Senior Specialist, Finance (Cost Optimization Initiative)

Principal Accountabilities Lead Financial Analysis and Cost Modelling: Drive comprehensive financial analysis of organisational cost structures across Country Offices and Global Teams, developing sophisticated cost-driver models and scenario analyses to identify inefficiencies, quantify optimisation opportunities, and validate financial assumptions underpinning the Cost Optimisation initiative. Establish and Maintain Cost Baselines: Build robust current and future-state cost baselines and operational benchmarks, conducting comparative analysis across functions, geographies, and operating models to identify best practices and scalable efficiencies aligned with the organisation's 2026–2030 targets. Drive Benefits Realisation and Savings Validation: Develop and maintain financial benefits realisation methodologies and savings validation frameworks, establishing rigorous processes to track, validate and independently assure the delivery of cost savings against approved efficiency targets. Provide Transformation Finance Support: Partner with transformation and workstream leads to evaluate current versus future-state operating models, providing financial insight into business process redesign, operational simplification, and digital enablement initiatives including the development of investment rationales and business cases. Deliver Financial Governance and Reporting: Produce high-quality financial dashboards, executive summaries, and performance reports for senior leadership and governance forums, ensuring consistent reporting methodologies and proactively identifying financial risks, dependencies, and emerging issues across workstreams. Build and Maintain KPI and Performance Frameworks: Support the design and implementation of KPI frameworks and cost efficiency performance indicators for the Cost Optimisation initiative, ensuring milestones and efficiency targets are measurable, trackable, and aligned to strategic objectives. Influence and Engage Senior Financial Stakeholders: Engage and partner with senior finance, operations, HR, and programme stakeholders across global and country structures, translating complex financial analysis into clear and actionable insights and facilitating evidence-based discussions on efficiency trade-offs and opportunities. Support Service Delivery Cost Optimisation: Assess the financial implications of operational redesign initiatives — including staffing structures, service delivery models, and non-staff cost initiatives — to support the simplification and standardisation of service delivery across functions and geographies. Ensure Financial Alignment Across Transformation Workstreams: Collaborate with Finance Transformation and Enterprise Analytics teams to align financial models, reporting frameworks, and transformation objectives, ensuring coherent and integrated financial intelligence across the full programme. Embed Financial Discipline and Data-Driven Decision-Making: Promote a culture of financial accountability, rigour, and data-driven decision-making across the organisation, supporting change efforts by building financial literacy and confidence in efficiency data among non-financial stakeholders.

Experience and Skills Essential - Extensive track record of financial leadership within large-scale organisational transformation, cost optimisation, or operational efficiency programmes in complex global organisations, with direct responsibility for financial analysis, modelling, and benefits realisation. - Significant experience working within complex INGOs, federated organisations, multinational matrix environments, or similarly complex stakeholder structures, including proven ability to navigate competing priorities across multiple geographies and functions. - A proven ability to design and apply sophisticated financial models, cost-driver analyses, scenario planning, and sensitivity analysis to inform strategic decision-making and drive measurable efficiency outcomes. - Strong technical expertise in financial management systems, ERP platforms, and business intelligence tools, with the ability to extract, transform, and analyse large datasets to generate actionable insights. - Experience in developing and implementing financial governance frameworks, performance measurement systems, and KPIs to track progress against efficiency targets and organisational objectives. - Exceptional communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to present complex financial information clearly and persuasively to non-financial audiences at all levels of the organisation. - A collaborative leadership style, with a track record of building high-performing teams, fostering cross-functional partnerships, and driving change in complex, matrixed environments. - Commitment to the organisation’s values and mission, with a passion for driving positive social impact through financial discipline and operational excellence. Desirable - Professional accounting qualification (e.g., ACCA, CPA, CIMA) or advanced degree in finance, economics, or a related field. - Experience working in the humanitarian, development, or non-profit sector, with a deep understanding of the unique financial and operational challenges faced by INGOs. - Familiarity with international financial reporting standards (IFRS) and experience in budgeting, forecasting, and financial planning within a multi-currency, multi-country context. - Experience in digital transformation initiatives, including the implementation of new financial systems, automation tools, or data analytics platforms to drive efficiency and improve decision-making. - Knowledge of cost accounting principles, activity-based costing, and financial benchmarking techniques to identify and realise savings opportunities.