Sarah Nambule Zambwe

Head of Finance , International non-profit

Lusaka, Zambia

ACCA-qualified finance executive with 20+ years of experience in international development and humanitarian organisations. Expertise in strategic financial management, donor compliance, grant oversight, governance, audit management, and organisational sustainability. Proven leader in managing multi-million-dollar donor portfolios and strengthening financial accountability

Contact Sarah Nambule Zambwe
Area of Expertise:
  • Administration, Management, Finance/Accounting, Procurement
Professional Experience:

Sarah Nambule Zambwe is an accomplished finance executive with more than 20 years of progressive experience in financial leadership, grant management, donor compliance, auditing, governance, and organisational strategy within the international development and humanitarian sectors.
She currently serves as Head of Finance at Norwegian Church Aid, where she is a member of the Senior Management Team responsible for strategic financial leadership, organisational stewardship, and oversight of donor-funded programmes. In this role, she manages a grants portfolio valued at approximately USD 23.7 million and oversees annual budgets of nearly USD 5.9 million. Her responsibilities include financial planning, donor compliance, risk management, audit oversight, partner financial monitoring, and leadership of a finance team of 20 staff while supporting 15 implementing partners. She has successfully led the financial management and close-out of a €9.25 million European Union-funded programme and contributed to the development and costing of the organisation's 2025-2029 Country Programme Strategy.
Prior to joining Norwegian Church Aid, Sarah served as Finance Manager at ActionAid Zambia, where she led budgeting, financial reporting, donor compliance, internal control systems, and strategic planning initiatives. She played a key role in establishing accounting systems in regional offices and supported the development and costing of the organisation's Country Strategy Plan.
Earlier positions included Grant Accountant roles at Chreso Ministries and Project Concern International (PCI), where she managed USAID-funded programmes, strengthened partner financial management systems, developed grant management tools and procedures, and led donor reporting and compliance activities. She also held accounting positions with Africa Directions and Agriflora, building a solid foundation in financial operations, payroll management, accounting systems implementation, and internal controls.
Across her career, Sarah has consistently strengthened governance systems, enhanced financial accountability, improved organisational efficiency, and delivered strong donor compliance outcomes. She has extensive experience working with funding from NORAD, DANIDA, the European Union, UNICEF, SIDA, USAID, and the Scottish Government, making her a highly experienced leader in the management of complex donor-funded programmes.

Education:

Sarah Nambule Zambwe is a finance professional with internationally recognised qualifications and extensive expertise in financial management, governance, and donor-funded programme oversight. She is a qualified member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), one of the world's leading professional accounting bodies, and a member of the Zambia Institute of Chartered Accountants (ZICA). These professional qualifications have provided a strong foundation in accounting, financial reporting, audit, taxation, corporate governance, and strategic financial leadership.
Throughout her career, Sarah has complemented her professional qualifications with practical experience across international development, humanitarian, and non-governmental organisations. Her professional development has focused on financial management, grant administration, donor compliance, internal controls, risk management, budget planning, financial reporting, and organisational governance.
Her expertise has been applied in managing and overseeing funding from major bilateral and multilateral donors including NORAD, DANIDA, the European Union, UNICEF, SIDA, USAID, and the Scottish Government. She has built extensive knowledge of donor regulations, compliance requirements, audit standards, and partner capacity strengthening, enabling organisations to maintain strong financial accountability and stewardship of donor resources.
As a senior finance leader, Sarah continues to leverage her professional qualifications and ongoing learning to strengthen financial systems, improve governance frameworks, support strategic decision-making, and contribute to sustainable organisational growth

Affiliations and Achievements:

Professional Affiliations
• Member, Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA).
• Member, Zambia Institute of Chartered Accountants (ZICA).

Key Achievements
• Managed a grants portfolio valued at approximately USD 23.7 million.
• Led the successful financial management and close-out of a €9.25 million European Union-funded programme.
• Delivered five consecutive clean institutional audits through strengthened governance and internal controls.
• Supervised finance teams of up to 20 staff and provided oversight to 15 implementing partners.
• Contributed to the development and costing of organisational strategic plans, including the 2025-2029 Country Programme Strategy at Norwegian Church Aid and the 2018-2021 Country Strategy Plan at ActionAid Zambia.
• Extensive experience managing donor-funded programmes supported by NORAD, DANIDA, SIDA, USAID, UNICEF, the European Union, and the Scottish Government.

Available for:

  • Job opportunities

Years of Experience:

More than 20 years

Highest Qualification:

Bachelors

Languages:

English, Local Languages

Nationality:

Zambia

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