Chief Financial Officer, Network Consolidation & US
Ipas

The Chief Financial Officer (CFO) is a member of the Ipas US senior management team and is responsible for administering the Ipas Impact Network consolidated financial efforts and Ipas US financials efforts. Ipas US is the consolidating entity for most of the Ipas Network members. The CFO will partner with the Ipas President/CEO and other members of the senior management team to ensure the overall success of the Ipas Impact Network and to support the Network's mission, vision, and values.
The CFO brings significant financial management expertise and experience to advance the Ipas Impact Network mission and strategic framework. The incumbent demonstrates a strong commitment to the individuals and communities we serve, models the Ipas values, and provides leadership, coaching, and strategic advice to the Finance team. The CFO will serve as an advisor and collaborator to the Network Leadership Group, the internal Network governing body, as well as to the country, regional and service team leaders. The incumbent must be able to adapt to continually evolving environment and take initiative to meet the emerging needs and deadlines of the Network.

The CFO is the staff liaison for key Ipas US Board Committees - Audit & Risk and Finance & Investment. They support the Board to meet their fiduciary responsibilities through the committees and to the overall board. The CFO may have direct interactions with donors as the need arises. The CFO will be able to communicate and present financial reports, audits recommendations and financial ideas at the right level with accessible language in oral and written presentations.

The CFO will support the multi-year transition from a traditional headquarter centered international non-governmental organization (NGO) to a networked organization. The Ipas Impact Network is based on the framework of shared leadership and ownership: decisions are made closest to the point of impact, culture and practices emphasize equity and less hierarchy, operating context and program impact are balanced with financial management and there is mutual accountability and shared responsibility. The CFO is expected to contribute to this transition by actively working to dismantle the power structures, learned behaviors and bias that enable the systems of white supremacy and colonialism that are inherent in the traditional international development sector. In addition, the CFO will contribute to the success of the Ipas Impact Network by working closely with the transition working groups, Network coordinators and the Network Leadership Group to be responsive to the new operating model and provide critical data points to identify the best cost and revenue model for the Ipas network going forward.

The role is largely remote however there will be required travel and in-person meetings including semi-annual board meetings.

• Provides strategic direction, co-creates and supports development of improved efficiency and effectiveness measures for the financial wellbeing of the Network and its members
• Financial Analysis: oversees routine and ad-hoc financial analysis including expenditure trends, revenue projections, budget variances, cash flow forecasting, and fiscal risks. Able to translate and simplify complex financial analysis to accessible and actionable analysis. Supports finance team to develop skills to simplify and communicate with clarity of purpose.
• Operating Budget: Provide leadership and strategic direction to the consolidated annual operating budget process by working with the internal Budget Committee in determining and communicating guidance, annual budget objectives & ratios, and presenting annual operating budget materials to stakeholders including the Ipas US Board of Directors and Network members.
• Program/Project Budgeting and Progress: Catalyze the use of internal project budgets and regular status updates to develop a standard set of reports that emphasizes shared responsibility and mutual accountability of financial management at all levels of the Network. Creating a collaboration, learning and feedback practice that encourages shared ownership of financial results. Prioritizing listening to and co-creating with customers to continually improve our budgeting, reporting and review processes to best support our business objectives.
• Financial Modeling: Develop criteria and lead the production of financial models and scenario planning for the Network's revenue and cost projections.
• Balancing Network Impact and Fiscal Responsibility: Promote a culture that balances the ability to deliver on the mission and strategic goals in a diversity of contexts and circumstances with the fiscal requirements and controls that are required by general accepted accounting principles (GAAP), International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS),and funders.
• Serve as role model and mentor on promoting risk management instead of risk avoidance and fostering collaboration and mutual accountability instead of command and control. Encourage creativity and curiosity to meet the needs of the customer within the parameters of fiscal responsibility. Embrace agility and having multiple options to achieve the balance of stewardship and impact.
• Value for Money: Determine cost pools, allocation methodologies and efficiency targets to ensure donor cost recovery options available to the Ipas Network are aligned with cost of the activities and their impact. Demonstrate value for money for all revenue including indirect revenue.
• Audit: Engage with annual external auditors to set scope, review progress and finalize audit reports and recommendations. Support finance team to organize and plan for audit engagement. Ensure statutory filings are accurate and timely. Oversee internal audit consultants and serve as the liaison for the Internal Audit Council. Oversee execution and review of all independent audits including donor and federal audits. Support finance teams in planning and monitoring activities to address internal and external audit findings and recommendations.
• Consolidated finance and accounting: ensure systems and infrastructure are in place and functioning to support effective and robust financial accounting and reporting. Ensure appropriate internal controls, policies, and procedures. Oversee the maintenance of the accounting calendar and reporting schedules to ensure timely, accurate and useful reporting including monthly, quarterly and annual financial statements.
• Investment and banking: Engage with outside investment brokers following Ipas investment policy and evaluate, monitor and report to the Finance & Investment Committee and Board on results. Engage and maintain relationship with corporate bank to ensure short term cash holdings and smooth payment processes.
• Risk management: Support the enterprise risk management system through regular participation. Communicate Network level risk and compliance issue to relevant audiences in the Network. Ensure adequate compliance practices are in place and accountability mechanisms are responsive to the risk level. Remain up to date on non-profit audit best practices and state and federal law regarding non-profit operations and consolidation of affiliate financials
• Leadership of Finance Team: Provide guidance, leadership, and performance improvement paths to direct reports. Create space for regular and actionable feedback on performance and customer engagement. Foster and promote a culture of continuous financial monitoring and evaluation among Network's members aimed at financial sustainability. Initiate and actively support a Finance Community of Practice for the Network.
• Advise & Connect: Be available to advise the Network Leadership Group and teams from across the Network on financial issues. Delegate and connect folks from across the Network to learn from a diversity of experience and to develop solutions closer to problem. Foster openness to feedback and encourage solution-oriented problem identification from across the Network on all things related to fiscal risk and responsibilities.
• Other duties as assigned.

