The International Potato Center (CIP) is looking for a
FP&A Senior Manager, with a focus on Budgeting and Planning to support the
institution’s global strategic planning and corporate budgeting processes. This
role concentrates on coordinating financial planning cycles, supporting budget
control, and contributing to forecasting activities across the organization,
ensuring effective resource allocation and alignment with CIP’s strategic
objectives.
About CIP: CIP is part
of the CGIAR global research partnership committed to transforming food, land,
and water systems in a climate crisis. CIP’s mission is to develop and share
science-based innovations in potato, sweetpotato, and other root and tuber
crops. CIP partners with organizations in over 20 countries in Africa, Asia,
and Latin America to strengthen agri-food systems and provide economic, social,
and nutritional benefits, especially for women and youth. We integrate social
and biophysical sciences to address complex challenges in food and agriculture.
For more information, please visit https://cipotato.org/about/.
About the position: This position plays a key role in strengthening
institutional financial planning, ensuring effective budget management, and
supporting strategic decision-making across the organization. The position
reports to the Head of Finance and will oversees a small, specialized team of
two staff members, emphasizing a hands-on approach and close collaboration
within the broader finance function.
Key responsibilities:
1. Financial Planning, Budgeting, and Forecasting:
·Lead the development, coordination, and consolidation
of CIP’s annual budget, multi-year financial plans, and periodic forecasts
across headquarters, regional offices, and country operations.
·Oversee institutional budget implementation and monitor
financial performance against approved budgets, strategic priorities, and
funding assumptions.
·Review budget utilization trends and recommend
corrective actions, reallocations, or other management measures to support
financial sustainability and operational efficiency.
·Develop forward-looking financial forecasts, scenarios,
and planning models to assess funding needs, cost pressures, institutional
risks, and resource allocation options.
·Support the preparation of annual planning assumptions,
financial targets, and institutional guardrails for use in corporate planning
and management decision-making.
2. Financial Analysis and Management Support:
·Provide strategic financial advice and analytical
support to departmental, regional, and institutional leaders to strengthen
financial stewardship and decision-making.
·Analyze financial performance, cost drivers,
expenditure trends, recovery levels, and organizational cost structures,
identifying risks, opportunities, and areas for improvement.
·Prepare high-quality management reports, dashboards,
and presentations for senior leadership, including the Head of Finance, SMT
(Senior Management Team), and other governance forums as required.
·Support institutional financial reviews by providing
analysis on budget variances, pipeline assumptions, cost recovery, and
break-even scenarios.
·Contributes to the evaluation of organizational
initiatives, structural changes, and investment decisions through financial
modelling and scenario analysis.
3. Budget Control and Governance:
·Ensure
that budget management processes comply with CIP policies, financial
procedures, donor requirements, and internal planning frameworks.
·Strengthen
institutional budget controls, planning discipline, and performance monitoring
across departments and regions.
·Promote
consistency, transparency, and accountability in budget preparation,
monitoring, and reporting practices throughout the organization.
·Work
closely with Finance, Operations, Projects, and regional teams to ensure
alignment between budget planning, operational delivery, and funding realities.
4. Leadership and Team Management:
·Lead,
coach, and develop the Budget & Planning team to ensure high-quality
outputs, service orientation, and continuous improvement.
·Set
objectives, monitor performance, and contribute to succession planning and
professional development of direct reports.
·Foster
collaboration, problem-solving, and a strong client-service mindset within the
team and across CIP
5. Corporate Support:
·Provide
direct support to the Head of Finance in the overall financial planning,
monitoring, and strategic oversight of CIP.
·Contribute
to institutional initiatives aimed at improving financial resilience, planning
capability, and management reporting.
·Comply
with applicable CIP health, safety, safeguarding, and administrative policies
and procedures.
Requirements
- Master’s degree in finance, Administration or Accounting.
- Minimum of 10 years of progressive experience in financial planning, budgeting, forecasting, and financial analysis, preferably in international or multinational organizations.
-
Experience working with
donor-funded projects and understanding of donor compliance requirements is
highly desirable.
- Demonstrated experience in financial modelling, scenario analysis, and management reporting.
- Strong expertise in financial planning and analysis (FP&A), budgeting, and forecasting methodologies.
- Advanced proficiency in Excel and financial modelling tools; experience with ERP systems and reporting tools (e.g., Power BI, SAP, Oracle) is an asset.
Specific Competencies:
- Exceptional analytical thinking and attention to detail
- Strong planning and organizational skills.Excellent communication and presentation skills to effectively convey financial concepts to diverse audiences.
- Strategic and critical thinking with a problem-solving mindset.
Languages and level:
- Fluent in English, both written and spoken.
Benefits
·1-year contract with the
possibility of renewal based on performance.
·Compensation package
commensurate with experience.
·Excellent working environment.
·Work in an equal and diverse
workplace.