Career Openings at Plan International

As Head of the Directorate, you will be responsible for providing strategic leadership in the improvement of the global finance function at Plan International. This will include, but not be limited to, the development of new strategic initiatives and programmes of work that improve capability, ongoing management of a change plan, acting as a central point for the implementation of Microsoft Dynamics 365 within the finance function, and working with regional teams to create rollout plans. You will also be responsible for horizon scanning and assessment of new initiatives, which may include the introduction of automation and/or a shared services centre to support delivery of core accounting processes.

The Director will form part of the Finance Leadership Team and will support the development of the five-year Finance Strategy. You will also be accountable for providing day-to-day oversight and management of the Directorate, including reporting, people management, and quality assurance responsibilities.

The Requirements

Skills and experience specific to the role;

• Large-scale transformation programme delivery, including each stage of the programme management lifecycle.
• Strategy design and development, including with the ability to engage stakeholders throughout the process.
• Ability to craft and convey a change narrative to support buy-in from stakeholders.
• Ability to manage multiple large-scale strategy, transformation and change projects simultaneously.
• Ability to translate strategy into delivery through plans, programmes, people and culture.
• Third-party supplier management, including procurement, contract management, and performance management.
• Communication skills, tailored to the audiences with whom you will work – including external stakeholders, and global, regional, and local teams.
• Strong negotiating, facilitating and influencing skills to support delivery of initiatives.
• Ability to deliver major and complex change at place, effectively managing risks and dependencies.
• Highly developed interpersonal, advocacy and communication skills to work effectively with stakeholders and bring the best out of teams.
• Possess the capabilities needed to deliver effective solutions to complex business challenges.
• Ability to deliver a programme using different delivery methods and approaches (including Agile delivery methods).
• Business case development, including understanding of cost/benefit analysis.
• Strong process design/optimisation skills to support the ongoing improvement of processes across the function.

Preferred qualifications and experience

• Relevant qualification at degree level (or international equivalent) and significant experience in organisational leadership and successful transformation programme delivery.
• MBA is desirable but not mandatory.
• Relevant change management accreditation or project management qualification.
• Experience in delivering global roll-out of an ERP platform would be an added benefit.
• Process Design qualification (ideally Lean Six-Sigma or equivalent).
• Experience of working at a similar level within an INGO would be an advantage but we are receptive to experience from other sectors.
• Understanding of INGO funding streams would be an advantage.
• Breadth of financial experience, ideally with an INGO or not-for-profit sector organisation. Experience of working in countries delivering development programmes would be a significant advantage.
• Knowledge and experience of using any/all of the following would be an added value:
  • SAP ERP systems
  •  Power BI
  •  Dynamics 365
• Additional languages advantageous.

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As Head of the Directorate, you will be responsible for building the function’s brand as a global partner through the provision of strategic leadership, insight generation, and effective resource allocation in budgeting and reporting processes for the finance function. You will oversee financial planning, financial performance analysis and management, and strategic and global financial modelling. The Directorate will have responsibility for management of the data and information sets and systems to create confidence across the function and wider organisation in what is being provided.

The Director will form part of the Finance Leadership Team and will own the development of the five-year Finance Strategy alongside the CFO. You will also be accountable for providing day-to-day oversight and management of the Directorate, including reporting, people management, and quality assurance responsibilities.

The Requirements

Leadership behaviours:

• Provides Strategic Leadership within the function and to the wider organisation, acting as a partner in the delivery of outcomes.
• Is customer focussed and embeds those behaviours across the Strategic Finance Directorate.
• Develops, motivates, coaches and manages the Strategic Finance Directorate team and broader finance teams at global, regional and country level.
• Promotes high performance and continuous improvement by all staff.
• Promotes innovation and ongoing learning and development of all teams within the region.
• Resilient and outcome focussed, with an ability to build those qualities in the team.
• Communicates clearly and effectively with internal and external stakeholders.
• Gains, develops and retains credibility about their performance.
• Sees the bigger picture and helps teams and leaders to develop this perspective.

