The Global Financial & Accounting Services (GFAS) division is a growing team with an increasing breadth of responsibility. The foundation continues to grow in its global footprint and in the complexity of its work. The GFAS team is scaling up to support this important work. The team’s vision is to provide innovative and scalable global business solutions in accounting, tax, payroll, treasury and financial operations while safeguarding the reputation of the foundation and our related entities, with the highest standards of integrity and operational excellence.
GFAS is a division within the Finance organization at the foundation, and an important part of the operations function. Operations supports and enables the five program teams to make investments and to run effectively and efficiently. As a function, Finance employs approximately 100 FTE’s. The GFAS division is significant (30+ FTE’s), and responsible for financial reporting processes, technical and advisory services, internal controls, and the accounting functions at the foundation.
The Senior Technical Advisor is a leader, problem solver, trusted business partner, mentor and subject matter expert for respective technical expertise in the GFAS functional areas, with primary emphasis on treasury and insurance. Manages and coordinates complex GFAS work activities that are highly visible internally and externally. The Senior Technical Advisor is responsible for the following:
- Providing oversight of global cash management, banking relationships and ERP bank integration for foundation and related entities. Preparing annual cash forecast and any needed revisions throughout the year. Providing consulting as a subject matter expert for grantee investment policy and foreign exchange questions, and on financial instruments for the annual tax returns. Directing efforts to resolve any global payment issues and communicate/train GFAS staff to understand current banking/payment trends, particularly those involving fraud.
- Providing oversight and expertise for foundation’s insurance program, collaborating with personnel involved in risk management experts across the foundation. Leading annual insurance renewal processes, reviewing of best practices to ensure appropriate risk mitigation and oversee day-to-day insurance activities.
- Acting as treasury and risk management subject matter expert on cross foundation initiatives. Providing technical treasury expertise on complex investments/transactions including modeling of programmatic debt instruments for GAAP reporting.
- Managing special projects within the division.
- Developing and maintaining enterprise wide accounting policies and internal controls for cash management and insurance activities.
While this position has no direct reports, this position works in a highly matrixed environment and works closely with the following internal and external stakeholders:
- Internally: Work closely with GFAS staff and peers in other divisions to understand the technical treasury or insurance implications of a proposed transaction/investment/policy. Present findings to leadership.
- Externally: Work closely with banks, investment manager and insurance broker to ensure appropriate responsiveness and awareness of foundation activities and to resolve any issues expeditiously. Ability to network and share best practices with other peer organizations.
- Extensive expertise in treasury and cash management including experience with banking systems/regulations/foreign exchange instruments. Solid understanding of debt, equity and guarantee agreements, including modeling to estimate fair values.
- Hands-on experience with ERP bank integration, with ability to read, understand and troubleshoot XML files.
- Experience planning and leading insurance/risk management programs.
- Strong financial and analytical background with focus on skills that facilitate decision making.
- Knowledge of financial principles and processes, with ability to navigate complex environments.
- Demonstrated ability to communicate complex financial concepts to partners with diverse backgrounds, including leadership, program staff, grantees and other foundation operational resources.
- Experience working in a large, complex entity with global or foreign interests and some exposure to foreign currency is strongly preferred.
- Excellent communication and relationship building skills.
- Critical thinking, ability to work across teams; excellent communication skills, ability to work in a team environment.
- Ability to communicate complex financial concepts to partners with diverse backgrounds, including leadership, program staff, grantees and other foundation operational resources.
- Extensive technical treasury and insurance experience and the ability to mentor other staff in these areas.
- Strong initiative, organization skills and ability to work autonomously and cross-functionally while remaining flexible to changing tasks, priorities, and roles and responsibilities.
- Models professional courage– engages in trust based debate, asks hard or unpopular questions, and is willing to say no.
- Intellectually curious with solution orientation and the ability to identify new ways of working.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
- Technical expert/leader in their industry domain including processes, systems and tools with the ability to influence and drive change.