Team and Job Purpose

• To ensure SCI's financial control framework operates effectively by identifying and addressing control and compliance issues through quality reviews and analysis, while engaging with country, global, and member teams to develop action plans to minimize financial risks. Drive standardization and automation of fnancial control processes, embed best practices and support professional development across finance teams. Lead on global donor audits; ensuring accurate reporting, minimising disallowances and developing action plan to address audit findings.

Role purpose

• To provide leadership and expertise in performance of quality reviews and analysis of CO balance sheet control accounts and KPIs, ensuring timely identification, resolution and escalation of financial control issues through collaborative action planning with country, global, and member teams. It also involves supporting financial control and compliance processes, preparing KPI reports and risk commentary, and strengthening the skills of teams through training and development, thereby contributing to the charity's aim of achieving financial integrity and compliance.

Principal Accountabilities

• Lead team of Financial Control Officers & Advisor. 
• Perform quality reviews and analysis of high-risk country financial returns and KPIs to identify and escalate financial risks. Ensuring accounts are being match on a timely basis and reallocations minimised. 
• Work with country, global and members teams to develop an action plan to address/minimise financial risks weaknesses. 
• Support the QRR financial control and compliance process; prepare KPI reporting and risk commentary for discussion with Finance SMT and IP SMT. 
• Manage updates to CO Finance Manual on QF and other financial control and compliance guidance materials. 
• Support with training and strengthening skills of country and global teams in financial control and compliance.

Experience and Skills

Essential

• Experience of leading a team, fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous learning.
• Excellent analytical abilities to identify financial control weaknesses and develop appropriate action plans.
• Meticulous attention to detail to ensure accuracy and reliability in financial reporting.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills to effectively engage with country, global, and member teams, and to manage relationships with auditors.
• Ability to develop pragmatic solutions to complex financial issues and compliance challenges and of driving standardisation and automation.
• Experience in developing and documenting financial policies, procedures, and training materials to support organisational financial competence and compliance.
• Aptitude in providing training and guidance to finance teams to embed best practice financial controls.
• Ability to adapt and take on new challenges in a dynamic organisational environment.
• Self-motivated with good time management skills and ability to prioritise workload, anticipate requirements, work to tight deadlines and communicate decisions on a regular basis.
• Proficient in the use of Microsoft Office suite, particularly Excel and in other financial software.

Desirable

• Experience in operating within the charity or non-profit sector, with an understanding of charity accounting and financial regulations. 
• Experience of working in a large global multi currency organisation.

Key Relationships

Internal (excluding direct team and manager)

• Finance Operations, IT, FP&A. Advocacy Offices, Treasury, Country Offices, IP Finance

External

• Auditors

Education and Qualifications

Essential

• Accounting qualification or equivalent or relevant experience