Chemonics - UK Finance Director

About Chemonics UK

Chemonics International is a major international development consultancy, with a 46-year history and a track record for delivering integrated solutions across multiple sectors and geographies to support the achievement of the sustainable development goals. With experience in over 150 countries and global network of over 5,000 technical specialists, Chemonics is recognised as one of the world’s leading partners for international development.

Chemonics UK was established in 2019 and has quickly developed a strong and diverse portfolio of UK Aid-funded programmes. Chemonics UK works with government and development sector counterparts across three continents to deliver programmes in sectors including climate action, education, governance, peacebuilding, stabilisation, social cohesion, and research.

Chemonics UK is developing greater autonomy and identity within the Chemonics International group and has ambitious growth plans for UK and European funded work, alongside the development of its own administrative and procedural functions.

The Role

Role: Finance Director

Reports to: Managing Director, Chemonics UK

Location: London, UK

Salary: Competitive

Job Summary

The Finance Director is responsible for the Chemonics UK’s financial control environment, ensuring that appropriate controls and systems are in place for all of the organisations operations. They will work closely with all of the UK’s workstreams to ensure they have the necessary tools to report on and measure performance against budget and that corporate resources are used efficiently and meet the UK-client requirements. They will be responsible for all matters related to accounting, tax, treasury, budgeting, corporate financial reporting, corporate insurance and financial systems adaption concerning Chemonics UK including overseeing a team of finance professionals. They provide advice to the Managing Director and UK Board of Directors on all financial matters and other issues of corporate importance in the UK.

Responsibilities

• Responsible for the overall reporting of Profit & Loss (PnL), revenue, expenses, and key business metrics within the UK business line ; prepares in collaboration with operations units leads the forecasting, development and implementation of long-range strategic financial plans (including budgets and forecasts), identifies and implements reporting on Key Performance Indicators and objectives for UK business line.

• Develops related financial forecasts for UK business line’s client programmes that link to the Company’s strategic objectives.

• Collaborates closely with UK Managing Director in maintaining business line PnL, managing UK bank accounts, producing financial statements, responding to corporate audits of financial reporting and cost audits.

• Responsible for statutory compliance, including tax, audit and preparing HMRC and Companies House filings.

• Responsible for reporting and implementation of corporate financial requirements of Chemonics International Inc. (CII) such as monthly and year-end reporting to parent company and consolidations, supporting developing transfer pricing strategies, and in collaboration with the

CII corporate teams for intercompany agreements development, transactions reporting and billing, finance & accounting teams, systems, policies, procedures synchronization and interoperability.

• Provides direction and leadership in the development and oversight of new or modification of existing finance & accounting teams, systems, policies, procedures, and tools that support the effective operationalization of new business, project implementation, and contract management for work funded by UK and EU donors. Includes modifying or adapting Chemonics’ approach to pricing, cost treatment, overhead recovery, labour rates; identifying finance operations that would benefit from improved software strategies, and optimizing use of existing applications. Develops and rolls out tools for summarizing financial activity to facilitate management and decision making within the UK PnL.

• Collaborates with corporate development team on evaluation of emerging business opportunities, including new programs or acquisitions;. Develops valuations and pricing on new partnerships or acquisitions. Creates methodologies to track achievement to business case once a new program is initiated.

Responsibilities

• Works closely with relevant stakeholders, including other business lines and support units to advance organizational learning related to the application of new systems, policies, procedures, and tools for working with UK and EU donors; builds the capacity of staff to manage FCDO client proposals and projects by developing communication tools, guidance, and training for both the head and project offices.

• Advises and provides financial analyses in meeting the needs of senior leadership in planning new initiatives and estimating opportunities/risks and prepares financial analyses affecting strategic and operational issues, to support leadership in decision making. Analysis includes, but is not limited to pro forma, cash flow and Return on Investment development. Ensures consistent financial evaluation methodologies. Creates methodologies to track achievement to business case once a new program is initiated.

• Leads close collaboration with Programme Management Units, Commercial Teams, and the Managing Director on FCDO prime contract financial management best practices and risk mitigation strategies and approaches.

