London (although open to remote working and flexible arrangements)

Fixed term: 1 year (parental cover starting August/September 2020)

This is a great role for a proven finance leader with international charity sector experience.

Background

The C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, now in its 15th year, connects 96 of the world’s greatest cities which have committed to tackling climate change. We bring mayors from around the world together to learn from each other in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and creating resilient, sustainable and low carbon cities. C40 cities represent more than 700 million urban citizens and their economies account for 25% of the global GDP. C40’s ‘Deadline 2020’ report sets out the critical role that the world’s major cities have to play in delivering the historic Paris Agreement to prevent catastrophic climate change.

C40’s team of 200+ staff is headquartered in New York, with offices in London, Rio de Janeiro, Copenhagen, Beijing and Paris, and individual staff based across 25+ different locations, with the Office of the Chair based in Los Angeles.

The strategic direction of the organization is determined by an elected Steering Committee of C40 mayors which is chaired by the Mayor of Los Angeles, Eric Garcetti. Three-term Mayor of New York City Michael R. Bloomberg serves as President of the C40 Board of Directors, which is responsible for operational oversight. An eight-person management team, led by Executive Director, Mark Watts, leads the day-to-day management of C40. C40’s three core strategic funders are Bloomberg Philanthropies, the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF) and Realdania.

Corporate Services

The C40 Corporate Services function, under the Director of Corporate Services, is the support mechanism to the global organisation ensuring day-to-day business operates efficiently. The team comprises finance, HR, IT, grant management and legal. The Finance team members are all based in the UK.

Position Description

Reporting to the Director of Corporate Services, the Director of Finance is responsible for overseeing C40’s global finance function – currently a US 501(c)(3) non-profit, UK registered charity, South Africa entity, Denmark entity and a China Representative office, with further expansion anticipated. With a team of five, including a qualified Financial Controller, the Director of Finance oversees the management of the accounting processes, procedures and reporting for all C40 entities, and is responsible for delivering short-term and long-term budget planning for each entity to meet C40’s strategic objectives.

Responsibilities

• Oversee all financial matters of the C40 group, including accounting and tax, and reporting and Compliance
• Manage the finance team, motivating the team and ensuring they are delivering the most effective and efficient services. Oversee the production of monthly and quarterly financial reports and guidance to managers responsible for the implementation of budgets and their programme
• Advise the Director of Corporate Services and the Management Team on financial matters to support strategic decision-making through the provision of timely analysis and information
• Produce written reports for the US, UK, South Africa and Denmark Boards, including the quarterly finance reports, budget papers, policies, regulatory and company secretarial
• Oversee the annual statutory accounts preparation for each entity and representative office, along with tax form preparation to ensure C40 meets its filing requirements in each territory; oversee the approval and filing of accounts, annual returns and tax forms
• Manage the audit relationships, lead on audit planning, review working papers and oversee the appointment of auditors in new territories
• Oversee the financial management of a large number of restricted grants, large and small, from a variety of funders, including project budgets, grant agreements, forecasts, payment requests and funder financial reporting and audits
• Oversee the work of external bookkeepers in South Africa and China, and ensure that transactions in these territories are included in C40’s consolidated management reporting and group statutory accounts
• Direct the finance team in the management of the general ledger system (chart of accounts & cost centres) and provide top line review of the month end close process
• Oversee the company secretarial function for the organisation, in particular the UK Charity, ensuring regulatory filings are completed accurately and efficiently
• Ensure the reserves management of the organisation is appropriate and robust in each entity, including cash collection and cash flow forecasting, and ensuring that each entity has been granted sufficient funds from C40 Inc. for its operations
• Prepare the organisation’s financial plans, including long-range plans, annual budgets and monthly reforecasts
• As required, improve accounting procedures and financial controls and processes to support high quality bookkeeping and accurate reporting, ensuring they are robust and adaptable to the organisation’s needs
• Other assignments as requested by the Director of Corporate Service

Person specification

• Qualified Accountant CCAB/ CIMA with a strength and interest in financial planning
• Proven track record in working collaboratively and effectively with internal and external stakeholders
• Extensive senior level experience post-qualification in not-for-profit, public sector or commercial organisations – demonstrable experience of a political environment would be desirable
• Proven track record of working in an international organisation and ideally with exposure to working with the US
• Proven experience of managing a finance department
• Experience of navigating varied international legal and tax regimes
• Strategic insight and experience in solving issues related to varied and often competing operational, statutory, and funding requirements
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Enjoys working in a dynamic international environment where there is rapid growth and change
• Possesses a positive, driven and outgoing approach

Application Process:

Please submit your application or contact Michael Quest from Ivy Rock Partners at your earliest convenience – we are planning shortlisting early on 9th July and interviews TBC for weeks commencing 13th and 20th July.