Switzerland: Director, Finance and Operations

About the IAS:

The mission of the International AIDS Society (IAS) is to lead collective action on every front of the global HIV response through its membership base, scientific authority, and convening power.

Founded in 1988, the IAS is the world’s largest association of HIV professionals, with members from more than 180 countries working on all fronts of the global AIDS response. Together, we advocate and drive urgent action to reduce the global impact of HIV.

The IAS is the steward of the world’s two most prestigious HIV conferences – the International AIDS Conference and the IAS Conference on HIV Science. These conferences have established a gold-standard meeting that convenes the world’s top scientists, civil society members and policymakers to jointly discuss the fight against HIV.

The IAS promotes and invests in HIV advocacy and research on key issue areas through our strategic programmes, initiatives, and campaigns that advocate for urgent action to reduce the global impact of HIV, including increased investment in HIV cure research; optimizing treatment and care for infants, children and adolescents with HIV in resource-limited settings; preventing and treating HIV-related co-infections; and expanding access to prevention, treatment and care for key populations at higher risk for HIV – such as men who have sex with men, people who inject drugs, sex workers and transgender individuals – including protecting their human rights by combatting punitive laws and discriminatory policies.

More information on IAS can be found at www.iasociety.org.

Purpose of the Position:

This key position involves the responsibility for designing, implementing and overseeing business operations of the IAS and establishing and overseeing the implementation of policies that promote the organizational culture and vision in collaboration with the Executive Director.

The incumbent will lead cross-departmental functions including finance, information & communications technology (ICT), human resources (HR), and administration (approx. 10 staff & managers). The Director, Finance and Operations will be a member of the senior management team and support the Executive Director in organizational delivery.

Main Responsibilities:

Financial responsibilities:

• Lead the budget process and annual operational planning with key participants (Finance Manager and senior management team)
• Present budget, projection and results to the IAS Governing Council and relevant committees
• Point of contact for all financial matters with the Treasurer and the Finance Committee of the IAS Governing Council
• Accountable for financial controls, processes and reporting, including overseeing and controlling bookkeeping (GL & analytical), invoices, money handling, and relationships with treasury and banks
• Ensure preparation of timely and accurate finance reports
• Manage capital investment
• Negotiate with banks and other companies for financial services and ForEx contracts
• Adhere to IAS local and foreign statutory requirements, enforcing compliance and taking action when necessary
• Track financial performance and establish corrective measures as needed
• Lead various annual external audits (Swiss & foreign entities)

ICT responsibilities:**

• Lead operations of the ICT department, ensuring that planning, end user impact, and training are properly addressed
• Oversee the implementation of ICT strategy in line with client needs
• Direct the ICT budget, supervise procurement processes and relationships with external suppliers
• Oversee the development and implementation of various projects such as the integration of externally facing platforms onto MS Dynamics, the mitigation of cyber security risks, and the migration of core technologies to the cloud
• Oversee external IT audits (security, GDPR, roadmaps) and ensure recommendations are implemented.

Human Resources and administrative responsibilities:

• Define staffing needs in collaboration with the senior management team and the HR department as part of the budget cycle and operational planning process
• Monitor internal control systems (ICS)
• Supervise Swiss payroll and foreign entities payroll and other administrative expenses
• Oversee local property and local facility management
• Advise the organization’s leadership on appropriate corporate and event insurance coverage and manage insurance policies in liaison with the broker
• Coordinate the setup of foreign legal entities.

Other operational responsibilities:

• Analyze internal operations and identify areas for process enhancement
• Supervise contract processes.

Academic Qualifications:

· An advanced university degree in business administration, finance, or other relevant field (MBA).

Work Experience:

· At least 8 to 10 years’ experience in a similar position, with a strong focus on finance and at least one of the other cross-departmental functions described above

· Proven experience as an efficient leader

· Complex project and cross department management experience

· Experience in contract management

· Experience in the non-profit sector or a mission-driven organization is an asset

· Donor and/or financial grant reporting experience is preferable.

Skills/Competencies:

· Demonstrated organizational and project management skills

· Strong leadership and strategic thinking – notably in risk identification

· Proven people management skills, including the ability to empower and inspire others

· Excellent communication skills and strong team player

· Problem solving approach

· Critical thinking, tenacity and ethics

· Strong math and analytical skills

· Good knowledge of Swiss GAAP RPC

· IT literate including MS Office, Outlook, etc.

Languages:

· Full professional fluency in English and ideally in French, knowledge of other languages is an asset.

Interested and qualified candidates should send their CV and a cover letter, in English and by email only, torecruitment@iasociety.orgby Wednesday 6 March 2019. Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Only candidates from Switzerland, from an EU/EFTA country or candidates already having a valid Swiss working permit will be considered.

IAS employees are evidence-based, human rights-focused, inclusive and accountable partners in the HIV response. Candidates should display genuine commitment to IAS values (learn more here).

The IAS is committed to recruiting and sustaining a skilled, effective, diverse and gender-balanced secretariat, and to the greater involvement of people living with HIV (GIPA) in all aspects of its work. People living with or affected by HIV are strongly encouraged to apply.