Director of Finance

• Noumea-based position
• Attractive expatriate package
• Join the principal development organisation in the region

Description

The Pacific Community (SPC) is the principal scientific and technical organisation in the Pacific region, supporting development since 1947. We are an international development organisation owned and governed by our 27 country and territory members. In pursuit of sustainable development to benefit Pacific people, our unique organisation works across more than 25 sectors. We are known for our knowledge and innovation in such areas as fisheries science, public health surveillance, geoscience, and conservation of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture.

The Operations and Integration provides corporate services to all SPC Divisions and Programmes. It consists of three key departments: Finance, Human Resources and Information Services. OMD is focused on improving the effectiveness of systems, policies and management to provide high-quality customer-oriented services.

The role – the Director of Finance will be responsible for the organization's financial and budgetary matters. His/her role is to provide authoritative advice on the development of SPC's financial strategy and annual budget, to formulate and implement financial policy for the organization, to ensure the integrity and efficiency of the organization's financial and accounting systems, and to ensure timely and accurate financial and management reporting to the Senior Leadership Team, the Audit and Risk Committee and SPC's governing bodies in compliance with SPC's Regulations and Rules and accounting standards (IPSAS).   

The key responsibilities of the role include the following:

Leadership and management

• Engage the governing body, Director-General, Deputy Director-General (O&I) and Senior Leadership Team on trends and changes in SPC's business model.
• Provide analytical thinking to support robust decision-making pertaining to strategic initiatives, business model and operational execution.
• Maintain quality relations with all members of the Senior Leadership Team through demonstrated business judgment combined with an ability to effectively influence others.
• Lead the development of the Finance Department’s annual workplan, including the development of and delivery on annual staff work plans and performance standards monitoring, mentoring and development of finance section staff.
• Meet regularly with division managers and with division finance staff to inform and resolve issues.
• Represent the Organization to financial partners, including members, donors, auditors, public officials, etc.
• Lead the ongoing application of International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS) and guide staff, as required, on the implementation of any new, or revised, standards.
• Providing authoritative advice to the Director-General, the Deputy Director-General (O&I), the Senior Leadership Team, the Audit and Risk Committee as well as SPC’s governing body on the preparation of budget proposals, financial statements, and on policies concerning accounting, financial controls, and risk management.

Financial planning and analysis

• Develop and utilize forward-looking, predictive models and activity based financial analysis to provide insight into the organization’s operations and business plans, including financial requirements.
• Under the authority of the DDG (O&I), prepare and coordinate the work of the SLT budget committee, the Investment Committee and lead the development of short, medium, and long-term financial plans and projections and the organization's annual budget.
• Provide strategic advice to the DG, DDG (O&I) and governing bodies on SPC's financial position and strategy.

Financial policy, processes and procedures

• Establish, in coordination with senior leadership, rules, procedures and methodology concerning preparation of the organization's budget and corresponding performance reports.
• Issue the budget guidelines and coordinate the complete budget preparation process, including the integration of any additional information and tables required by senior leadership or requested by SPC’s governing body.
• Oversee treasury function including investments, cash forecast planning.
• Ensure maintenance of appropriate internal controls and financial procedures.
• Coordinate audits and oversee the proper custodianship of all financial documents/instruments.
• Lead the development and continuous improvement of SPC's financial policies and rules.
• Lead the continuous improvement of SPC's financial processes, procedures, and systems
• Assure the integrity, appropriateness, and effectiveness of SPC's financial information systems, recognising the specific challenges posed by the decentralised nature of SPC's operations.
• Ensure regular reviews of finance services/systems and the integration of SPC’s financial system with other corporate information systems.
• Work with other sections to develop corporate project information databases including that of pipeline funding.

Financial reporting

• Oversee the preparation and communication of monthly and annual financial statements.
• Oversee the preparation of donor financial statements by finance section or divisional finance staff.
• Ensure timeliness, accuracy, and usefulness of financial and management reporting for the Director-General, SLT, Audit and Risk Committee and CGRA.
• Present financial reports to the SLT and governing bodies.

