Chemonics International – Chief Financial Officer

Chief Financial Officer

January 2023

About Chemonics International

Founded in 1975, Chemonics is the world’s leading international development partner: we make development work.

As a company, we are committed to connections – global and local, human and technological – that allow learnings to efficiently flow and adapt between experts, projects, and countries. This is how we match the speed and scale of humanity’s most pressing challenges, applying effective education practices from Chile to improve children’s literacy in Tajikistan, or renewable energy lessons from Iraq to support local governments in Lebanon.

In more than a hundred countries around the globe, our network of approximately 5,000 local specialists delivers results. Because with decades of experience operating in the most complex social and political environments in the world, we know how to quickly mobilize resources, seamlessly adapt to change and strategically apply lessons learned across thousands of projects.

With 90% of us working in a community we’ve long called home, our teams reflect a diversity of technical expertise and lived experience, because solving complex development challenges requires both.

We combine broad regional experience with technical depth and unparalleled management skill. Our practices range from agriculture and private sector development to health and education and cut across our regional business units. Our management systems allow us to document, measure and apply both recent innovations and proven best practices across multiple regions and sectors.

Every action we take is driven by a conviction that true service means tomorrow’s work must be better than today’s. So, when others say it can’t be done, we ask when we can start. With curiosity. With an interest in new ideas. With listening. Because the more intractable the problem, the more determined we are to take it on.

The Role

Title: Chief Financial Officer

Location: Preferably Washington DC, USA

Salary: Competitive, plus benefits available on request

Job Summary

The Chief Financial Officer (CFO) is an Executive Vice President level position and serves as a financial partner to the President and CEO and other Executive Vice Presidents to set the company’s financial direction and strategy. The CFO oversees Chemonics’ Corporate Finance and Administration functions, including Treasury, Corporate Development, Capital Structure, along with the organization’s overall budgeting, financial reporting, and financial planning. They provide strategic direction and financial oversight of corporate financial operations to ensure continued business growth, and that the company delivers on its mission, strategic goals, and objectives that include growing the organization through a family of business lines and other related investments. The CFO oversees all aspects of Chemonics’ financial success, including setting priorities, tracking cash flow, analyzing strengths and weakness in the company’s finances, and ensuring Chemonics’ financial functions are streamlined and optimized.

The CFO advises the CEO and the Board of Directors on how to optimize the company’s capital structure, and ensures they are apprised of the financial position of the Company, its performance, and all other financial issues facing the Company. They are responsible for working closely with their team and finance staff throughout the company to ensure the company’s financial control environment, ensuring that appropriate processes, controls, and systems are in place for all company’s operations. The CFO serves as a corporate officer and provides advice to the President and CEO, Executive Vice Presidents, and Senior Vice Presidents on corporate financial matters related to Chemonics’ global workforce by demonstrating Chemonics’ core values and utilizing effective management and inclusive leadership principles. The CFO may also be elected as a member of the Board of Directors of the corporation or appointed to the Board of Directors of business lines, subsidiaries, or affiliated organizations.

Responsibilities

• Supports the achievement of Chemonics’ corporate mission, strategic goals, and objectives by ensuring that the company’s financial operations are implemented efficiently and in alignment with our corporate goals and values.

• Partners with the CEO to develop and oversee the company’s financial strategy and vision for the company and ensuring effective implementation of associated priorities and work plans to implement financial activities.

• Oversees the corporate Finance and Administration functions.

• Responsible for corporate financial management and reporting.

• Advises the CEO and Board of Directors on capital structure and corporate finance management of the company.

• Provides President and CEO, Executive Vice Presidents, and other members of the Executive Management Team with advice on the financial implications of business activities and decisions.

• Coordinates with subsidiary financial leadership to ensure maintenance of and timely preparation of the subsidiaries and consolidated corporate financial reporting and corporate financial statement for all audits.

• Responsible for corporate finance and accounting controls and design and implementation of processes to provide reasonable assurance that the company is retaining the required level of financial records for all contracts.

• Overseas U.S. tax and other statutory and regulatory reporting to secure timely and accurate submissions.

• Overseas the Corporate Development function to support merger or acquisition valuation, due diligence, integration planning and execution.

