Director of Financial Planning and Budget

Overview

The Director of Financial Planning and Budget leads enterprise budgeting, forecasting, and management reporting across all countries and departments. This role owns the annual budget process, rolling forecasts, and the financial models that support strategic decisions, partnering with senior leadership and country teams to strengthen financial planning discipline.

In addition, the role owns the indirect cost recovery strategy, including the policy, rate methodology, and donor negotiations to ensure full cost recovery.

Responsibilities

Organizational budgeting and forecasting

• Own the annual organizational budgeting process across all countries and departments, setting guidelines, timelines, and templates in coordination with the CFO.
• Lead rolling forecasts and mid-year reviews, shifting forecasting from budget-based to actuals-based.
• Consolidate country and department budgets, validate assumptions, and prepare the organizational budget for executive and board approval.
• Analyze budget variances, investigate exceptions, and facilitate corrective actions with budget holders.

Management reporting and analysis

• Develop management reporting frameworks with the CFO, Global Controller, and country teams to produce accurate, timely financial reports.
• Prepare recurring and ad-hoc financial analysis on spending trends, revenue forecasts, and funding gaps for the CFO and executive team.
• Provide forward-looking analysis that flags financial risks and opportunities from program spend and the funding pipeline.

Financial modeling and strategic decision support

• Build financial models and scenario plans for strategic initiatives, including funding scale-up, country expansion, and program investments.
• Assess the financial feasibility of new opportunities and challenge operational assumptions behind plans.
• Provide strategic financial input on decisions affecting revenue, cost structure, and resource allocation.

Indirect cost recovery

• Own the indirect cost policy, rate methodology, and calculation; maintain supporting documentation and update it as the organization evolves.
• Lead preparation, submission, and negotiation of the indirect cost rate with donors, including NICRA-style submissions where required.
• Set standards for how indirect costs are budgeted in proposals and applied to awards across the portfolio.
• Train the Business Development team and program staff on cost recovery principles so proposals reflect full costs.
• Monitor actual cost recovery across the grant portfolio, analyze gaps between recovered and incurred indirect costs, and recommend actions to close gaps.

Donor budgeting standards and proposal quality assurance

• Set organization-wide budgeting standards, templates, and guidance used across the organization.
• Provide quality assurance and final finance review on proposal budgets prepared by the Business Development team, confirming consistency with cost recovery policy and donor requirements.
• Ensure budget assumptions in proposals are realistic, fully costed, and aligned with the chart of accounts and reporting structures.

Business partnering and capacity building

• Serve as a finance business partner to the C-suite, country directors, and department heads, translating financial performance into clear actions.
• Strengthen financial planning capability of country finance teams through training, tools, and documented best practices.

Requirements

• Master’s degree in Finance, Accounting, or a related field, or an MBA.
• Minimum 10 years of progressive finance experience, including at least 7 years in financial planning and analysis, budgeting, and forecasting.
• Professional certification (CPA, ACCA, CA, or equivalent) strongly preferred.
• Experience in a complex international nonprofit or NGO with an annual budget of at least $20 million; strong working knowledge of nonprofit fund accounting.
• Demonstrated experience with institutional donor budgeting and indirect cost recovery.
• Advanced Excel and financial modeling skills; experience with ERP and planning systems (Sage Intacct preferred).
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with ability to present complex financial information to non-finance audiences.
• Cross-cultural communication skills and experience working across multiple countries; French, Spanish, or Portuguese a plus.
• Strong supervisory and mentoring skills; ability to build capable, accountable teams.

Preferred Qualifications

• Professional certification (CPA, ACCA, CA, or equivalent).
• ERP and planning system experience with Sage Intacct.
• Experience working in multiple countries with French, Spanish, or Portuguese.

Compensation & Benefits

• Compensation and benefits details were not provided.

Location

• Remote, Nairobi, Kenya or Denver, USA preferred.
• Regular collaboration across time zones with colleagues in Africa, Europe, and the United States.
• International travel to country offices approximately 15–20% of the time.

Working Conditions

• Office-based role; not physically demanding.

Direct Reports

• Financial Planning & Analysis Analyst(s) (positions to be recruited).
• Matrix responsibility for country finance staff on budgeting, forecasting, and reporting matters.

Application Guidelines

• Maximum CV length: 2 pages.
• Highlight relevant diplomas, degrees, and recognized certifications.
• Exclude personal information (photos, gender, religion, marital status, number of dependents) and non-certified training.
• Applications are encouraged from individuals that would bring a unique or underrepresented perspective.

Data Protection

• Submitting an application consents to collection, storage, and processing of personal data for evaluating qualifications and managing the recruitment process.
• Applications and contact details may be retained for up to 3 years to consider for similar opportunities matching qualifications and interests.
• Applicants have the right to access, rectify, or delete personal information at any time by contacting the data protection function through the contact method provided in the original posting.
• For more information about data handling, refer to the organization’s Privacy Policy in the original posting.