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Chief Financial Officer

Vacancy #:   6732
Unit:   Global Finance Group
Organisation:   International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
Location:   Headquarters, Gland, Switzerland
Reporting to:   Director General
Work percentage:   100%
Grade:   D
Expected start date:   01 April 2024
Type of contract:   Max-term (24 months)
Closing date:   11 March 2024 (extended)
BACKGROUND
SCOPE

Under the overall supervision of the Director General of IUCN, the CFO is responsible for the strategic leadership of the global finance function.

The position is part of IUCN’s Executive Board, based in Gland, Switzerland.

The Chief Financial Officer (CFO) provides overall strategic leadership and direction for IUCN’s global finance function. More specifically, they are responsible for the fiduciary control of IUCN assets; for the effective and efficient use of IUCN’s financial resources through robust planning and budgeting processes; and for supporting decision making across the organisation through the provision of relevant and timely financial information.

The role is critical for maintaining IUCN’s standing and reputation with donors, partners and other stakeholders.

The CFO directly manages the Headquarters finance team and supervises regional finance managers through a matrix structure.

The Chief Financial Officer is also responsible for:
1) The General Services Unit (GSU), which manages the headquarters building and related services including reception, office space, building maintenance, building security and insurance, services to tenants and the IUCN cafeteria.
2) The global security function through supervision of the Head, General Services & Safety and Security.
3) The global procurement function.
JOB DESCRIPTION
SPECIFIC DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Financial planning, budgeting, reporting and decision support
• Lead the development of the 4-year Financial Plan and longer-term financial strategies.
• Lead the annual budgeting cycle, ensuring alignment with annual workplans and the 4-year Financial Plan.
• Prepare analytical information to measure performance and support decision making by the Executive Board and other levels of management, thereby driving financial sustainability and a culture of financial accountability.
• Provide advice to the Director General on all financial matters.

Financial accounting and services
• Prepare annual statutory financial statements for IUCN and coordinate the statutory audit.
• Ensure compliance with Swiss Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and/or other accounting standards adopted by the organization, as well as compliance with national laws.
• Manage HQ financial services and processes: procure-to-pay, income, fixed asset management, staff payments and expenses; and provide oversight of these processes at the regional and country level.

Programme financial management
• Provide financial management services to programmes and projects managed by HQ and outposted offices, including budget development, donor financial reporting, donor contract management, and contracts with partners and grantees.
• Develop tools, processes and procedures to support project financial management.
• Drive the principal of full cost recovery to ensure the financial sustainability of IUCN’s project portfolio.
• Provide services to support IUCN’s role as an implementing agency for the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the Green Climate Fund (GCF).

Financial systems
• Act as the business owner of the financial components of the ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) system. The principal components are accounts payable and receivable, general accounting, fixed assets management, grant management, cash management, travel and expense management, time management and financial reporting.
• Ensure financial systems are fit for purpose and that they support and drive operational efficiency.
• Participate in the overall development and implementation of IUCN’s ERP strategy and IUCN’s wider information systems strategy.
• Lead on the automation of financial processes and on digitalisation of financial records and documents and on interlinkages with other systems.

Financial risk management and internal control
• Track and manage the financial risks that IUCN is subjected to, ensuring that they are actively managed, mitigated where possible and aligned with IUCN’s risk appetite framework.
• Develop, implement and monitor the finance components of the internal control framework, thereby ensuring a high level of fiduciary control of IUCN’s assets, and the integrity of financial processes and data.
• Develop, update and socialise financial procedures across the IUCN Secretariat.

Treasury and cash management
• Actively manage IUCN’s cash to match operational needs, to minimise counterparty risks and to generate a return where possible within acceptable risk parameters.
• Actively manage foreign exchange risk through both active and passive hedging strategies.
• Oversee the management of IUCN’s longer-term financial investments.

Governance
• Support the Finance and Audit Committee (FAC) of Council in its work through the preparation and provision of financial information to enable it to perform its oversight role.
• Closely coordinate with the Deputy Director General, Corporate Services on the agenda and preparation of FAC meetings.
• Support the IUCN Congress (the ultimate governing body of IUCN which normally meets every 4-years) on all finance agenda items, such as the 4-year financial plan and financial reports for preceding periods.
• Represent finance at the Corporate Services coordination meetings chaired by the Deputy Director General, Corporate Services.
REQUIREMENTS
  • Experience and education:

• 15 year + progressive experience in international Finance, including previous experience as CFO.

• In depth knowledge of corporate financial law and risk management practices.

• Excellent knowledge of data analysis and forecasting methods.

• Extensive experience of not-for-profit finance.

• University education, with a master’s degree or equivalent in the areas of finance, accounting, business management or a related discipline, or

• CPA or comparable national/ international professional accounting qualifications.

• Competencies:

• Ability to strategise and solve problems.

• Strong leadership and organisational skills.

• Excellent communication and people skills.

• An analytical mind.

• Fluency in English. A working knowledge in another IUCN language (French or Spanish) would be an advantage.
SALARY
The gross annual salary for this position is between CHF 194'014 and CHF 242'518, subject to deductions for social security contributions and second-pillar pension, and before tax. While this is an indicative amount effective as of the current date, changes may occur as per IUCN's compensation practices without prior notice. The same applies to other organisations hosted by IUCN.
APPLICATIONS

Applicants are requested to apply online through the HR Management System, by opening the vacancy announcement and pressing the "Apply" button.

Applicants will be asked to create an account and submit their profile information. Applications will not be accepted after the closing date. The vacancy closes at midnight, Swiss time (GMT+1 / GMT+2 during Daylight Saving Time, DST). Please note that only selected applicants will be personally contacted for interviews.

Other job opportunities are published in the IUCN website: https://www.iucn.org/involved/jobs/


About IUCN

IUCN is a membership Union uniquely composed of both government and civil society organisations. It provides public, private and non-governmental organisations with the knowledge and tools that enable human progress, economic development and nature conservation to take place together.

Created in 1948, IUCN is now the world’s largest and most diverse environmental network, harnessing the knowledge, resources and reach of more than 1,400 Member organisations and around 16,000 experts. It is a leading provider of conservation data, assessments and analysis. Its broad membership enables IUCN to fill the role of incubator and trusted repository of best practices, tools and international standards.

IUCN provides a neutral space in which diverse stakeholders including governments, NGOs, scientists, businesses, local communities, indigenous peoples organisations and others can work together to forge and implement solutions to environmental challenges and achieve sustainable development.

Working with many partners and supporters, IUCN implements a large and diverse portfolio of conservation projects worldwide. Combining the latest science with the traditional knowledge of local communities, these projects work to reverse habitat loss, restore ecosystems and improve people’s well-being.

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