Financial risk management and scenario planning

• Understand and mitigate key elements of the Organization’s financial risk profile through effective cooperation with the internal audit function among others.

For a more detailed account of the key responsibilities, please refer to the online job description.

Key selection criteria

Qualifications

• Advanced degree in business or public administration, finance, or accounting. A first degree with a combination of minimum 15 years of relevant experience would be considered or equivalent body of knowledge and experience
• Professional qualification in accounting (CPA, CA or equivalent)

Technical expertise

• At least fifteen years (15) of progressively responsible experience in financial management under international accounting standards such as IPSAS/IFRS, including accounting, budgeting, treasury, and investment at the organizational corporate level, with at least eight years (8) as a Director of Finance/CFO or equivalent
• Strong experience in leading the design and implementation of organization finance strategy and planning
• Knowledge and experience in internal control and risk management
• Demonstrated experience in driving improvements and streamlining systems, in a complex environment
• Excellent leadership, change management and staff management skills

Language skills

• Fluency in oral and written English

Interpersonal skills and cultural awareness

• Demonstrated cultural sensitivity and awareness, and the ability to effectively work with team members from different cultural backgrounds

Salary, terms and conditions

Contract Duration – This vacant position is budgeted for 3 years and is subject to renewal depending on funding and performance.

Remuneration – the Director of Finance is a band 15 position in SPC’s 2025 salary scale, with a starting salary range of SDR (special drawing rights) 7,360-9,104 per month, which converts to approximately XPF 1,075,770-1,330,666 (USD 9,789-12,109; EUR 9,015-11,151). An offer of appointment for an initial contract will be made in the lower half of this range, with due consideration being given to experience and qualifications. Progression within the salary scale will be based on annual performance reviews. SPC salaries are not presently subject to income tax in New Caledonia.

Benefits for international staff employees based in New Caledonia – SPC provides subsidised housing in Noumea. Establishment and repatriation grant, removal expenses, airfares, home leave travel, health and life and disability insurances and education allowances are available for eligible employees and their eligible dependents. Employees are entitled to 25 working days of annual leave per annum and other types of leave, and access to SPC’s Provident Fund (contributing 8% of salary, to which SPC adds a 10% contribution).

Languages – SPC’s working languages are English and French.

Recruitment principles – SPC’s recruitment is based on merit and fairness, and candidates are competing in a selection process that is fair, transparent, and non-discriminatory. SPC is an equal-opportunity employer, and is committed to cultural and gender diversity, including bilingualism, and will seek to attract and appoint candidates who respect these values. Due attention is given to gender equity and the maintenance of strong representation from Pacific Island professionals. If two interviewed candidates are ranked equal by the selection panel, preference will be given to the Pacific Islander. Applicants will be assured of complete confidentiality in line with SPC’s Privacy Policy.

Application procedure

Closing date: 13 April 2025 – 11:00 pm (Noumea time)

Job Reference: CR000398

Applicants must apply online at http://careers.spc.int/

Hard copies of applications will not be accepted.

For your application to be considered, you must provide us with:

• an updated resume with contact details for three professional referees
• a cover letter detailing your skills, experience and interest in this position
• responses to all screening questions

Your application will be considered incomplete and will not be reviewed at shortlisting stage if all the above documents are not provided. Applicants should not attach copies of qualifications or letters of reference. Please ensure your documents are in Microsoft Word or Adobe PDF format.

SPC does not charge a fee to consider your application and will never ask for your banking or financial information during the recruitment process.

Screening questions (maximum of 2,000 characters per question):  

1. What do you consider to be the strategic finance and budgetary issues facing the Pacific Community as an intergovernmental organization over the next three years?
2. Using one example, could you outline your experience in finance, with a particular focus on the strategic design and implementation of policies and processes? What worked and what didn’t?
3. Please describe your experience in leadership within a diverse, multicultural, and multilingual team environment. What key aspects did you consider to ensure a highly integrated and collaborative approach between internal and external stakeholders?