Director, Finance – Agriculture & Climate Action at Mastercard Foundation

THE OPPORTUNITY

• Reporting to the Finance Director – Pan African Programs, the role will be responsible providing Strategic Financial leadership and financial stewardship for all finance operations within the Agriculture & Climate Action Programs portfolio. The role will be the primary finance business partner to the Agriculture & Climate Action team responsible for ensuring that the programs are adequately funded to achieve intended outcomes & provide financial stewardship in the deployment of the resources towards achievement of the strategic goals of the foundation.
• The successful candidate will be based in Canada or any of our listed offices in Africa (Rwanda, Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya, Senegal, Ghana and Nigeria).

WAYS YOU CAN CONTRIBUTE

• Provide financial leadership and strategic direction to the teams in support of achieving the overall strategic programmatic outcomes for the Agriculture & Climate Action thematic programs.
• Work with the senior executives to understand the foundation and its partners so as to be able to develop financial models to support the strategic initiatives of the foundation in achievement of its impact objectives.
• Accountable for the end to financial aspects within programming in the thematic area which includes, Planning, implementation, monitoring & close out activities within the program; plus, financial partnering in all other end to end aspects including opex management and accounting activities.
• Ensure that the programs are adequately funded to deliver on their intended outcomes and that funds are being used as intended through effective business partners and ensuring adequate and appropriate controls are implemented and operating effectively.
• Ensure due diligence is undertaken during the program lifecycle to ensure effective risk management.
• Troubleshooting and management of financial issues that arise during program implementation Risk Management to ensure funding is being utilized as intended and there is sufficient funding to deliver intended outcomes.
• Develop in partnership with the Finance Operations teams , templates, processes and systems that enable team to provide partners with the right information to support decision making including but not limited to: Cash Forecasts, envelop disbursements and commitment outlook, Programmatic actual spend analysis.
• Oversee the implementation and management of the Finance & Accounting infrastructure, including systems, accounting practices, policies and procedures for the programs in partnership with the various enterprise teams.
• Play an advisory role in provisions of information that enables the various leadership teams within the thematic areas to make effective decisions for both short & long term impact.
• Provide monthly financial reporting and analysis to Executive Director, Finance & Accounting & the Director of Agriculture & Climate Action on program expenses, partner disbursements, cash flow projections, value for money, and pipeline outlook.
• Report status updates and provide ad-hoc support.
• Accountable for the budgeting, planning & forecasting process within the areas of thematic programming through the provision of accurate, timely & reliable information that enables effective decision making at a thematic and enterprise level.
• Accountable to ensure that there are adequate internal controls to Safeguard Foundation financial resources by maintaining a sound control environment & ensure compliance to CRA regulation when programming.
• Providing strategic stewardship in the areas of Risk Management in the program design, implementation and close out.
• Provide support to the centralized accounting function for annual audits with independent auditors and regulatory agencies as required.
• Embed a risk management culture within the thematic areas region and ensure there are appropriate policies and other risk mitigation protocols in place together with the Regional Head.
• Support the Assurance and ERM team on all matters related to auditing, assurance, compliance and risk management.
• Coordinate with the Canada accounting team to assist tax and audit procedures (e.g., tax filings, year-end closing, annual audit).
• Engaging and cultivating relationships with regional partners to ensure good governance and partner the programs teams to enable the achievement of the intended strategic objectives/outcomes of the program.

WHO YOU ARE

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting or related field is required; MBA added advantage.
• Professional accounting designation.
• Minimum 15 years in progressively senior financial roles within large and/or global organizations, with at least 7 years in a senior management capacity.
• Experience managing and building capabilities and capacity of accounting/finance and operations teams in high growth organizations including supporting expansion in multi-jurisdictional and multi-currency environments.
• Previous experience in Agriculture, managing large programs or operations would be an added advantage.

Expertise in:

• Identifying & Mitigating Operational, Financial and Business Risks
• Design & management of Operational Internal Control Systems, processes and Policies.
• Management Reporting including Financial Forecasting & Budgeting
• Financial Analysis and Interpretation

Working Knowledge in:

• Design & Implementation of Financial Processes & Accounting Operations Management
• Operating Accounting Systems & Generate Routine Accounting Records
• Determine and apply correct accounting treatments
• Management of External Reporting and Audits
• Demonstrated leadership capabilities & people development in a fast-growing organization
• Demonstrated initiative and drive towards innovative problem solving.
• Honed business partnership skills with Impeccable integrity.
• Ability to challenge and provide feedback in a constructive manner.
• Strong commercial acumen and Strategic mindset.
• Comfortable with ambiguity but able to exercise good judgment in a fast-changing environment.
• Ability to influence senior executives internally and externally and manage the pressures of work.
• Flexible, adaptable, and able to execute a range of job duties and changing priorities.
• Possess excellent verbal, written, and presentation skills with the ability to articulate information to a variety of constituents across cultures.
• Possess professional maturity, sensitivity with different cultures, and impeccable integrity.
• Demonstrate a commitment to Mastercard Foundation’s values and vision.