Skills specific to the post:

• Demonstrable experience of transforming Financial Strategy, Planning and Insight services.
• Strong financial analysis and modelling skills, with the ability to provide insights and recommendations to support decision-making.
• Knowledge and ability to create a variety of modelling techniques and methods to support planning and analysis.
• Strong project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple projects and priorities simultaneously.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to present complex financial information in a clear and concise manner to non-financial stakeholders.
• Managing and mitigating financial and operational risk, working across teams to mitigate and manage response.
• Proficient in computer skills and use of relevant software and other applications (e.g. word processing, spreadsheets, database, internet).
• Possess the capabilities needed to deliver effective solutions to complex business challenges.
• Ability to translate strategy into delivery through plans, programmes, people and culture.
• Communication skills, tailored to the audiences with whom you will work – including external stakeholders, and global, regional, and local teams.
• Highly developed interpersonal, advocacy and communication skills to work effectively with stakeholders and bring the best out of teams.
• Possess the capabilities needed to deliver effective solutions to complex business challenges.
• Knowledge and experience of using any/all of the following would be an added value:
  • SAP ERP systems
  • Power BI
  • Dynamics 365 

Preferred qualifications and experience 

• Chartered professional membership of a recognised professional accountancy body (CIMA, ACCA, ICAEW or recognised equivalent)  
• Multi-disciplinary financial expert; thought leader in financial strategy, planning and critical thinking and political context.  
• Degree/international equivalent in Finance or Economics or other relevant discipline and ideally MBA.  
• Breadth of financial experience ideally within the INGO (ideally humanitarian and development) or non-profit sectors, ideally of experience working in countries delivering development programmes  
• Experience of converting strategic thinking into operational reality, managing multiple conflicting priorities.  
• Additional languages advantageous

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The Global Programmes & Operations Finance Directorate will be responsible for providing critical leadership, guidance, oversight and support to Plan International’s regional and country office finance teams. It will ensure that appropriate internal standards and effective processes and tools are available and consistently adhered to, for Plan International and its partners to meet external financial standards, projects managers needs and donors’ financial regulations. It will also provide financial expertise to the Global Programmes and Operations Directorate.

In collaboration with other Finance Directorates, it will tailor support to Regional Hub’s and Country Office’s:

• With the Corporate Finance and Treasury Directorate, it will support compliance with accounting standards, year-end processing and audit deliverable in COs and RHs.
• With the Strategic Finance Directorate, it will provide oversight of the global fund’s allocation and COs and Regions Financial performance.
• With the Finance Transformation Directorate, it will strengthen capability and improve capacity in teams to deliver core finance activities.

In line with our strategic priority to scale up the humanitarian impact, the Directorate will also lead in shaping and managing effective and clear financial standards and processes for managing our humanitarian responses in collaboration with the Disaster Risk Management (DRM) team.

As head of the Directorate, you will work closely with the Regional Finance Directors for Plan’s four regions (Asia Pacific, Middle Eastern, Eastern, Southern Africa, West and Central Africa, and Region of the Americas) ensuring that your team provides guidance, oversight and quality support to their regional finance teams. You will also lead the financial support to the Global Programme and Operation Leadership team (GPOLT) by being a core member of the team.

The Director will form part of the Finance Leadership Team and will support the development of the five-year Finance Strategy. You will also be accountable for providing day-to-day oversight and management of the Directorate, including reporting, people management, and quality assurance responsibilities.

The Requirements

• A Qualified Chartered Accountant (ICAEW or recognised equivalent) you bring a breadth of financial experience within an INGO (ideally with both humanitarian and development focus) or non-profit sectors and audit practice. Experience of working in countries delivering development programmes would be a significant advantage and an understanding of INGO funding streams and importance of full cost recovery is imperative.
• Complex problem solving is a core requirement of this role and you bring strong process design/optimisation skills to support the ongoing improvement of processes across the function.
• A skilled leader you bring exemplary negotiation, facilitation and influencing skills. Customer focused, you promote high performance and continuous improvement from your staff. You are resilient and outcome focused with an ability to build those qualities within your team.