{NEW} International Finance Director in London

Key Responsibilities

• Strategic Leadership & Financial Planning
  • Lead the organisation’s financial strategy ensuring sustainability and alignment with mission and organisational priorities.
  • Advise the CEO and Board on financial performance, risk, and scenario planning.
  • Develop long-term financial models and cashflow forecasts.
  • Provide financial insight to strategic decisions, business cases, growth opportunities, and operational planning.
• Financial Management & Control
  • Oversee and execute specific tasks relating to financial operations including accounting, treasury, cash management, payroll, and banking.
  • Ensure monthly, quarterly, and annual financial closes are accurate and timely.
  • Maintain and strengthen internal financial controls across central team and country/project operations.
  • Implement efficient systems and processes to support a lean but compliant financial environment.
• Budgeting & Organisational Performance
  • Lead the annual budgeting process.
  • Monitor budget performance, variances, and financial KPIs, providing clear analysis for senior leadership.
  • Support budget holders to understand forecasts and make informed decisions.
• Donor Finance & Grant Compliance
  • Oversee donor grant finance, ensuring compliance with institutional donor restrictions and requirements.
  • Ensure accurate, timely donor financial reports and statements of expenditure.
  • Maintain strong cost allocation methodologies and restricted/unrestricted funds management.
  • Support proposal development with budgeting, pricing, and value-for-money analysis.
• Audit & Assurance
  • Lead the annual organisational audit: prepare schedules, financial statements, and required disclosures.
  • Ensure compliance with charity accounting standards (SORP).
  • Oversee financial donor audits, ensuring timely, accurate responses and evidence.
  • Strengthen processes to maintain a clean audit trail across all offices and functions.
• Risk Management
  • Contribute to the organisational risk register by recording and presenting on financial risks to the Board and Finance and Audit Committee.
  • Lead on fraud prevention, detection, reporting, and investigation standards.
  • Ensure compliance with anti-money-laundering legislation and act as MRLO for the organization.
  • Implement financial due diligence for donors, suppliers, and country operations as required to meet organisation and donor policies.
• Oversight of International Operations
  • Ensure strong financial management of new country programmes creating and reviewing and renewing policies as required.
  • Support secondees in new countries ensuring they are paid and can make payments as required.
  • Support the development or review of financial systems, capacity, and reporting in relation to new country expansion work.
  • Oversee financial arrangements for countries where the INGO has no legal entity, including fiscal hosts, secondee payments, and contract structures.
  • Ensure multi-currency management, FX exposure monitoring, and cashflow forecasting.
• Leadership, Management & Culture
  • Lead, mentor, and develop the finance team to achieve operational excellence.
  • Promote a culture of integrity, accountability, and financial literacy across the organisation.
  • Provide training and guidance to programme and non-finance staff.
  • Uphold the organisation’s values, safeguarding principles, and anti-corruption commitments.

Person Specification

Essential

• Worked as a Finance Director or as a Head of Finance (with autonomy of decision making and board reporting duties).
• Strong understanding of charity accounting standards and regulatory requirements.
• Senior-level finance experience in an INGO, charity, or multi-country organisation (preferably with operations in the Global South).
• Fully qualified accountant (ACCA, CIMA, ACA, CPA or equivalent).
• High integrity, sound judgement, and commitment to NGO values.
• Demonstrable experience with institutional donor compliance.
• Experience leading annual audits and preparing financial statements.
• Strong leadership and team management skills, including developing staff.
• Strong budgeting, forecasting, and financial analysis skills.
• Experience managing multi-currency environments and international financial operations.
• Ability to communicate financial information clearly to non-finance staff, senior leaders, and Boards.

Desirable

• Experience working with local partners and capacity-strengthening in the Global South.
• Knowledge of risk management frameworks and counter-fraud systems.
• Experience with digital transformation of financial systems.
• Familiarity with grant management systems and cloud-based accounting tools.
• Understanding of tax, registration, or legal issues related to INGOs working without in-country entities.
• Lived and worked in Sub Saharan Africa.