Role purpose

To ensure Save the Children International’s financial control framework operates effectively and compliance issues are identified promptly, by conducting thorough reviews and analysing country and global team financial reporting and KPIs. Engage with country, global and member teams to develop action plans addressing financial risks and control weaknesses, ensuring continuous improvement and standardisation across the organisation. Lead the Financial Control and Donor Audit teams in delivering accurate reporting and successful audits, driving best practices and expertise in financial control globally

Principal Accountabilities

• Ensure SCI's financial control framework is operating effectively and control and compliance issues are identified in a timely manner through quality reviews and analysis of country financial returns and KPIs.
• Engage with country, global and members teams to develop action plans to address/minimise financial risks and control weaknesses.
• Manage QRR financial control and compliance process; prepare KPI reporting and risk commentary for discussion with Finance SMT and IP SMT
• Continuously seek to improve the quality and impact of financial information for decision support and drive standardisation and automation across global and country teams.
• Provide expertise and support country and global teams to embed best practice financial controls. Support development of professional financial control skills across global and country finance teams; ensuring documentation of policies, procedures, guidance in Quality Framework and appropriate training available.
• Lead on annual donor and member award audits, engaging with members and donors regarding audit requirements and manage day to day relationship with auditors to deliver accurate reporting and successful audits. Support with development and monitoring of action plans to address and reduce donor audit findings, reporting back to and report back to donors and members on audit results.
• Lead the Financial Control and donor/award audit teams.
• Lead on financial control unput to TDIT projects to ensure financial control matters are fully considered and implemented effectively to achieve project deliverables and benefits.

Experience and Skills

Essential

• Experience in leading a financial control function, including experience in managing donor audits and engaging with external auditors.
• Exceptional analytical abilities to review and interpret financial data and KPIs, identifying trends and areas of risk.
• Meticulous attention to detail to ensure accuracy and reliability in financial reporting.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills to effectively engage with country, global, and member teams, and to manage relationships with auditors and donors.
• Ability to develop pragmatic solutions to complex financial issues and compliance challenges.
• Experience of driving standardisation and automation across global teams.
• Experience in developing and documenting financial policies, procedures, and training materials to support organisational financial competence and compliance.
• Strong leadership skills to manage and develop teams, fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous learning.
• Aptitude in providing training and guidance to finance teams to embed best practice financial controls.
• Ability to operate in a changing environment: adaptable, flexible and supportive approach.

Desirable

• Experience in operating within the charity or non-profit sector, with an understanding of charity accounting and financial regulations.
• Experience of working in a large global multi currency organisation.

• Ensure SCI's financial control framework is operating effectively and control and compliance issues are identified in a timely manner through quality reviews and analysis of country financial returns and KPIs.
• Engage with country, global and members teams to develop action plans to address/minimise financial risks and control weaknesses.
• Manage QRR financial control and compliance process; prepare KPI reporting and risk commentary for discussion with Finance SMT and IP SMT
• Continuously seek to improve the quality and impact of financial information for decision support and drive standardisation and automation across global and country teams.
• Provide expertise and support country and global teams to embed best practice financial controls. Support development of professional financial control skills across global and country finance teams; ensuring documentation of policies, procedures, guidance in Quality Framework and appropriate training available.
• Lead on annual donor and member award audits, engaging with members and donors regarding audit requirements and manage day to day relationship with auditors to deliver accurate reporting and successful audits. Support with development and monitoring of action plans to address and reduce donor audit findings, reporting back to and report back to donors and members on audit results.
• Lead the Financial Control and donor/award audit teams.
• Lead on financial control unput to TDIT projects to ensure financial control matters are fully considered and implemented effectively to achieve project deliverables and benefits.

• Exceptional analytical abilities to review and interpret financial data and KPIs, identifying trends and areas of risk.
• Meticulous attention to detail to ensure accuracy and reliability in financial reporting.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills to effectively engage with country, global, and member teams, and to manage relationships with auditors and donors.
• Ability to develop pragmatic solutions to complex financial issues and compliance challenges.
• Experience of driving standardisation and automation across global teams.
• Strong leadership skills to manage and develop teams, fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous learning.
• Aptitude in providing training and guidance to finance teams to embed best practice financial controls.
• Ability to operate in a changing environment: adaptable, flexible and supportive approach.

• Accounting qualification or equivalent or relevant experience