Finance Director at Heifer International

Responsibilities & Deliverables

Strategic Finance Leadership (30%)

• Develop financial planning models that drive confidence in Heifer Africa's business strategy.
• Lead the finance transformation process to optimize resource allocation, efficiency, and financial sustainability.
• Set up and strengthen a locally led function to enhance frontline capacity and decision-making.
• Provide financial insights to senior leadership to drive strategic decisions and business growth.

Operational Excellence (20%)

• Design and implement risk management, audit, and business reporting processes to drive operational excellence across regional and country operations.
• Ensure internal controls and risk management frameworks are effective.
• Ensure financial reporting is accurate, timely, and in compliance with both internal and external regulatory requirements.
• Implement and optimize financial management tools and systems to improve operational efficiency and financial transparency.
• Support country finance teams in the financial management of donor-funded projects, ensuring compliance with grant requirements.
• Oversee financial operations across the Africa region, ensuring compliance with global, regional, and country-specific financial regulations and policies.
• Lead initiatives to streamline financial processes, improve cost efficiency, and drive operational effectiveness.
• Implement digital finance solutions to enhance financial management capabilities.

Business Partnering and Stakeholder Management (20%)

• Act as a trusted financial advisor to Regional and Country Directors, providing data-driven financial insights and solutions.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including program, fundraising, and operations, to align financial strategies with organizational goals.
• Manage expectations and relationships with global, regional, and country-level stakeholders, ensuring alignment with Heifer International’s mission and strategic priorities.
• Drive a culture of financial accountability and performance across the Africa region.

Deliver Sustainable Locally Led Finance Function aligned to Business Transformation (10%)

• Design and implement a locally led finance function that enhances agility and decision-making at country levels.
• Support the setup of a regional finance organization that integrates private sector best practices with development sector financial management principles.

Capacity Building and Talent Development (15%)

• Develop and implement training programs to enhance financial capability and business partnering skills within country finance teams.
• Lead, mentor, and support finance teams to strengthen their technical expertise and strategic financial management skills.
• Foster a high-performance culture focused on continuous learning, innovation, and financial excellence.
• Establish talent development strategies to build a pipeline of future finance leaders within the organization.
• Implement best practices for knowledge-sharing, collaboration, and professional growth across regional finance teams.
• Ensure finance teams are equipped with the latest financial management tools and systems to optimize efficiency and effectiveness in delivering Heifer International’s mission.

Any Other Assigned Function (5%)

• May perform other job-related duties as assigned.

Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Management Accounting, or Business Administration.
• Master’s degree highly preferred.
• Professional certifications such as CFA, ACCA, or CIMA are required.
• 20 years of experience in financial leadership roles, with a mix of experience in large, locally led finance organizations in both the private and development sectors.
• Extensive experience in designing and implementing locally led finance functions across multiple markets.
• Proven expertise in strategic finance management, including insights-driven modeling, budgeting, forecasting, risk management, and financial performance analysis.
• Strong business partnering experience, working closely with cross-functional teams to drive financial decision-making.
• Experience in setting up a global finance organization, including structuring financial processes and governance frameworks.
• Strong knowledge of financial management tools and systems, including ERP and digital finance solutions.

Preferred Requirements

• Demonstrated ability to drive business transformation and implement financial efficiency initiatives.
• Excellent stakeholder management skills, with experience managing regional and country-specific financial expectations.
• Experience in managing donor-funded projects and ensuring compliance with grant regulations.
• Strong leadership, team-building, and mentoring skills to develop finance team capacity and capabilities.

Key Behavioural Competencies

• Accountability
• Professional Excellence
• Humility
• Customer Orientation
• Empathy
• Innovation