AN OUTSTANDING OPPORTUNITY TO WORK IN A CGIAR CENTER FOCUSED ON DELIVERING INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS FOR SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT IN NON-TROPICAL DRY AREAS OF THE DEVELOPING WORLD
ICARDA is an international organization that for over four decades undertakes research-for-development to provide innovative, science-based agricultural solutions that improve the livelihood resilience of rural dryland communities. ICARDA’s mission is to reduce poverty and enhance food, water, nutritional security, and environmental health in the face of global challenges, including climate change. ICARDA is the only CGIAR research center headquartered in the non-tropical drylands. Our unique dryland agricultural experience, combined with our extensive networks of research and development partners, including farming communities themselves, makes sure we provide people-centered solutions that are integrated directly into farming activities and food systems. For more information: www.icarda.org
All 12 CGIAR Centers are currently engaged in a transformation effort (the ‘One CGIAR’) that will help the CGIAR achieve better impact through more strategically integrated research, unified governance, an integrated structure, and new research modalities.
Director of Finance
ICARDA currently wishes to recruit a proven mature, professional Director of Finance (DOF) who will fully undertake its Finance function’s leadership role. Currently, its Finance Department is led by an incumbent holding dual responsibilities with ICARDA and the One CGIAR.
The DOF reports to the Director-General and is a member of ICARDA’s Senior Management Team. He/she will be expected to work as part of the integrated matrix structure and to collaborate with global colleagues.
The DOF is responsible for ICARDA’s Finance functions and serves as its Treasurer. The DOF will drive ICARDA’s strategic and operational Finance function, supporting scientific research outputs, outcomes, and the impact of ICARDA’s research portfolio. The DOF will provide focus and vision to identify areas for improvement and manage ICARDA’s financial risks. He/she will oversee a sound system of internal control that will ensure ICARDA optimizes its financial resources and provides all its stakeholders with value for money. The DOF will also oversee the Procurement and Digital Services Units. The role of the Director of Finance includes, but is not limited to:
Key Responsibilities
Strategy & Planning
- Promote innovation and excellence to support ICARDA’s organizational goals and strategy. Work with all stakeholders to assess, plan for and analyze ICARDA’s capacity to deliver its strategic goals.
- Take part in a thorough and risk-based assessment of ICARDA’s challenges and opportunities in a dynamic and challenging environment and provide insightful analysis and recommendations to enhance ICARDA’s efficiency and effectiveness.
Delivery and Operations
- Effectively and efficiently lead the management of ICARDA’s financial affairs from 2023 onwards, including financial data management. Provide timely and accurate management reports, including financial analyses of ICARDA’s financial situation. Ensure adherence to statutory financial reporting requirements, such as the International Financial Reporting Standards.
- Develop, implement, and maintain sound financial accountability through an effective internal control framework, an anti-fraud policy framework, and a culture of effective compliance with financial and budgetary policies and procedures.
- Develop, implement, monitor, and regularly report on sound cost accounting frameworks that ensure full-cost recovery of ICARDA’s research projects.
- Effectively lead ICARDA’s treasury function, ensuring ICARDA meets its cash flow requirements and manages its liquid assets under established investment policies.
- Develop and implement financial and treasury policies and procedures, monitor their effectiveness, and ensure compliance across ICARDA.
- Lead the development of an annual and multi-year budget and financial plan for ICARDA; monitor budget expenditure and trends and recommend corrective measures to meet its financial goals.
Relationships and Engagement
- Function as the ICARDA focal point to the Secretary of the Audit, Finance, and Risk (AFRC) Committee of the ICARDA Board of Trustees.
- Function as the Sanctions Compliance Officer and Chair of the Risk Management Committee and Sanctions Management Working Group.
- Effectively manage relationships with both Internal and External Auditors.
Leadership
- Effectively lead, motivate, and manage the performance of all finance, procurement, and digital/data services staff across ICARDA, ensuring that appropriate policies are developed and implemented and adherence to standards is made.
Essential qualifications and competencies
The successful candidate will have most or all the following skills, knowledge, experience, and personal characteristics:
- A professional qualification such as ACA (minimum professional level), ACCA, CPA, CMA, or CFA
- An advanced university degree in financial management, accounting, business administration, economics, and/or a related field, or a bachelor’s degree or equivalent combined with longer work experience
- A minimum of ten years of progressively responsible experience, including in the public sector, at management levels, in formulating, planning, and implementing effective financial management strategies
- Ability to think strategically and pragmatically and to turn strategies into concrete actions
- Strong analytical skills, evidenced by demonstrated delivery of sound financial analysis, modeling, and forecasting
- Demonstrated ability to lead, inspire and effectively manage people in a multicultural work environment working in different time zones
- Excellent communication and people skills, including the ability to build trust and consensus and effectively manage working relationships
- Experience in implementation and maintenance of business and financial reporting tools using ERP systems
- Excellent English, both written and spoken
Desirable qualifications and competencies
- Experience in a publicly funded organization
- Management of grant funding and related donor relations
- Knowledge of the international sanction environment
- Experience in international treasury operations
- Experience in a research or development international, not-for-profit organization
- Experience in working in a matrix organization
- Knowledge of Arabic and/or French
Terms of appointment, salary, and benefits
The DOF is an internationally recruited position. ICARDA offers an attractive compensation package to the successful applicant, including a competitive salary, housing allowance, non-contributory retirement plan, medical insurance, 30 days of annual leave, five months of maternity leave, and 15 days of paternity leave. All benefits are denominated and paid in US Dollars. ICARDA will offer the successful candidate an initial contract of three years, renewable, subject to a continued need for the position and satisfactory performance. The first year will be a probationary period.
The position is based in Cairo, Egypt.
ICARDA is committed to increasing women’s representation in its workforce and strongly encourages applications from qualified women.
Applicants should send an up-to-date CV and a one-page cover letter, including copies of the highest diploma/degree, training certificates related to the position, and names and email addresses of 3 professional referees to Ms. Auree de Carbon by email at: adecarbon@carrhure.com no later than January 2, 2023, 18:00 CET. Please indicate in the ‘Subject’ of the email the title ‘application for the post of ICARDA _DIRECTOR OF FINANCE.
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for an interview.
