Senior Finance & Operations Associate, Innovation Practice

Results for Development (R4D) is a leading non-profit global development partner. We collaborate with change agents around the world — government officials, civil society leaders and social innovators — to create strong systems that support healthy, educated people. We help our partners move from knowing their goal to knowing how to reach it. We combine global expertise in health, education and nutrition with analytic rigor, practical support for decision-making and implementation and access to peer problem-solving networks. Together with our partners, we build self-sustaining systems that serve everyone and deliver lasting results. Then we share what we learn so others can achieve results for development, too.

We have a unique and vibrant culture at R4D. Diversity, equity and inclusion are at the heart of our work environment and help advance our mission. Diversity—of ideas, identities, perspectives and backgrounds—is vital to who we are and what we do. We seek people who embrace these values and will help reinforce them. Our work culture is collaborative, creative and entrepreneurial. We operate based on trust and respect. Teams across the organization frequently collaborate on programmatic work and support each other in continuously building a better R4D.

About the Innovation Practice

Around the world, individuals and institutions are finding new ways to work faster and smarter to address pressing challenges in health, education and nutrition systems. By adapting innovations to different contexts, creating novel approaches and solutions, and anticipating possible futures, these change agents are delivering better outcomes for citizens and challenging systemic inequalities.

In partnership with change agents, we facilitate the scale-up of innovations — addressing supply and demand-side barriers to scaling the impact of individual or cohorts of innovations. We also facilitate the strengthening of innovation ecosystems — addressing specific gaps, weaknesses and inefficiencies in the environment that are constraining innovation and scaling processes. To achieve these goals, we work with a range of innovation ecosystem actors, including social entrepreneurs, governments, civil society organizations and development agencies. Read more about the practice here.

Opportunity

R4D is seeking 1-2 Senior Finance & Operations Associate(s) to join our Innovation Practice, based in our London office. As an integral member of the Innovation Team, the Senior Finance & Operations Associate will work closely with team leads to support the financial and operational excellence of the Innovation portfolio. We are seeking a proactive, highly organised and detail-oriented individual to help us take this work forward. Previous experience supporting finance and operations of donor-funded projects and programmes will be essential along with an ability to build commitment for excellent Finance and Operations practices across the team. Strong verbal and written communication skills, an ability to think creatively and propose solutions to challenges within a highly collaborative team environment are also very important.

This position will report to the Innovation Finance & Operations Manager.

Responsibilities

General

• Proactively identify areas for finance & ops process improvement, propose solutions, and contribute to implementation.
• Lead internal meetings – for example to review project finance reports, update project forecasts, etc.
• Collaborate with and establish strong working relationships with external partners as required.

Finance

• Participate in refining and drafting suitable finance processes, tools and guidance for the practice and associated projects/programmes, to ensure the practice leverages and works in accordance with R4D systems and processes.
• Contribute to funder reporting, including working with different members of the team to ensure the timely submission of high quality, accurate financial reports.
• Support the Finance & Operations team, R4D Grants and Contracts Managers and the R4D Finance team with the day-to-day function in a timely manner.
• Be the interface between the Innovation practice Finance & Operations Team and the Global Finance team on financial queries including around forecasting, invoicing and payments.
• Support the practice in preparing invoices on the R4D finance system (Jamis) and liaise with R4D finance on sign off of invoices.
• Support the development of budgets for proposals for new work.

Operations

• Participate in refining and drafting suitable operational processes, tools and guidance for the practice and associated projects/programmes, to ensure the practice leverages and works in accordance with R4D systems and processes.
• Lead the establishment and execution of contracts for Innovation projects and other operational aspects of the practice, including consultant and supplier procurement.
• Support with the procurement process and tools and guidance for suppliers/consultants.
• Work with project teams to support event and meeting coordination (e.g., speaker research, vendor selection, scheduling and event-day coordination).
• Support the Finance and Operations team in monitoring contractual, administrative and compliance aspects related to the maintenance of the R4D office space in London.
• Ensure the Audio-Visual / Comms facilities in the London office are updated and functioning.

Qualifications and experience

Essential

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent professional qualification in a relevant field (for exmaple accounting, business, finance, maths, etc.) plus 2-3 years of relevant work experience, or Masters degree in a relevant field plus at least 1 year of relevant work experience.
• Excellent analytical skills and proven experience with data analysis in Excel.
• Excellent oral and verbal communication skills, including the ability to present complicated and detailed data to colleagues and partners.
• Experience of using financial management software (e.g. JAMIS, Oracle, Xero, etc.)
• Experience developing and maintaining effective processes and systems such as for financial management, tracking and managing resources, procurement processes, or similar.
• Demonstrated ability to prioritise and manage work in a fast-paced environment across multiple projects and work streams with competing time/resource demands.
• High level of organization, attention to detail, professionalism, and reliability.
• Willing to work from the R4D London office 2-3 days per week.
• Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the UK.

How to apply

Please click here to apply.