Finance and Compliance Manager at British Council

Role Purpose

The post holder will lead, manage and co-ordinate all aspects of the ACP-EU (African, Caribbean and Pacific States – European Union) Programme’s Financial Management, ensuring control and compliance in line with client, corporate and programme quality standards. S/he will ensure that value for money is enshrined across the Programme and with its partners. The role will ensure that finance-related activities are established and delivered to the required standards to enable successful project delivery, acting as the main point of contact for all queries relating to project finances, planning, forecasting and commercial information.

Role specific knowledge and experience:

The main essential knowledge and experience points that we are looking for you to evidence are:

• Ability to operate in English (both written and spoken) at a demanding business and cultural level (equivalent to CEF level C1 or IELTS 7
• Qualified accountant – ACCA or CFA – with at least 5 years post-qualification experience
• A university degree in Finance, Accounting or similar discipline
• Experience in comparable role(s) including working on donor funded development projects / programmes.
• Experience of an ERP system
• Previous experience in managing and leading staff
• Ability to explain and support the implementation of stringent financial requirements to multi-disciplinary internal staff and external partners (steering committee, clients, grantees, consortium partners, hub delivery teams)
• Experience of overseeing, supporting and significantly improving financial management capability and performance of individuals and teams outside of formal / direct line management control

Role Specific Skills:

• Financial Reporting and Compliance
• Project Financial Management (Processes and Systems)
• Financial Planning, Forecasting and Budgeting
• Financial analysis and Business performance management
• Financial risk mitigation
• Contract and grant management

Desirable Experience:

• A postgraduate degree in Finance, Accounting or similar discipline.
• Experience of financial management of EU contracts.
• Experience working with SAP