Managing Director, Operations & Finance -Africa

RESPONSIBILITIES

Strategic Financial Leadership

• Act as a senior advisor to the Africa Chief Field Officer, Vice President – Africa, and sub-regional leadership on financial strategy, institutional health, and investment planning.
• Enable data-driven and informed decision-making by leading the development and integration of division-wide financial analytics, performance metrics, and scenario planning.
• Collaborate with the Director of Development and Communications, to champion long-range financial planning that aligns funding models with strategic priorities.
• Lead cost-benefit analyses and high-level financial modeling to anticipate funding shortfalls and develop contingency plans.

Financial Planning, Budgeting, and Reporting

• Oversee the development and delivery of internal and external financial reports and dashboards.
• Ensure accurate, timely, and complete financial reporting, including variance analysis and insights to inform course corrections.
• Lead division-wide budgeting and multi-year financial planning processes, including integration with major revenue proposals.
• Oversee grants administration and donor reporting, ensuring robust compliance with donor agreements and CI policies.

Operational Effectiveness and Business Planning

• Drive division-wide operational planning and annual workplan consolidation to align with financial and strategic priorities.
• Gather, analyze, and report division performance metrics and lead efforts to improve operational effectiveness.
• Collaborate with leadership to align division outcomes with CI’s organizational strategy and results frameworks.
• Support the deployment and effective use of CI systems and tools, ensuring staff have the capabilities and access required.

Donor Engagement and Resource Mobilization

• Partner with development teams to support financial inputs into fundraising strategies, donor proposals, and financial sustainability models.
• Oversee financial compliance and risk mitigation related to grant-funded activities, including proactive identification of financial vulnerabilities.

Risk Management, Audit, and Compliance

• Lead financial risk assessments, audit preparedness, and enterprise-level compliance initiatives across the Africa portfolio.
• Identify and escalate areas of high financial, legal, or operational risk and implement mitigation strategies.
• Ensure consistent application of CI's policies, internal controls, and donor compliance protocols.

Systems Strengthening and Innovation

• Drive continuous improvement of financial and operational systems through digital transformation, ERP optimization, and process redesign.
• Roll out standardized tools and strengthen the use of data for predictive analytics and decision-making across programs.

Leadership and Capacity Building

• Build and lead a geographically distributed team of finance and operations professionals.
• Promote a culture of performance, accountability, service orientation, and learning.
• Serve as a visible and trusted subject matter expert on financial and operational matters within the FMU and with external stakeholders

Additional Responsibilities

• Align finance and operations functions with internal client service expectations and CI’s strategic objectives.
• Champion cross-functional collaboration, and maintain key partnerships across CI divisions.
• Support programmatic and systems rollouts, providing strategic guidance on financial and operational integration.
• Serve as a change leader to drive adaptation, innovation, and alignment with CI’s evolving global strategy.

People and Resource Management Responsibilities

• Manage a large, geographically distributed team through three direct reports and functional leads in finance, grants and contracts, operations, and compliance.
• Accountable for major and complex budgets, including oversight of donor-funded projects.
• Lead hiring, performance management, and succession planning for finance and operations staff.
• Ensure that donor resources are used in full compliance with donor agreements and CI’s fiduciary responsibilities.

WORKING CONDITIONS

• This position follows a hybrid work structure, working some days from the office and some days remotely. Guidance will be shared during the interview process.

QUALIFICATIONS

Required

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration, or a related field.
• Chartered accountant accreditation (e.g., CPA, ACCA, ICAN).
• 10 or more years of experience in senior financial leadership, with a track record of managing complex donor-funded programs in Africa.
• 2 or more years leading finance and operations teams in INGOs or multinational organizations.
• Strategic financial leadership and enterprise planning
• Strong business acumen and operational problem-solving skills
• High ethical standards and sound judgment
• Proven ability to lead organizational change and systems transformation
• Advanced analytical and forecasting capabilities
• Excellent interpersonal, negotiation, and stakeholder engagement skills
• Fluent in the use of ERP systems and digital finance tools
• Resilience and adaptability in fast-paced, high-stakes environments

Preferred

• Master’s degree
• Experience working across African countries and regions.
• Fluency in French, Portuguese, or other major African languages.
• Deep alignment with and passion for CI’s mission and conservation objectives.