Head of Finance

Summary

The Open Contracting Partnership (OCP) is hiring a Head of Finance who will help us grow and lead our finance functions as we continue to scale the impact of open contracting around the world. You will lead financial planning, budgeting, and reporting, working closely with our Operations Manager and our outsourced accounting team. You will play a significant role in promoting operational excellence and transparency as we grow our organization. You will join a collaborative team of smart and motivated professionals from around the world who are transforming  how governments procure public goods and services for their citizens, especially as we build back better from the pandemic. We offer a supportive and flexible environment with generous benefits.

 

Background

OCP is a silo busting global collaboration between governments, businesses, civil society and technologists to open up and transform government contracting. We are a fast moving, ambitious and impact driven organization. We work in over forty countries and have supported several countries and cities to achieve measurable results from better contracting.

In the past seven years we have grown from a start up into a team of nearly 25 people with a budget of about $6m. This position is for a smart professional who enjoys building and managing a core functional area within a growing and entrepreneurial organization. We are a fiscally sponsored organization by the Fund for the City of New York  (FCNY) but we are in the process of spinning out and becoming a fully-independent US501(c)(3) organization in October 2021. A key part of the role is to set up our organizational and financial processes and lead them after the spin off.

We have a small and lean but effective operations and finance team, consisting of our Operations Officer and our outsourced accounting team. You will be someone who likes to roll up their sleeves and get things done. We are looking for a ‘doer’ who can combine financial oversight with the preparing of reports, policies and processes. You will report to our Deputy Executive Director who oversees our operations and finances. You will interact closely with our ED, our Advisory Board and our Funders.

We expect that after the Covid-19 crisis ends and it is safe again, the Head of Finance would join at least two team retreats and one Board meeting per year which might take place outside of the United States.

We can offer opportunities for professional development as well as an excellent benefits package and compensation that is commensurate with experience and a generous matched pension contribution. We offer flexibility in working hours and remote working from the US. You do need a valid work permit for the US for this position.

Many of the procurement challenges we work on are rooted in historic inequities. We know that addressing them requires solutions that center on diversity, equity, and inclusion and work toward more equitable outcomes for the people we serve. At OCP, we are committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion in both our workplace and in our work – from the way we work together as a team and support individual growth to the way that we execute our projects. Our Head of Finance will have sensitivity to the concerns of individuals from diverse cultures, backgrounds, and orientations, and the ability to apply that to their work.

 

Key Roles & Responsibilities

These are the key roles, responsibilities and activities that the Head of Finance will deliver:

Strategy (20%)

• Partnering with the management team to define and then lead on executing a financial strategy that supports organizational vision and goals and instill a culture of financial excellence, transparency and collaboration in the organization
• Leading our spin off process from our fiscal sponsor, including researching and  setting up setting up financial, operational and payroll processes for our global team
• Ensuring that all our activities are conducted in an environment that supports our mission, safeguards our assets, and mitigates operational risk

Finance (30%)

• Forecasting, planning and analyzing an Annual Budget, presenting it to our Board and Treasurer and providing regular, timely updates to the ED, Deputy ED and individual team members at OCP
• Maintaining and regularly updating a 5 year forecast
• Monitoring cash flow and financial transactions
• Presenting reports to senior management, Board and funders
• Managing relationship with our outsourced accounting team to ensure accounting and bookkeeping is successfully updated on a weekly basis
• Managing payroll and benefits
• Creating and managing financial policies and procedures

Grant Management (30%)

• Managing a grants tracker
• Developing budgets for funding proposals together with our program staff
• Managing and reporting against all grant budgets in a timely manner with program managers and funders
• Preparing all financial grant reports, including narratives, first with our fiscal sponsor and then as an independent OCP

Audit & Control (10%)

• Coordinate and manage the GAAP audit with independent accounting firm
• Managing internal controls
• Coordinate 990 preparation and filing with outsourced accounting firm
• Ensure good standing and maintenance of 501(c)(3) status

Operations (10%)

• Assisting in the development, negotiation and execution of contracts
• Managing relationships with a legal firms as necessary

 

Qualifications

• Previous finance, operations (including grants management), and strategic planning experience strongly, ideally in working with nonprofits
• Strong track record of working in public accounting
• Strong understanding of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP)
• Ability to effectively partner with colleagues from diverse professional backgrounds; ability to explain financial concepts to colleagues
• Outstanding communication skills and explaining financial concepts and reports in an easy to understand way
• Knowledge of standard accounting and reporting software
• Ability to work independently and proactively, delivering on milestones and deadlines in a fast paced environment
• Personal qualities of integrity and credibility
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent required, MBA/CPA or related advanced degree preferred

 

Application Process

Please submit your CV and a cover letter by June 25, 2021.