Finance Manager - LIFE-AR

Finance Manager - LIFE-AR
Hybrid (within or outside of the UK) with occasional travel to the UK offices and LDC countries

About Us

The International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) is a policy and action research organisation promoting sustainable development and linking local priorities to global challenges. We are based in London and work across five continents with some of the world’s most vulnerable people to strengthen their voices in the decision-making arenas that affect them. With more than 150 members of staff working with associates and partners around the world, IIED has been at the forefront of evidence-based policymaking in sustainable development for over 50 years.

The Initiative for Effective Adaption and Resilience (LIFE-AR) is an LDC (Less Developed Countries) led and owned initiative with the objective of developing long-term climate adaptation delivery mechanisms that enable investment behind local priorities, strengthening national institutions, domestic systems and capabilities, and influencing the climate finance architecture to improve LDCs ability to access climate finance for transformational adaptation.

The first six LIFE-AR Countries are leading and managing the establishment and implementation of LIFE-AR in-country, promoting a shift away from business-as-usual practice, including in developing an empowerment approach to due diligence and risk management. These countries are also experimenting and testing how to deliver transformational adaptation at scale, setting the direction for the delivery of the LDC Vision to be on climate resilient development pathways by 2030. They are demonstrating how to pioneer approaches consistent with their national priorities and contexts; and so generating learning for other LDCs, development partners and global finance architecture.

IIED is currently acting as the ‘interim’ Secretariat for LIFE-AR where this position will be situated. A second cohort of LIFE-AR countries is currently being formed, which will increase the ability of LIFE-AR to experiment and demonstrate how to better support LDC countries and communities at real scale.

We are now looking for a Finance Manager to join our team on a full-time basis for a two year fixed-term contract, working 35 hours per week.

The Benefits

- Salary of £52,244 - £64,964 per annum depending on experience
- 25 days' annual leave per year, increasing with service
- Closure between Christmas and New Year with additional paid holiday
- 7.5% employer's pension contributions
- An employee protection scheme offering a flexible menu of benefits
- An interest-free season-ticket loan
- A cycle-to-work scheme offering tax savings on the cost of purchasing a bike for travel to and from work
- An employee assistance programme
- Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption policies
- Enhanced sick pay entitlements, increasing with length of service
- Flexible working options
- Support for learning and development
- Compassionate leave up to ten days per annum
- Dependents leave
- Eye tests and glasses
- Therapy treatment

If you’re a qualified accountant with substantial experience in a similar financial management role and of engaging with international stakeholders, this is the perfect opportunity to join our organisation.

Working at the forefront of sustainable development, you’ll have the chance to use your expertise to guide an international initiative towards success, making a global impact and enabling far-reaching effects for those most vulnerable to climate change.

So, if you’re ready to step into an important and rewarding role, we would love to hear from you.

The Role

As a Finance Manager, you will lead the development and delivery of LIFE-AR’s finance strategy.

You’ll play a pivotal role in the transition for LIFE-AR from an IIED managed programme to an LDC-owned LIFE-AR facility. Acting as the main financial advisor to the Board and senior management, you’ll engage with key stakeholders and guide LIFE-AR to achieve financial excellence.

As the link between LIFE-AR and the IIED Finance Team, you’ll ensure high-quality support is delivered by IIED and support Service Level Agreement negotiations between LIFE-AR and IIED, continuously improving financial management & reporting processes to meet the needs of all LIFE-AR stakeholders.

Additionally, you will:

- Prepare and present financial results and reports
- Support fundraising with clear financial information and accurate budgets in clear templates
- Track funding opportunities and maintain risk-adjusted income projections
- Review donor financial reports and other finance-related submissions
- Develop clear templates to support LIFE-AR stakeholders to provide financial information as needed
- Establish and monitor an approach to cash-flow for LIFE-AR
- Oversee the work of LIFE-AR finance staff when applicable
- Complete audits and reviews

About You

To be considered as our Finance Manager, you will need:

- Substantial experience in a similar financial management role
- International stakeholder engagement experience
- In depth knowledge of financial management techniques and tools appropriate to international organisations
- Previous experience working in an audit environment
- Knowledge and interest of climate change and sustainable development issues
- Extensive knowledge of a range of donor financial procedures including the US State Department
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills
- Great interpersonal skills
- Advanced IT skills, especially Microsoft Office
- Full membership of a recognised professional accountancy body
- A degree, or equivalent work experience

Please note, this role is also open to those who live outside the UK, as long as you have the right to work in the country you wish to reside in. IIED will support a UK visa for this role if re-location is requested.

The salary range advertised in GBP is applicable in the UK only, and the salary offer in another country would depend on the local terms and conditions. We only use the UK salary structure to determine starting salaries, but it will not apply to salaries outside the UK thereafter.

The closing date for this role is the 1st of November 2023.

Other organisations may call this role Group Finance Manager, Head of Finance, Finance Transformation Lead, Financial Advisor, Financial Compliance Manager, or Cost Controller.

Webrecruit and International Institute for Environment and Development are equal opportunities employers, value diversity and are strongly committed to providing equal employment opportunities for all employees and all applicants for employment. Equal opportunities are the only acceptable way to conduct business and we believe that the more inclusive our environments are, the better our work will be.

So, if you want to step into a vital role with our dedicated organisation as a Finance Manager, please apply via the button shown. This vacancy is being advertised by Webrecruit. The services advertised by Webrecruit are those of an Employment Agency.