Director, Finance (Adv#134/2026)

icddr,b is an international health research institute based in Bangladesh. Policymakers and practitioners utilise our evidence and expertise to improve health outcomes and prevent premature death and disability worldwide. In recognition of its scientific and humanitarian contributions, icddr,b has received numerous international and national awards, including

• Gates Award for Global Health (2001): For its pioneering contributions to global health, including the development of oral rehydration therapy.
• Independence Award (2005): For services rendered to the people of Bangladesh.
• Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian Prize (2017): For innovative approaches to addressing health challenges in underserved communities

Since its establishment in 1960, icddr,b’s research focus has expanded beyond cholera and diarrhoeal diseases to encompass a broad range of public-health challenges in Bangladesh and globally.

Our research priorities are organised around nine public-health goals:

• Address health risks related to climate change;
• Address health risks related to gender and sexual and reproductive health and rights;
• Prevent and manage non-communicable diseases;
• Improve healthcare in urban populations and achieve universal health coverage;
• Prevent and control infectious diseases;
• Improve maternal and newborn health;
• Reduce maternal, adolescent and childhood malnutrition;
• Enhance laboratory services and support genomics research; and
• Improve hospital services and clinical research.

The Opportunity

We seek an accomplished, strategic and collaborative Director, Finance to provide leadership and oversight of icddr,b’s financial strategy, operations and governance.

Reporting directly to the Deputy Executive Director, the Director, Finance will lead a multidisciplinary finance team and work closely with the Senior Leadership Team, Division Directors, Principal Investigators and donors to ensure sound financial stewardship and long-term organisational sustainability.

The successful candidate will combine strong professional expertise with integrity, sound judgement and inclusive leadership. The position will ensure effective financial planning, transparent reporting, robust internal controls and adherence to sound financial governance and applicable regulatory requirements.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Planning and Development

• Provide strategic leadership and overall direction for icddr,b’s Finance function, ensuring that financial strategy, resource allocation and financial management are aligned with icddr,b’s mission, research priorities and long-term institutional sustainability.
• Serve as a trusted financial adviser to the Executive Director, Deputy Executive Director, Senior Leadership Team, Finance & Audit Committee (FAC) and Board of Trustees (BOT), providing independent advice and constructive challenge on financial performance, sustainability, funding, investment, risk and major institutional decisions.
• Lead the development and implementation of icddr,b’s long-term financial strategy, multi-year financial plans, annual budgets, forecasts and scenario analyses, translating institutional and research priorities into sustainable financial plans and resource-allocation decisions.
• Provide financial leadership on major research initiatives, institutional programmes, partnerships and funding opportunities, assessing their financial implications, affordability, risks and long-term sustainability.
• Analyse funding patterns, expenditure trends and cost structures to inform strategic decisions and strengthen cost recovery.
• Anticipate changes in the research, donor funding and operating environment and advise leadership on their implications for icddr,b’s financial resilience, funding model, cost structure and future resource requirements.

Financial Planning and Analysis

• Lead the preparation of annual budgets, multi-year financial plans, cash-flow forecasts and scenario analyses.
• Lead organisation-wide financial planning and performance management, ensuring effective alignment of resources with icddr,b’s research, programme and institutional priorities.
• Establish consistent budgeting assumptions, guidelines and monitoring arrangements across the organisation.
• Provide financial insight and constructive challenge to Division Directors, Principal Investigators and programme leadership to strengthen resource allocation, financial planning and organisational performance.
• Establish appropriate financial performance measures and provide timely, forward-looking analysis of financial results, funding, expenditure, cost structures, cost recovery and resource utilisation to support management, FAC and BOT decision-making.
• Hold overall accountability for the financial health, integrity and stewardship of icddr,b, ensuring that financial resources are managed effectively, transparently and in accordance with approved strategy and governance arrangements.

Financial Operations Management and Reporting

• Oversee accounting, financial reporting, accounts payable and receivable, project finance and related financial operations.
• Ensure that financial information and management reporting provide reliable, timely and decision-useful information for management and governance oversight.
• Provide strategic leadership of icddr,b’s financial governance and control environment, ensuring appropriate policies, delegated authorities, accountability mechanisms and internal controls are established and operating effectively.
• Ensure that accounting policies, financial reporting and practices remain aligned with applicable international standards, including IPSAS, as well as relevant laws, regulatory requirements, donor obligations and icddr,b policies.
• Provide timely financial reports and analysis to the Deputy Executive Director, Executive Director, Division Directors, Board of Trustees and donors, in accordance with established reporting arrangements.
• Promote efficient, responsive and service-oriented financial support across the organisation.

Financial Systems and Process Improvement

• Lead the strategic evolution and modernisation of the Finance function, ensuring that its operating model, capabilities, systems and processes remain fit for icddr,b’s evolving research, funding and institutional environment.
• Set the strategic direction for Finance systems, digitalisation, automation, data and management information, ensuring these enable effective financial management, strong controls and informed organisational decision-making.
• Provide strategic oversight of icddr,b’s financial reporting framework and accounting architecture, including the effective application of IPSAS and adaptation to evolving accounting and reporting requirements.
• Sponsor and oversee major Finance transformation and continuous-improvement initiatives, ensuring that investments in systems, processes and capabilities deliver sustainable improvements in efficiency, transparency, control and service quality.
• Ensure that ERP and other financial systems provide integrated, reliable and decision-ready information across icddr,b and support effective financial governance and performance management.

