Head of Finance

International Rice Research Institute; Los Baños; On-site; PHP 4,000,000 - 7,000,000; Full time

Job summary

International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in Los Baños, Philippines, invites applications for Head of Finance. The role leads the finance function, aligning strategy with senior leadership and coordinating accounting, audit, treasury, and investments to support research and operations.

The position involves driving global planning, risk management, and financial innovation, while advising governance bodies and representing IRRI in donor engagements and strategic partnerships.

Qualifications

• Substantive experience in Finance leadership, defining the financial direction of an organization, structuring fiscal resources for operational sustainability.
• Experience driving innovative finance strategies and change.
• Substantive experience leading diverse Finance Teams across multiple locations and culture, creating a collaborative work environment.
• Substantive experience strategically advising senior leadership, liaising with major donors and representing the organization.

Responsibilities

• Set and lead finance management direction to support organizational vision and growth, aligning direction with senior leadership priorities
• Shape financial policy to strengthen governance and compliance and champion innovation in financial systems and practices
• Identify and address global financial opportunities and challenges and design the structure of the function, accordingly, ensuring the financial health of the organization and compliance with financial regulations
• Unify key financial functional areas to deliver integrated financial management solutions and fiscal resources that effectively support the organization's research and operational programs
• Lead enterprise-wide financial planning and resource allocation, assuring alignment with organizational strategy and drive continuous improvement in financial operations
• Oversee financial risk management to safeguard long-term sustainability, resolve systemic financial challenges to maintain stability and lead readiness for global audits, reviews, and evaluations
• Deliver organization financial reports that guide strategic decisions
• Manage the global finance team function, integrating initiatives across specialized financial areas, conducting performance evaluations, and identifying development opportunities to cultivate an inclusive and productive work environment
• Partner with CFAO to drive digital transformation
• Represent the organization's financial practices in engagement with leadership and major donors
• Advise board and governance bodies on financial matters and engage with donors, regulators, and partners to build trust and transparency
• Represent finance in global forums and strategic alliances
• Set and monitor strategies that integrate project/program cycles, budgeting processes and audit schedules with corporate planning and donor compliance requirements, ensuring seamless execution and alignment with organizational goals
• Establish advanced standards and metrics that push the boundaries of the organization in the field of finance management, audit, and reporting, showcasing the organization's financial integrity and accountability
• Ensure compliance with global standards and donor frameworks

Skills

Finance leadership

Innovative finance strategies

Leading diverse finance teams

Advising senior leadership

Donor liaison

Global finance management

Education

Bachelor's degree in Accounting/Finance/Business Admin

CPA certification (preferred)

MBA or related master's degree (preferred)

Tools

ERP systems

Job description

Head of Finance

Job Purpose

Under the direction of the CFAO, the Head of Finance is responsible for setting and leading the organization's finance management strategy, aligning financial direction with senior leadership priorities, and integrating key functions such as accounting, audit, treasury, and investment to support research and operations. The role involves overseeing global planning, risk management, and financial innovation, while advising governance bodies and representing the organization in strategic partnerships and donor engagements. Head of Finance ensures timely and quality service delivery by establishing advanced financial standards, monitoring compliance, and driving continuous improvement across financial systems and processes.

This position will be based at the IRRI Headquarters, Los Baños, Philippines and is open for international applications.

Roles and Responsibilities

• Set and lead finance management direction to support organizational vision and growth, aligning direction with senior leadership priorities
• Shape financial policy to strengthen governance and compliance and champion innovation in financial systems and practices
• Identify and address global financial opportunities and challenges and design the structure of the function, accordingly, ensuring the financial health of the organization and compliance with financial regulations
• Unify key financial functional areas to deliver integrated financial management solutions and fiscal resources that effectively support the organization's research and operational programs
• Lead enterprise-wide financial planning and resource allocation, assuring alignment with organizational strategy and drive continuous improvement in financial operations
• Oversee financial risk management to safeguard long-term sustainability, resolve systemic financial challenges to maintain stability and lead readiness for global audits, reviews, and evaluations
• Deliver organization financial reports that guide strategic decisions
• Manage the global finance team function, integrating initiatives across specialized financial areas, conducting performance evaluations, and identifying development opportunities to cultivate an inclusive and productive work environment
• Partner with CFAO to drive digital transformation
• Represent the organization's financial practices in engagement with leadership and major donors
• Advise board and governance bodies on financial matters and engage with donors, regulators, and partners to build trust and transparency
• Represent finance in global forums and strategic alliances
• Set and monitor strategies that integrate project/program cycles, budgeting processes and audit schedules with corporate planning and donor compliance requirements, ensuring seamless execution and alignment with organizational goals
• Establish advanced standards and metrics that push the boundaries of the organization in the field of finance management, audit, and reporting, showcasing the organization's financial integrity and accountability
• Ensure compliance with global standards and donor frameworks

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or a related field
• Member of a recognized professional accounting certification, e.g. CPA is preferred
• Master's degree in Finance, Business Administration (MBA), or a related field is preferred

Skills Required

Mandatory

• Substantive experience in Finance leadership, defining the financial direction of an organization, structuring fiscal resources for operational sustainability
• Experience driving innovative finance strategies and change
• Substantive experience leading diverse Finance Teams across multiple locations and culture, creating a collaborative work environment
• Substantive experience strategically advising senior leadership, liaising with major donors and representing the organization

Preferred

• Experience in global finance management, preferably for an international development or research organization
• Experience with donor funded programs is an advantage
• Experience within CGIAR or a CGIAR Center
• Experience with ERP systems implementation
• Experience in donor reporting
• Experience working on large scale proposals