• Responsible for pre-merger assessment and post-merger or acquisition integration of finance and accounting operations and ensures proper acquisition accounting.

Responsibilities

• Ensures corporate subsidiaries operate according to corporate finance and accounting requirements and that operations, systems, consolidation reporting requirements are functioning properly and coherently.

• Serves as Authorized Negotiator for Company; negotiates and approves leases, contracts, subcontracts, and other types of agreements to achieve the best outcome for Chemonics.

• Provides information to independent appraiser to complete the company valuation.

• Serves on the company’s Executive Management Team, providing oversight and guidance on the company’s financial position vis-à-vis business growth, including capital and financial resourcing, planning, and tools for operations.

• Establishes a workplace environment that values teamwork and fosters collaboration, acknowledges and rewards staff contributions, and develops strategies to enhance synergies between Chemonics’ teams and global employees.

• Cultivates a culture committed to outstanding customer service and develops methods and integrated solutions to meet internal and external customer needs.

• Serves as a thought leader for the company internally and externally, particularly in driving financial strategies to achieve business growth.

• Leads and/or participates in new business opportunities, contributing to successful proposal development, particularly ensuring effective proposal cost strategies, and that new business efforts follow Chemonics’ values, ethics, standards, and best practices.

• Performs other duties and responsibilities as may be required by the President and CEO, which may include, management and technical tasks, as well as working on special task forces or leading corporate initiatives.

Candidate profile

Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree in finance, economics, or business preferred.

• Minimum 15 years of financial and/or project management and management of a department or division within a corporate setting.

• Demonstrated ability leading a team at the highest level of a corporation or organization, including formulating and articulating a strategic vision and managing financial operations to produce quality results.

• Thorough understanding of US Government contracting and related financial and compliance matters; familiarity with Chemonics’ main donors in international development, including but not limited to USAID, Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office, Global Fund, and the World Bank.

• Demonstrated understanding and fluency with preparing and analyzing financial statements, establishing and managing finance and accounting systems, overseeing and working with audits, and strong familiarity with GAAP, corporate taxes, and other related local and federal standards and regulations.

• Proven ability to develop and maintain relationships with clients, investors, banks, and vendors.

• Knowledge of the international development industry, Chemonics’ main clients, and their operations strongly preferred.

• Demonstrated ability to provide leadership, vision, and management of finance functions, annual budgets, resources and quality results, expand new business efforts and contribute to the successful operations, management and industry reputation of an organization.

• Demonstrated knowledge of multi-subsidiary corporate accounting operations, consolidations, as well as experience with commercial operations subsidiaries.

• Experience with multi-subsidiary accounting processes design, implementation, establishing independent accounting and other financial reporting operations for such subsidiaries.

• Knowledge and experience with foreign statutory and regulatory, tax, business reporting and compliance in multi-country operations context.

• Experience with/knowledge related to mergers and acquisitions process – due diligence,

valuations, post-merger or acquisition integration.

• Demonstrated ability to solve all facets of extensive complex, multi-faceted managerial and operational issues which require extensive knowledge, varied experiences, access to multiple talent/resources and independent judgment.

• Demonstrated leadership, integrity, versatility, independent thinking, sound judgment, and respect for others.

• Experience living or working in developing countries preferred.

• Fluency in a foreign language preferred.

• Ability to work effectively both independently and as part of a team.

Competencies

Management and Leadership Competencies

Creates Strategic Vision

Ability to conceptualise in the long-term including outside one’s own area. Utilises perspective to identify and activate the appropriate strategy that positions Chemonics for success. Ensuring strategy is based on a thorough analysis of facts, figures, and qualitative aspects of Chemonics mission, values, and internal/external environment.

Drives Organisational Achievement

Steers the organisation in a direction that enables success based on defined vision and strategies. Demonstrates ability to deliver results within teams and to perform at a high level. Creates a culture where all managers and employees are fully accountable and focus on continuous improvements by defining challenging goals for themselves and for others, exceeding standards of excellence and ensuring effect.

Inspires Team

Eager to lead and empower their teams. Expresses’ ability to handle interpersonal interactions compassionately and empathetically. Ensures employees receive timely feedback and support from them, other managers, or through formal development programmes. Manages others in a manner that builds their confidence, motivation, and independent capabilities, management.

