Finance And Operations Associate

About Us

MSI Reproductive Choices is one of the world’s leading providers of sexual and reproductive healthcare. We believe that everyone should have the right to choose. From contraception to safe abortion and life-saving post-abortion care, we are committed to ensuring access to compassionate, affordable, high-quality services for all.

Today, our organisation has over 9,000 team members working in 37 countries across the world. Our success lies in the fact that MSI teams are locally led, entrepreneurial, and are passionate about delivering high quality, client-centered care in their own communities. We focus on sustainable delivery, efficiency, and funding models that are built to last, so that the women and girls we serve today will have a choice in the future too.

MSI is an equal opportunity employer and offers a competitive salary and employee benefits. We support a work-life balance and an individual’s desire to learn beyond the experience gained at work through both personal and professional development and growth opportunities.

About the Role

You will provide critical financial support and guidance, technical leadership and capacity building to drive growth through improved financial management and performance in the two critical markets of Nigeria and India (PHS), as well as the expansion of social marketing across Asia through the India Social Marketing business units. Together, these business units represent more than 30% of MSI’s global CYP and SA/PAC delivery, and 20% of service income.

As the lead financial expert in the operational support cluster for Nigeria, PHS India, and India SM, you will ensure that these critical countries are organisational leaders in demonstrating MSI’s internal standards for financial management, governance, and compliance. You will be responsible coordinating with MSI’s support departments, especially Finance, Legal and Donor Compliance, and GIS, to ensure these countries have the capacity and ability to meet and exceed their annual financial targets and are making meaningful progress towards their agreed 2030 objectives.

You are the most senior financial officer in the team and are expected to propose and take strategic decisions and actions to ensure the sound financial operations in the cluster. A critical component of your role will be to build the capacity of the in-country Finance teams and the financial acumen of the Operational leadership team.

About You

We recruit talented, dynamic people with diverse backgrounds and experiences, all united by a belief in our mission and a focus on delivering measurable results. We’re proud to be an equal opportunities employer and are committed to creating a fully inclusive workplace, where everyone feels able to participate and contribute meaningfully. You must be open-minded, curious, resilient, and solutions-oriented, and committed to promoting equality, and safeguarding the welfare of team members and clients alike.

To perform this role, it is essential that you have the following skills:

• Strong analytical skills
• Highly developed relationship development and communication (oral and written) skills
• Highly developed problem solving, diplomatic, networking and negotiation skills
• Demonstration of ‘making things happen’, operating at pace and delivering effectively through others
• Ability to produce, deliver and present meaningful financial analysis and recommend appropriate actions to enhance organisational performance
• Ability to initiate, develop and maintain relationships with their staff, peers and external stakeholders at a senior level
• Ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing, including with people who do not have a background in finance
• SUN accounts (ideally), Vision XL and Excel skills

To perform this role, it is essential that you have the following experience:

• Demonstration of working autonomously at a senior level to drive change and address complex business issues
• Leadership of teams – including building capacity amongst direct reports
• Working within a finance function within a commercial or social business (social marketing highly desirable)
• Working in developing markets, particularly in Africa and India
• Working with donors and supporting bidding for donor grants (not essential)
• Working with colleagues in geographically separate locations

Personal Attributes:

We seek exceptional individuals who are aligned to MSI’s mission and entrepreneurial mindset. You must be a strong communicator, self-motivated and solutions-seeking, committed to driving social change in an environment that measures sustainable results and impact at an individual and global level. You must be able to work effectively with and across diverse teams and be comfortable with ambiguity. 

For this role, we’re looking for an individual who is:

• Energy, drive and unwavering commitment for MSI’s mission, with the ability to push boundaries, and make touch decisions and challenge others in line with our mission 
• Passionate about our clients and strives to consistently meet and exceed expectations, putting the clients at the centre of everything, and ensuring we deliver high quality, high impact services that meet their individual needs
• Highly motivated with the ability to motivate and develop the skills of the team and inspire individuals and teams through situational leadership and by providing clear direction
• Works as part of a team, providing support and flexibility to colleagues, demonstrating fairness, understanding and respect for all people and cultures Ability to influence key stakeholders at all levels both internally and externally within the organisation. Acts as a true MSI ambassador
• A commercial mind-set, understanding the levers for profitability for success within the marketplace. Focuses on results, ensuring long term sustainability and increased impact
• Takes accountability for the decisions made and the behaviours demonstrated
• Aware of the emerging developments within our sector, with the ability to focus and articulate a vision of the future which inspires and excites others, while understanding the detail and looking for the evidence
• Highest levels of integrity, and a strong ethical sense
• Knowledge and experience of Africa essential (specific Nigeria and India experience preferred)
• Ability to travel extensively throughout the region and internationally to represent the region both internally and externally

For more information about the role, please view the job description and person specification on our website.

Location: London Support Office (hybrid working) or where any MSI country programme operates.

Full-time: 35 hours a week, Monday to Friday (UK contracted hours).

Contract type: Permanent

Salary: £55,200 - £71,550 per annum for UK based candidates. Discretionary bonus + benefits. For all other locations, the role will be banded within national context. 

Salary band: BG 11

Closing date: 13th March 2024 (midnight GMT). Interviews may take place before this date for exceptional candidates.

Please see the job description on our website.

For internal employees applying from an MSI country programme, the role will be positioned within the existing salary structure of the country. Local terms and conditions of the country will apply.