• Maintains, expands and applies technical knowledge in FCDO contracting and other related technical interests by attending educational workshops,

reviewing professional publications, establishing personal networks, and participating in professional societies and Chemonics practice networks.

• Builds long-term, strategic partnerships among clients and beneficiaries, and works to influence policy and programming priorities that advance Chemonics’ growth and contribution to international development. Participates in industry events with client groups, professional associations, industry bodies to promote Chemonics and/or capture learnings.

• Supervises, mentors, and evaluates direct reports, communicating clear performance goals and standards and offering regular performance feedback and prompt resolution of problems; conducts performance reviews; promotes staff development through coaching, mentoring, and facilitating professional growth.

• Creates a productive and motivating work environment for staff by promoting cooperation and teamwork across departments, staying abreast of management, leadership, and team building strategies and advocating for them within Chemonics.

• Demonstrates inclusive behaviours and leadership consistent with Chemonics’ values and leadership competencies.

• Performs other duties as assigned.

Candidate Profile

• Certified Chartered Accountant.

• Degree in accounting, finance, or economics or equivalent relevant experience required; advanced degree preferred.

• Demonstrated professional experience in financial and/or project management and management of a department or division within a corporate setting.

• Demonstrated understanding and fluency with preparing and analysing financial statements, establishing and managing finance and accounting systems, overseeing and working with audits; and strong familiarity with UK GAAP and IFRS, corporate taxes, and other related local and federal standards and regulations.

• Proven track record for setting up and leading high performing teams.

• Proven ability to develop and maintain relationships with clients, parent organization, banks and vendors.

• Knowledge of the international development industry, Chemonics UK’s main client(s), and their operations an advantage but can be substituted for experience in the professional services sector.

• Demonstrated ability to provide leadership at the highest level of a corporation, formulating and articulating vision, and managing corporate resources to produce quality results through expanding new business efforts, contributing to successful operation, management, and corporate image.

• Demonstrated ability to provide direction, vision, and management of assigned division, manage annual budgets, resources and quality results, expand new business efforts and contribute to the successful operations, management and industry reputation of an organization.

• Demonstrated ability to solve all facets of extensive complex, multifaceted managerial and operational issues which require extensive knowledge, varied experiences, access to multiple talent/resources and independent judgment.

• Ability to work effectively both independently and as part of a team.

How to Apply

All correspondence, at this stage, should be via Oxford HR. To apply for this post, click on the “Apply” button on the job advert page, complete our online application form, and submit your CV and cover letter as two different documents, which should be prepared before applying as they will be considered in the application process. The cover letter should be no more than two pages long and explain why you are interested in this post and how your skills and experience make you a good fit.

Your CV and Cover Letter should be saved in PDF in the following format: Your First Name-Your LastName-Document Name-Date (mmyyyy) eg, Pat-Jones-CV-042023-Chemonics or Pat-Jones-CoverLetter-042023-Chemonics.

Timeline

Closing Date: 11th June 2023

First stage interviews: w/c 26th June 2023

Final interviews: TBC

Selection Process

All candidates will receive an update regarding their application after the closing date. We advise candidates to add the role email to their safe senders list and regularly check their spam folder.

Equality Statement

Equality and diversity are at the core of Chemonics’ values. Staff are expected to work collectively and individually to promote a constructive and sensitive approach to others from a variety of backgrounds, where the work of others is valued and respected.

Queries

If you have any queries on any aspect of the appointment process, need additional information, or would like to have an informal discussion, please email chemonics-financedirector@oxfordhr.com in the first instance.

About Oxford HR

Exceptional leaders can inspire change and propel purpose-led organisations towards reaching their world-changing goals. Finding such leaders can be a challenge; and yet their transition into leadership is vital to an organisations mission and success.

Oxford HR is a global leadership consultancy dedicated to searching for and supporting remarkable leaders and teams in purposeled organisations.

We understand the nuances of purposeled leadership because we’ve worked in organisations across the breadth of the sector ourselves. We’ve also worked with such organisations since 1995; so we appreciate just what benefits impactful people can bring.