Core Competencies

Works Inclusively and Collaboratively

Promotes and values a culture with a wide variety of people from different backgrounds who can work together to reach better outcomes. Builds and maintains relationships based on respect, honesty, and compassion to create a work environment that is collaborative and inclusive. Shares information and ideas openly, while recognising the importance of listening to and understanding the needs of others.

Competencies

Embraces Continuous Learning

Personally committed to developing themselves and, if relevant, their employees. Gives timely and balanced performance feedback and coaching to others, enabling continuous professional and personal development. Demonstrated eagerness to learn and apply new knowledge and skills to accomplish work activities and goals in improved and more effective ways.

Reinforces Transparency

Demonstrates openness across all job functions and responsibilities. Willing to explain decision making processes, outcomes and direction to others. Operates under an open-book policy, principled in performance and ethically sound. Honest in all interactions and transactions; remains steadfast when challenged.

Thinks Critically

Builds a logical approach to address problems or opportunities. Leverages their own knowledge and experience and proactively seeks input and information from key resources and stakeholders for thorough analysis. Willing to apply ingenuity and creativity into problem solving, offering novel ideas that challenge the status quo. Effectively translates findings to resolve issues in a way that yields a positive impact on key performance indicators and organisation objectives.

Drives Results

Goal oriented, innovative and passionate about finding ways to get things accomplished, even when faced with challenges. Drives with focus and proactivity to identify and accomplish goals and does so in a timely fashion. Demonstrates accountability, showing ownership and commitment towards achieving results.

Operates with Agility and Resiliency

Adapts quickly and positively to change and different approaches when needed. Demonstrates resilience and flexibility in undefined and consistently changing environments. Takes initiative through uncertainty or conflict by engaging and inspiring others to explore opportunities that will shape the future, even if opportunities come with risks in order to deal with important problems.

How to Apply

All correspondence, at this stage, should be via Oxford HR. To apply for this post, click on the “Apply” button on the job advert page, complete our online application form, and submit your CV and cover letter. Please provide a CV and cover letter in two different documents, which should be prepared before applying as they will be considered in the application process. The cover letter should be no more than two pages long and explain why you are interested in this post and how your skills and experience make you a good fit.

Your CV and Cover Letter should be saved in MS Word in the following format: Your First Name-Your LastName-Document Name-Date (mmyyyy) eg, Pat-JonesCV-012023-Chemonics or Pat-Jones-CoverLetter-012023-Chemonics.

Timeline

Closing Date: 27th February 2023

First stage interviews: Week of 13th March 2023

Final interviews: TBC

Selection Process

All candidates will receive an update regarding their application after the closing date. We advise candidates to add the role email to their safe senders list and regularly check their spam folder.

Chemonics is an Equal Opportunity Employer

Chemonics is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and does not discriminate in its selection and employment practices. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, disability, protected veteran status, genetic information, age, or other legally protected characteristics. Military veterans, AmeriCorps, Peace Corps, and other national service alumni are encouraged to apply.

Pay Transparency Nondiscrimination Provision

Chemonics will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by Chemonics, or (c) consistent with Chemonics legal duty to furnish information. 41 CFR 60-1.35(c)

COVID-19 Recruitment Information

Chemonics International is continuously monitoring COVID-19 activity around the world. The health and wellbeing of our staff and potential candidates is of the utmost importance to us and we continue to offer virtual interviews for all ongoing recruits. On-boarding for new staff is offered in hybrid format through our Washington, D.C. and London, UK offices to accommodate remote workers.

COVID-19 Vaccination Information

Chemonics requires all US employees to be fully vaccinated.

Queries

If you have any queries on any aspect of the appointment process, need additional information, or would like to have an informal discussion, please email chemonics-cfo@oxfordhr.co.uk in the first instance.

About Oxford HR

Oxford HR operates globallymainly within the international development and charity sectors. We carry out retained executive search mandates at board and senior management levels. We also offer human resource and organisational development consultancy.

Oxford HR has many years of experience in search as well as an extensive network of international development, social sector, corporate, public sector, and academic contacts from across the world. We carry out comprehensive and often international searches designed to meet the specific needs of our client.