Requirements

Minimum

• Master's degree (M.A. M.S. or M.B.A.) or equivalent demonstrated practical knowledge of finance and accounting
• 10 years professional experience at Director of Finance level or higher
• Excellent writing and oral presentation skills, and the ability to effectively communicate complex financial activities to a large and diverse audience with varying levels of financial knowledge
• Proven customer service-orientation with a focus on capacity building
• Demonstrated expertise in Microsoft Excel, as well as other financial modelling tools and systems
  

Preferred Skills

• Supervisory experience
• Experience working in the international NGO sector
• Experience with hedging and reduction of exchange gain/loss exposure risk
• Proven cross-cultural communication skills
• Strategic mindset with proven experience as a catalyst, driving behavior change.
• Working language proficiency in French, Spanish, or Portuguese

Competency

• Aptitude for critical thinking and creative problem solving with a customer-service focus, helping to drive finance-related process improvements to increase efficiency and user experience.
• Ability to lead capacity building efforts and effectively mentor key staff in a multi-cultural and multilingual environment.
• Numeracy and facility technology and software including Excel.
• Communication Skills- Good listening skills, writing skills, and ability to convey ideas and insights with ease to a wide range of audiences.
• Awareness and commitment to doing work effectively and efficiently.

The individual in this role can be in any state in the United States or any country globally where Ipas is registered. Compensation for this position will be determined on the prevailing market rate for similar positions in the employee's location, and the applicable statutory laws- in addition to Ipas's own pay philosophy and other factors, such as the employee's experience level and expertise.

The Taplow Group S.A. (www.taplowgroup.com) is our retained search partner for this assignment.

We encourage you to apply early as we will start reviewing applications as of November 11 and the position will be closed once we have established a robust shortlist. Interested candidates are requested to submit a brief resume/CV and a statement stating the motivation to apply for this position.

Please email your application to The Taplow Group at applynonprofit.taplowgroupindia@gmail.com with the subject line : Application for CFO for Network Consolidation & US - Ipas - Applicant Full Name

Ipas is strongly committed to providing a work environment that is free from all forms of harassment, discrimination, and inequity. We recruit, employ, train, promote, and compensate our personnel without regard to race, age, sex, religion, national origin, color, creed, ancestry, citizenship, caste, ethnicity, regional identity, tribal identity, marital status, veteran status, disability, genetic information, gender identity, transgender status, sexual orientation, or any other personal characteristic protected by law or outlined by Ipas policy. Ipas acknowledges that these personal characteristics may differ in different contexts.

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