Senior Director, Finance & Contracts

The Senior Director or Finance & Contracts brings substantial technical and managerial expertise and oversees our global accounting, grants, and contracts functions. The Director reports to the Managing Director, Agility, participates on the firm’s management team and provides thought partnership and strategic advising to the Leadership Team to address firm financial challenges and opportunities.

The Director oversees a team and partners with ThinkWell managers globally to develop and implement accounting protocols, policies, and systems to ensure that teams across the firm have the accounting support and reporting required to achieve our mission.

This position is fully remote – open to most locations around the globe. This position is contingent upon funding.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Financial Operations, Oversight, and Leadership

• Oversee management of the firm’s finances, cashflow, accounting, and grants and contracts functions in accordance with GAAP and US Government rules and regulations (IRS, CFR, FAR)
• Implement appropriate internal controls and mechanisms for revenue recognition, invoicing, proper recording of financial transactions, expenditure, and safeguarding of firm resources
• Ensure timeliness, completeness, and accuracy of all financial reports, records, and transactions
• Analyze firm’s financial position and regularly report on risk, opportunity, and recommended course correction to the firm’s executive leadership
• Provide oversight of in-country accounting and compliance processes to ensure an effective control environment across the firm
• Lead Indirect Cost Rate submissions and calculations
• Develop firm pricing, recovery, and financial management strategies
• Regularly review indirect cost and fringe rate calculations for accuracy and recovery of costs
• Ensure that resources are allocated in full compliance with donor requirements and oversee all financial accounting and reporting to donors
• Lead preparation for internal and external audits, interact with auditors, manage field work and subsequent negotiations including the incurred cost submission
• Oversee preparation of tax filing requirements
• Ensure country office and global expenses are reviewed for reasonableness, allowability, and allocability
• Financial Compliance, Planning, Forecasting, and Reporting
• Manage organizational cash flow and forecasting
• Oversee the development and implementation of organizational policies, procedures, systems, and processes
• Monitor compliance with organizational policies, US Government rules and regulations, client terms and conditions, laws and requirements of countries where the firm operations
• Provide critical financial information to senior leadership and make actionable recommendations. This includes developing and maintaining process, policy, and control documentation
• Support organizational budgeting processes, financial reporting, and forecasting exercises
• Grants, Contracts, & Budgeting
• Oversee a portfolio of awards from donors including the US Government, other bilateral donors, international agencies, private foundations, and companies
• Provide expert advice on technical contractual matters related to US Government rules and regulations and other donor terms and conditions
• Review and negotiate terms and conditions with donors, clients, vendors and other suppliers as needed
• Ensure proposal budgets are reviewed for quality, compliance, and accuracy of cost recovery in consultation with program teams and the Design Lab
• Team Management
• Manage Accounting and Contracts teams, providing overall team leadership, coordination, guidance, and direction
• Provide finance and contracts-related advice and training to team and managers across the firm

WE ARE:

ThinkWell core values are our fundamental organizational guiding principles. They define our corporate culture, influence our behavior at work and help us achieve our mission. Our values are:

Think big

Influence the conversation

Empower others

Be exceptional

Always question

Relate authentically

Evolve by learning

YOU ARE:

ThinkWell core competencies are foundational skills and behaviors that align with our values and are expected of all employees.

An entrepreneurial, results-oriented ‘do-er’ with a willingness to take risk, think big and challenge conventional wisdom.

A change maker who reaches independent judgement with an open mind, influences the conversation, and seeks innovation.

Able to help create an empowering environment in which everyone feels free to take initiative, be accountable and fail intelligently (learn from mistakes).

A collaborative colleague who engages constructively with people from different cultures, orientations, and perspectives and maintains positive relations in a virtual world.

Principally motivated by a growth mindset, meaning the pursuit of knowledge, experience, and self-improvement. You always question and continuously learn.

Authentic, honest, direct, self-aware and open to giving and receiving feedback.

YOUR QUALIFICATIONS

1. BA/BS and 12+ years’ relevant experience or graduate degree and 10+ years’ relevant experience, CPA preferred;

2. Substantive, relevant accounting, financial, and contract management experience in the international development sector. Adept at communicating technical information to non-technical audiences.

3. Demonstrated financial and contractual leadership and experience managing large, complex projects, preferably in an international context;

4. Extensive knowledge of US Government rules and regulations, including 2 CFR 200, FAR, AIDAR;

5. Experience working with other public and private funders and agencies preferred, such as the Gates Foundation, FCDO, UN agencies, etc.

6. Demonstrated ability to build strategic budget systems and represent the firm’s interests in all budget and contract discussions;

7. Strong understanding of the interplay between proposal budgets, internal project budgeting, funder deliverables and funder invoicing;

8. Demonstrated team and people management abilities with a focus on growing staff, mentoring and coaching junior professionals;

9. A senior leader, able to rally staff around ThinkWell’s mission and priorities;

10.Demonstrated ability to engage effectively with external strategic partners, donors, and stakeholders;

11.Full English fluency, second language a plus;

12.Outstanding cross-cultural communication skills, including the ability to relate respectfully with staff at all levels, ages, genders, nationalities and orientations as well as across work areas