BACKGROUND:
Grow Asia was established by the World Economic Forum in 2015 in collaboration with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in response to the urgent need to transform food systems to be more inclusive, sustainable, and resilient to climate change. As a multi-stakeholder platform, Grow Asia works with more than 650 global and regional partners to broker market driven solutions across Southeast Asia. We do this by convening leading decision makers from public, private, and civil society organizations, mobilizing partnerships and finance, and delivering best practice through the implementation of collaborative public-private projects at a field-, national-, and regional level.
The GrowAsia network comprises our regional office in Singapore and five country chapters in Cambodia, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, and Viet Nam. The network operates through 44 national and sectoral Working Groups and is already reaching more than 2.9 million smallholdersacross Southeast Asia with technical assistance and blended finance solutions. In 2020, Grow Asia was accredited as an Entity Associated with ASEAN. This accreditation recognizes the important role GrowAsia plays in the region, particularly in facilitating multi-stakeholder partnerships and acting as adelivery mechanism for ASEAN programs.
THE ROLE:
Grow Asia is seeking an experiencedleadertohelp us deliver impact at scale by strengthening financial and operational excellence and coordinating the strategic mobilization of grants and human resources.
Reporting to the Executive Director, the Head of Finance and Operations will be responsible for operational and financial planning, grant management, and financial compliance at a regional and country level to ensure effective coordination of grants and blended resources across Grow Asia’s four Public-Private Programs–GrowVentures, GrowHer, GrowRight, and Growbeyond.
We are looking for an independent thinker and problem solver, with a strong sense of self-motivation,who thrives in a highly collaborative, dynamic team environment. The successful candidate should bring experience incoordinating complex projects and financial management to deliver joined-up solutions across multiple disciplines, countries, and teams while working in a multi-stakeholder, matrixed environment.
RESPONSIBILITIES include but are not limited to:
Finance and Operations
Lead the Operations and Finance Department, acting as Grow Asia’s financial controller, providingday-to-day oversight for all financial and operational requirements in adherence to relevantregulations and policies.
Work with the Executive Director and Heads of Department to assess the operational needs of theGrow Asia network and translate the organization’s strategic vision into operational solutions.
Oversee annual business planning, operational excellence, human and financial resources, andmonthly and annual reporting.
Put in place an organization risk register to highlight and mitigate financial exposures and non-compliance as part of a strengthened internal audit function
Oversee expenditures and spending rates with relevant teams to update financial projections andmake any necessary revisions.
Oversee proactive collection of donor receivables or settlement of donor payables in a timelymanner.
Collaborate with senior staff to create and maintain systems for efficient andtransparent capture ofprogram data for timely and informative internal and external reporting
Grant Management and Compliance
Monitor and oversee the life cycle of grants and matching contributions under GrowVentures,GrowHer, GrowRight and GrowBeyond
Work with the Head of Programs and Head of Partnerships to ensure efficient and timely deploymentof resources to programs and countries (Cambodia, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, VietNam)
Put in place systems and processes to monitor and evaluateprogress in meeting operational goals.
Support the prioritization of grant applications, onboarding of new donors, financial due diligence,and timely submission of concept notes, funding proposals, and donor reports and audits.
Oversee budget planning and financial reporting for individual donors and where appropriate,provide contractual and compliance-related information to partners
Organization and Team Leadership
Guide and facilitate the scale up of human capacity and capability to accommodate new programsand country chapters in line with organizational growth.
Manage a small team of Finance, HR and Operations staff and guide them in managing tools andtrackers to ensure that in-country programs and field-level implementation adhere to requirementsand expectations of donors and partners
Oversee maintenance of the Employee Handbook and ensure that policies are well communicatedand implemented by hiring managers
Supervise, coach, and collaborate with regional and country staff to ensure programmatic and teamsuccess, as well as to support the team’s ongoing professional development and growth
Work closely with the Head of Partnerships to support operations in Cambodia, Philippines, and VietNam, and provide direct oversight to GrowAsia’s programs in Indonesia Papua New Guinea
Support the Executive Director in optimizing cross-departmental knowledge flow, challenge silos, andbe a champion for matrixed projects.
Work with external vendors to coordinate optimal talent acquisition and ensure thatrecruitmentprocesses adhere to Grow Asia’s diversity and inclusion commitments
Coordinate the onboarding of new staff, including but not limited to contract completion, applicationfor visas, collection of references, and management of IT processes and compliance.
Contribute to the smooth running of governance meetings and annual events, including but notlimited to Grow Asia Governance Councils and the Grow Asia Investment Forum
Create and sustain a work environment of mutual respect where team members strive toachieveexcellence
Represent Grow Asiaat external events andcultivate relationships with donors and partners
Lead and participate in global and regional calls and donor meetings, as needed
THE SUCCESSFUL APPLICANT:
Masters’degree ina discipline related to the position (business, finance, International Development,or equivalent)
A minimum of 15 years work experiencein increasingly senior roles, ideallyin a multi-country leadership role focused on climate change and/or sustainable finance in food and agriculture (spanning corporate, non-profit,and/orconsultingroles)
Strong team leadership experience and skills, with proven success and ability to manage diverse teams, budgets,and operations across complex, low income geographies within non-profit organisation
Experience in strategic design, execution, and management of multi-country programs
Excellent written and oral communications skills, with fluency in spoken and written English and,ideally, one other Southeast Asian language
Possess experience in HR and admin functions. Excellent attention to detail
Strong organizational and interpersonal skills, with the ability to effectively interface at all levels ofseniority both internally and with our partners in the public, private, and civil society space
High level of integrity and commitment to socio-economic development and food systemstransformation
Emotional maturity, patience, curiosity, andasustained willingness to change one’s mind
Forward-looking thinker, who actively seeks opportunities and proposes solutions
Location: Singapore
Travel requirement: Up to 30%, mainly within Southeast Asia
Start date: Immediately (we will only consider candidate who is available for work on an immediate basis
Preference: Singaporean or PR
WHAT’S ON OFFER:
In addition to a competitive salary, this role provides a unique opportunity to (1) develop your capabilitiesand broaden your skill set in an organization thatsupports continuous growth, (2) work with a highlymotivated, collaborative, efficient and compassionate team that also values autonomy, (3) be part of adynamic, well-respected and credible entity in Southeast Asia, (4) connect with the World EconomicForum and its Food Action Alliance, participating in the global agenda on food security and agriculturaldevelopment, and (5) contribute to social, economic and environmental progress in Southeast Asia andbeyond.
HOW TO APPLY:
Qualified applicants are invited to send your resume, cover letter and writing sample to [email protected] by 23 October 2024. We ask that you kindly include your name and the position you
