International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) seeks to
recruit a Chief Financial Officer (CFO) within its Corporate Services Division.
The CFO will direct and oversee all aspects of the Finance and Accounting
functions of the Institute.
S/he will have the primary day-to-day
responsibility to ensure the existence and adherence to fundamental principles
of financial management – financial accountability, internal controls,
record-keeping, compliances, financial integrity, planning, budgeting,
cash-flow management and financial reporting. S/he will support planning,
monitoring and decision making processes to achieve best value in utilising
resources and providing quality information, financial analysis, training and
professional advice.
ILRI works to enhance the roles livestock play in pathways
out of poverty in developing countries. ILRI is a member of the CGIAR
Consortium, a global research partnership of 15 centres working with many
partners for a food-secure future. ILRI has two main campuses in East Africa
and other hubs in East, West and Southern Africa and South, Southeast and East
Asia.
CGIAR is a global agricultural research partnership for a
food-secure future. Its science is carried out by 15 research centres that are
members of the CGIAR Consortium in collaboration with hundreds of partner
organizations.
Responsibilities:
- Provide
overall supervision of the processes of recording, classifying and
summarizing financial transactions and events and interpreting the
results, ensuring that all transaction of the Institute are recorded and
that there is easily accessible supporting original documentation for all
the transactions. Providing necessary approvals for transactions and
processes within set policies.
- Provide
custodianship to all financial policies and procedures.
- Review
and provide timely and accurate analysis of budgets, financial trends and
forecasts including identifying fixed costs, profit cost centres and break
even analyses.
- Continuous
development and improvement of all supporting financial and management
information systems for the Institute, ERP systems, project costing,
mapping of accounts codes and analysis codes.
- Ensure
that effective internal controls are in place to safeguard financial
assets of the Institute and ensure records systems are maintained in accordance
with generally accepted accounting standards.
- Ensure
compliance with all applicable financial regulatory laws and rules for
financial reporting in all jurisdictions where the Institute operates.
- Oversee
the coordination and activities of independent external auditors for the
Institute and project audits, ensuring that all compliance issues are met
and that the preparation of annual financial statements is in accordance
with CGIAR requirements and IFRS.
- Oversee
the preparation of periodic financial statements, financial management
reports, cash flows, special analyses, and information reports for use by
the Institute Management Committee (IMC) and Board of Trustees. Ensure
that the finance unit is capable of meeting all financial reporting
requirements – statutory, management and contractual – on a timely basis.
- Establish
and maintain strong relationships with program/project managers identify
their needs and deliver enhanced business solutions. Provide support to
other business support units in financial related matters. Provide
recommendations to strategically enhance financial performance and
business opportunities. Analyze costs and expenses and guide
program/project managers. Analyze financial statements to pinpoint trends
and potential problem areas.
- Analyze
cash flow, monitor banking activities, manage the investment of cash
deposits in line with set policy and other short and long-term investments
to ensure adequate cash flow to meet the Institute’s needs,
- Establish
and implement short and long-range goals, objectives, policies, and
operating procedures for the Finance Unit.
- Oversee
financial management of regional operations, including the development of
appropriate financial and budget policies and procedures that incorporate
local regulatory requirements.
- Evaluate
and advise the IMC on the impact of new program/strategies and regulatory
changes.
- Represent
the Institute externally to government agencies and funding agencies.
- Serve
on planning and policy-making committees.
- Recruit,
train, supervise, and evaluate Finance Unit staff.
Requirements:
- MBA
or equivalent and advanced finance/accountancy qualification.
- At
least 10 years’ experience in a senior management role.
- Strong
track record in leading the finance function of an organization operating
in a complex, fast changing environment.
- Experience
in introducing and managing change initiatives in financial management.
- Demonstrated
ability to recommend or make decisions, including difficult ones, in a
complex, changing environment.
- Ability
and interest in continuous learning that deepens understanding of the
dynamics of the internal and external environments in which a
not-for-profit, publicly funded research institute operates today.
- Demonstrated
ability to work in multi-cultural settings and to build productive
relationships with diverse internal and external stakeholders.
- Working
experience outside the candidate’s home country is required; preference
will be given to experience gained in developing countries.
- Experience
in similar organizations (science-based, public/private research,
consulting firms) is desirable.
- Experience
in business development and/or resource mobilization highly desirable.
- Essential
personal qualities: integrity, responsiveness and decisiveness.
Post location: The position is based at ILRI’s
Headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya.
Position level:The position is Research Level 3
dependent on qualifications and experience.
Duration:3 years with the possibility of renewal,
contingent upon individual performance and continued funding.
Benefits: ILRI offers a competitive
international and salary and benefits package which includes 15% Pension,
Medical insurance, Life insurance and allowances for: Education, Housing,
Relocation, Home leave, Annual holiday entitlement of 30 days + public
holidays.
*Benefits are tax free subject to compliance with tax
regulations of country of citizenship.
Applications: Applicants should provide a cover
letter and curriculum vitae: a list of publications and names and addresses
(including telephone and email) of three referees who are knowledgeable about
the candidate’s professional qualifications and work experience should be
included in the curriculum vitae. The position title and reference number: CFO/CS/05/2014 should
be clearly indicated in the subject line of the cover letter.
All applications to be submitted online on our recruitment
portal: http://ilri.simplicant.com by 19
June 2014.
ILRI is an equal opportunity employer.
