Management Compliance Governance Internal Controls

Finance Manager

Population Services International

Dec 2012 - Oct 2015 (2 years 10 months)

Supervised payments, donor reporting, audit preparation, and GL reconciliation using Lawson ERP, and managed treasury operations and financial consolidation. Acted as Director during a transition period and delivered successful audits.

Donor Reporting Audit Preparation Treasury Operations Financial Consolidation Payment Processing

Financial Accountant

Population Services International

Dec 2010 - Nov 2012 (1 year 11 months)

Supervised finance assistants, managed payment flows and reconciliations, and handled statutory returns. Streamlined receivables/payables and identified duplicate payments to recover losses while supporting global audits and head office reporting.

Reconciliations Loss Recovery (Duplicate Payment Identification)Audit Support Financial Reporting

Project Accountant (Global Fund)

Hospice & Palliative Care Association of Zimbabwe

Mar 2010 - Dec 2010 (9 months)

Provided financial oversight for 33 partner organisations, ensuring compliance and accurate reporting under a Global Fund program. Developed simple accounting systems for CBOs and facilitated pre-award assessments.

Partner Financial Oversight Subaward Partner Assessment Support Financial Reporting Controls

Project Accountant (UNICEF OVC)

Catholic Relief Services

Apr 2008 - Feb 2010 (1 year 10 months)

Oversaw subaward management for 11 partners, including capacity building and compliance verification for a UNICEF OVC program. Supported a CRS Tanzania financial reconstruction assignment post-crisis.

Financial Reporting

IFRS Financial Accountant

The Coca-Cola Company (Schweppes Zimbabwe)

Jun 2006 - Mar 2008 (1 year 9 months)

Prepared IFRS-compliant accounts and managed cash flow, reconciliations, and audit preparation. Introduced an automated bank reconciliation tool that detected historical fraud.

IFRS Reporting Cash Flow Management Bank Reconciliation Audit Preparation

Assistant Accountant

Delta Beverages

Apr 2004 - May 2006 (2 years 1 month)

Produced monthly management accounts and board packs and maintained asset registers for beverage operations. Developed finance SOPs to standardize processes for the business.

Management Accounting Asset Register Management