Summary

• We are on the hunt for a visionary financial leader to spearhead our global Financial
• Planning & Analysis (FP&A) function. As a pivotal role within our global finance team, you will shape and guide our financial strategy, programmatic budgeting, and proposal development. This role is vital in fuelling transformative changes across the organisation and holds overarching accountability for delivering incisive financial insights and robust analytical frameworks that support our rapidly scaling international operations, including our diverse partnerships.
• The Head of Financial Planning & Analysis will be at the forefront of ensuring that we leverage our financial resources most effectively to maximise impact, especially as we forge new partnerships and enter new geographies. A crucial part of your role will be to develop financial models and strategies that are both scalable and adaptable to suit the dynamic nature of our international programmes and collaborations.
• The ideal candidate will have a proven record of developing and implementing financial systems, policies, and procedures across globally distributed teams. As a leader, you are resourceful and agile, welcome innovative approaches, and can rapidly pivot to seize emerging opportunities. You excel at nurturing talent, driving a high-performance culture, and inspiring teams through periods of intense organisational growth while maintaining operational excellence.
• Reporting to the Director of Finance, you will have line management responsibilities within the Business Partnering team. This is a full-time position based in any of our locations, offering the potential for overseas travel to collaborate closely with colleagues, field teams, and partners in regions such as coastal East Africa, West Africa, and Southeast Asia.

Responsibilities

Financial Strategy

• Lead the annual budgeting and multi-year financial planning processes, working closely with the Director of Finance and the Chief Programmes Officer, integrating organisational objectives with financial metrics.
• Lead on the development and rollout of models to support long-term resource allocation and drive growth.
• Coordinate with senior leadership to identify key priorities and allocate resources accordingly.
• Develop and innovate the organisation’s financial analysis and tools to inform strategic decision-making leveraging techniques such as sensitivity analyses and scenario planning to provide insights and recommendations to optimise financial performance and mitigate risks.
• Develop an approach for maximising cost recovery across all organisational activities to ensure BV is able to recover indirect costs, supporting long-term financial sustainability.
• Apply best practice management of investment and foreign exchange risk.

Programmatic budgeting and proposal development

• Work closely with the Director of Development and the Chief Programmes Officer to reimagine our programmatic funding process and cycles to align funding with the long-term resource allocation requirements of the organisation.
• Collaborate closely with programme leads and grant management teams to oversee proposals and secure funding for our work.
• Develop accurate and realistic budget forecasts aligned with programmatic goals.
• Evaluate the long-term financial sustainability of programmes.
• Support fundraising efforts by providing financial data and projections.
• Work with grant management to ensure that grant proposals include accurate and compelling financial information.
• Assist in identifying potential funding sources and partners.
• Act as finance business partner for Global and Central functions, including Global Advocacy, Health and Operations.
• Assist budget holders in the development of budgets and monitoring of internal and restricted project budgets and cost allocations.
• Assist budget holders in proposal development and grant reporting.

Financial information

• Global responsibility for the development, preparation, and presentation of monthly, quarterly, and annual financial information (reports and dashboards) ensuring that critical stakeholders receive relevant information on a timely basis.
• Own the organisational level financial reporting consolidation model and make innovative changes to improve the resilience of the management and reporting of financial information.
• Identify opportunities to streamline financial planning and analysis processes.
• Implement best practices and technology solutions to enhance efficiency and accuracy.
• Develop and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) and financial metrics, and report on them to the organisation and to trustees.
• Create and maintain dashboards that provide actionable insights for leadership.
• Communicate complex financial information in an easy-to-understand manner to various audiences.
• Lead the development of advanced metrics that provide insight and analysis into the strategic direction of the business around areas such as value for money.

Team leadership

• Lead and develop the business partnering team to maximise its potential.
• Provide guidance, set performance expectations, and ensure team members have the necessary resources to succeed.
• Foster a culture of continuous learning and knowledge sharing within the team.
• Ensure the global team members operate consistently and are accountable for their areas of responsibility.
• Serve as a financial mentor and resource to the organisation at large.
• Conduct financial literacy workshops and training sessions for staff.
• Act as a liaison between the finance department and other functional areas to promote financial awareness and understanding.

Systems Development for Financial Information

• Evaluate existing financial systems and tools based on their ability to deliver information to stakeholders and identify areas for improvement or replacement.
• Lead or collaborate on projects to upgrade or implement new financial systems that enhance data integrity and reporting capabilities.
• Work with IT and other relevant departments to ensure seamless integration of financial systems with other organisational software, including contributing to the successful implementation and uptake of a CRM system.
• Train finance and non-finance teams on how to use new systems and tools effectively.
• Develop user guides and offer ongoing support to encourage organisational adoption of new systems

Requirements

Skills and experience

• Full finance professional qualification (ACCA/ACA or equivalent).
• Minimum 7 years experience in finance, preferably with extensive experience in an FP&A, business partnering, or equivalent role in practice.
• Substantial experience in successfully managing finance functions in multi-country and global organisations, preferably in an international development setting.
• Experience of successfully leading major financial transformation initiatives and programmes.
• Expert at financial modelling and conducting complex financial analysis.
• Experience of sponsoring, planning, and/or managing major projects.
• Strategic mindset and experience working alongside and reporting to C-suite executives.
• Proven ability to work collaboratively with others in a complex organisation (i.e., network, confederation, or a federation with multiple teams and functions), demonstrating team building and facilitation skills.
• Outstanding at successfully empowering, motivating, managing, and mentoring staff from diverse backgrounds (including remote/virtual management).
• Excellent written and verbal communication and presentation skills across a range of audiences, diplomacy, negotiations, influencing, and conflict mediation skills in a culturally and linguistically diverse environment where English is the working language.

We would also love to see

• Experience of living and working in low income and/or tropical coastal contexts is relevant to our work
• Direct experience managing an international business partnering/FP&A team
• Clear interest or experience in either charity finance and charitable organisations or environmental / sustainability finance
• An advanced degree in business, organisational development, or nonprofit management
• Knowledge of Access Dimensions finance system
• Competency in an additional language from any country of BV’s operations

You will be a great fit if

• You show a commitment to Blue Ventures’ mission and values, evidenced by exhibiting a high level of personal and professional integrity, humility and humanity
• You demonstrate a strong bias for action and comfort with the uncertain; you are motivated to move forward, make decisions, and finalise details quickly once information is available
• You’ve shown a willingness and ability to challenge the status quo creatively and productively. You have an analytical mindset and orientation towards measurement, outcomes, continuous improvement and learning
• You value, in others and in yourself, data-driven and consultative decision-making. You think critically and put a high value on offering and receiving constructive feedback and criticism
• You’re a natural relationship builder and have a proven ability to work collaboratively with others in a complex organisation, demonstrating team building and facilitation skills. You enjoy collaboration and have a genuine interest in learning from and developing others
• You’re a people person who takes pride and pleasure in developing talent and
• creating safe, happy, productive, and engaging workplace cultures and environments for staff at all levels and from varied backgrounds. You crave building teams, finding talent, nurturing relationships, and tackling challenging people-related issues
• You are a passionate professional who combines strong leadership skills with patience and a humble approach
• You’re able to engage people’s energies, hearts, and minds in service of a mission.
• You use exemplary interpersonal skills to establish relationships of trust and influence
• You show self-motivation, flexibility, and the ability to work and thrive in a fast-paced, energetic, entrepreneurial environment
• You’re trustworthy in managing sensitive situations and information; you are discrete, professional, and possess excellent judgement
• You’re detail-oriented and compliance-minded; you enjoy dotting i’s and crossing t’s
• You are comfortable with a playfully professional workplace culture