International Institute for Environment and Development
Chief Operating Officer
IIED will be a hybrid-working organisation for the foreseeable future. This role may be office-based or home-based, with visits to the office for face-to-face meetings. IIED has offices in London and Edinburgh.
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 work on five continents with some of the world’s most marginalised people to strengthen their voice 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. We are now looking for a Chief Operating Officer to steer and deliver our organisational strategy, transformation agenda, commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, and nurture the Finance, People, IT, and Facilities functions.
The Benefits
– Salary of £85,000 – £100,000 pa, depending on experience
– 7.5% employer’s pension contributions to the IIED pension scheme
– A range of flexible working options
– Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption policies
– An employee protection scheme offering a flexible menu of benefits such as life insurance, spouse and partner life cover, critical illness and/or income protection cover
If you are a high calibre leader with experience of initiating and implementing change and strong financial abilities, this is the perfect opportunity to advance your career with our ground-breaking organisation.
You will be a lynchpin of the next phase of our organisational development. With your skills, experience and work ethic and our established, global organisation, together we will tackle some of the biggest threats to people and nature worldwide. We need your vision and drive to push us further and reach our potential, including helping IIED to be a diverse, equal, and inclusive organisation.
The Role
As our Chief Operating Officer, you will take on a key leadership role focusing on the delivery of our organisational strategy.
Specifically, you will take responsibility for the delivery of our core services and our business plans, maintaining our sustainability, financial viability, and health, including organisational reporting to our Board of Trustees and Finance and Risk Committee.
Overseeing the development, implementation, and evaluation of our operational strategy, you will advance our goals, including especially strengthening diversity, equity, and inclusion and our journey to becoming an anti-racist organisation. You will champion a people-centred approach, whilst planning and delivering the future of our governance.
You will provide leadership to the Operations Management Team, overseeing the implementation and improvement of our finance, people, systems and organisational policies, and you will be representing IIED as part of the union management meetings and our management and board structures.
Working with auditors, the Finance Team, trustees and sub-committees, you will ensure our long-term financial stability through planning, budget management, extensive reporting on finances, and maintaining an active culture of risk management in our risk appetite framework.
About You
To be considered as our Chief Operating Officer, you will need:
– A strong track record of leadership and delivery in a multi-faceted organisation, with experience of initiating and implementing change, and especially with advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion.
– Financial planning, forecasting and budgeting at both organisational and project level (including managing grant and commercial bids)
– Substantial experience of leading at a senior management level and involvement in the strategic development of a charitable organisation with board accountability
– Tax and VAT knowledge in relation to commercial and commissioned tendering and contracts
– Evidence of having overseen a finance function of comparable size and complexity
– Experience as a coach or a mentor to colleagues and peers
– The ability to supervise, co-ordinate, support, motivate, energise, inspire and develop others in multidisciplinary, multicultural teams
– Knowledge of best practice in the operational and strategic aspects of HR, facilities, finance, and information management services, as well as experience of operational systems design and grant management and re-granting.
– A relevant professional financial qualification or commensurate experience (e.g. ICAEW, ACCA, CIMA)
Other organisations may call this role Operations and Finance Director or Managing Director.
The closing date for applications is Wednesday 11th January 2023 at midnight GMT. First round interviews are expected to take place in the week commencing 16th January 2023.
IIED is a hybrid working organisation and you are likely to be working from home most of the time. As such, you will need a suitable place to work and a reliable, fast internet connection.
Webrecruit and the 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’re ready to play a vital role in progressing our organisation as our Chief Operating Officer, please apply via the button shown. This vacancy is being advertised by Webrecruit. The services advertised by Webrecruit are those of an Employment Agency.