Head of Accounting & Financial Control

The Organisation

Plan International is an independent development and humanitarian organisation that advances children’s rights and equality for girls. We believe in the power and potential of every child but know this is often suppressed by poverty, violence, exclusion and discrimination. And it is girls who are most affected.

Working together with children, young people, supporters and partners, we strive for a just world, tackling the root causes of the challenges girls and vulnerable children face. We support children’s rights from birth until they reach adulthood and we enable children to prepare for and respond to crises and adversity. We drive changes in practice and policy at local, national and global levels using our reach, experience and knowledge.

For over 85 years, we have rallied other determined optimists to transform the lives of all children in more than 80 countries.

We won’t stop until we are all equal.

The Opportunity

This role is responsible for transforming Plan International’s approach to country-level financial accounting, control, and compliance, embedding a customer-focused approach. The aim is to balance serving Country Offices to help them mature and deliver their objectives while ensuring PII meets its statutory and regulatory compliance requirements.

This is a business-critical role with a global remit. Leads a globally dispersed, multi-cultural team of approximately 6-8. Influences engage and communicate with Regional Finance Directors, Senior managers within Global Hub Finance, finance managers and practitioners and non-finance colleagues in regional, country offices, and national organisations.  The role will be based within Global Hub (GH); it will require continuous engagement across Plan’s global network, though travel will be very limited.

About You

You are a qualified accounting professional (ACA, CPA, ACCA, or equivalent) with a strong grasp of US GAAP and IFRS, coupled with experience in financial accounting controls. You bring extensive financial expertise, particularly within the INGO, humanitarian, development, or non-profit sectors, and have hands-on experience with SAP or similar financial suites.

Your analytical skills are sharp, and you focus on process efficiency. You’re proficient in Microsoft Office, especially Excel and PowerPoint. You have a deep understanding of organizational priorities, values, and finance business processes, with a proven ability to lead teams, motivate colleagues, and drive improvements in financial compliance.

You thrive under pressure, can manage ambiguity, and work effectively within diverse teams. Your leadership is inclusive and empowering, and you excel at imparting knowledge. Additional language skills in Spanish or French are a plus.

Please note that only applications submitted in English will be accepted

Please follow this link for the full role profile; Head of Accounting and Financial Control.docx

Location: The location of this role can be flexible where Plan International has an office* that can employ on behalf of the Global Hub and you have the pre-existing right to work and live. You may be office, home or hybrid based.

Type of Role: Permanent or maximum fixed term contract as per employing office’s standard terms and conditions.  

Reports to: Director of Global Programmes and Operations Finance

Closing Date: Friday 20th September at 23.59pm UK 

*Applicable locations include: Bangladesh, Benin, Bolivia, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Honduras, Indonesia, Ireland, Jordan, Kenya, Korea, Laos, Lebanon, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Spain, Sudan, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Togo, Uganda, United Kingdom, Vietnam, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Equality, diversity and inclusion is at the very heart of everything that Plan International stands for.

We want Plan International to reflect the diversity of the communities we work with, offering equal opportunities to everyone regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation.

Plan International is based on a culture of inclusivity and we strive to create a workplace environment that ensures every team, in every office, in every country, is rich in diverse people, thoughts, and ideas.

We foster an organisational culture that embraces our commitment to racial justice, gender equality, girls’ rights and inclusion.

Plan International believes that in a world where children face so many threats of harm, it is our duty to ensure that we, as an organisation, do everything we can to keep children safe. This means that we have particular responsibilities to children that we come into contact with and we must not contribute in any way to harming or placing children at risk.

A range of pre-employment checks will be undertaken in conformity with Plan International's Safeguarding Children and Young People policy. Plan International also participates in the Inter Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. In line with this scheme we will request information from applicants previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment during employment, or incidents under investigation when the applicant left employment. By submitting an application, the job applicant confirms their understanding of these recruitment procedures.

Please note that Plan International will never send unsolicited emails requesting payment from candidates.