Project Fund Management

• Provide strategic oversight of grants, contracts and collaborative research agreements, working with Principal Investigators, Division Directors and programme leadership to ensure sound financial stewardship, appropriate cost allocation and recovery, effective financial management and compliance with donor and contractual requirements.
• Support Principal Investigators and programme teams in proposal budgeting, expenditure planning, financial monitoring and project close-out.
• Ensure appropriate cost allocation, indirect-cost recovery and compliance with donor-specific financial requirements.
• Review and approve project budgets and financial transactions within delegated authority.
• Ensure timely and accurate donor financial reporting and resolve escalated financial and contractual issues.
• Promote constructive collaboration between Finance, research teams, donors and partner institutions.

Risk Management

• Oversee material financial risks relating to research funding, institutional sustainability, liquidity, foreign exchange, investments, financial reporting, fraud, compliance and donor obligations, ensuring significant risks are identified, escalated and appropriately managed.
• Maintain appropriate controls to prevent and detect fraud, misuse of funds and material financial misstatement.
• Ensure effective segregation of duties and compliance with delegated financial authorities.
• Oversee financial due diligence on relevant banking institutions, service providers and partners.
• Promote financial accountability, ethical conduct and risk awareness across the organisation.

Audit and Compliance

• Provide executive oversight of statutory, external and donor audits and work closely with Internal Oversight, while respecting its independence, to strengthen assurance and ensure timely resolution of material findings and agreed recommendations.
• Support internal audit and assurance activities while respecting the independence of the Internal Oversight function.
• Ensure timely implementation and monitoring of agreed audit recommendations.
• Maintain effective relationships with auditors, donors and relevant regulatory authorities.
• Maintain effective senior relationships with donors, auditors, regulators, financial institutions and other key external stakeholders on significant financial, contractual and regulatory matters.
• Ensure compliance with applicable taxation, regulatory and contractual obligations.

Treasury Management

• Oversee cash-flow forecasting, liquidity management, banking relationships and foreign-exchange exposure.
• Oversee liquidity, reserves, investments and other institutional financial resources, ensuring an appropriate balance between financial resilience, risk, return and icddr,b’s strategic priorities.
• Develop and review treasury and investment policies within approved governance arrangements.
• Oversee the prudent management of surplus funds, reserves, endowments and separation funds.
• Report regularly on liquidity, investment performance and treasury risks.

Leadership and Team Development

• Lead and develop the Finance function through its management structure, establishing clear accountability and performance expectations across its respective units and ensuring effective integration and collaboration across the function.
• Build a high-performing Finance leadership team with the professional capability, managerial strength and succession depth required to support icddr,b’s evolving strategic and operational needs.
• Foster a culture of integrity, accountability, collaboration, service excellence and continuous improvement across Finance.
• Position Finance as a strategic business partner to icddr,b’s scientific, research, programme and corporate leadership, providing insight, advice and constructive challenge to strengthen organisational performance, research delivery and financial sustainability.
• Lead significant organisational change within Finance and ensure the function continuously develops its capabilities in response to changing technologies, accounting standards, funding models and institutional priorities.
• Represent the Finance function at senior institutional and external forums and contribute to icddr,b-wide strategy, performance, risk and institutional decisions.

Qualifications and Experience:

Essential Requirements

• A master’s degree in Accounting, Finance or a related discipline.
• At least 15 years of progressively responsible experience in accounting, finance or financial management, including at least five years in a senior financial leadership role with substantial responsibility for financial strategy, operations, governance and team management.
• Fellowship of a recognised professional accountancy body, FCA, FCCA, FCMA, FCPA is mandatory. Candidates must hold at least one of these designations and maintain current membership in good standing with the awarding professional body.
• Demonstrated experience managing complex, multi-million-dollar budgets and multiple funding sources in an international, donor-funded or comparably complex organisation.
• Substantial experience in financial planning and analysis, accounting, management reporting, treasury, audit, internal controls and financial risk management.
• Demonstrated experience in grant and contract financial management, including donor compliance, cost recovery and financial reporting.
• Strong working knowledge of internationally recognised accounting standards, including IPSAS and/or IFRS.
• Proven experience leading financial process improvement, organisational change and the implementation or optimisation of ERP systems.
• Demonstrated ability to advise executive leadership and communicate financial performance, risks and recommendations to governing bodies or equivalent senior decision-makers.
• Proven ability to lead and develop diverse teams and collaborate effectively with financial and non-financial stakeholders.
• Excellent written and spoken English.

Desirable Requirements

• Experience in an international health research institution, university, development organisation, public-health organisation or other not-for-profit institution.
• Formal training or certification in IPSAS and practical experience implementing or transitioning to an international accounting framework.
• Experience with Microsoft Dynamics 365, SAP, Oracle Financials or a comparable ERP platform.
• Experience managing endowments, institutional reserves and investment portfolios.
• Knowledge of Bangladesh’s financial, taxation and regulatory environment.
• Experience working across multiple countries, cultures or regulatory environments.

Key Skills

• Analytical rigour – translates complex financial data into clear, actionable insight for financial and non-financial audiences alike;
• Sound, independent judgement – comfortable making high-stakes financial calls under time pressure or incomplete information;
• Integrity under scrutiny – upholds rigorous controls and ethical standards even under programme or donor pressure;
• Systems thinking – understands how financial decisions ripple across research operations, HR, IT and institutional risk;
• Cross-functional communication – builds trust and negotiates effectively with donors, auditors, regulators, scientists and field teams alike;
• Change leadership – drives adoption of new systems and processes (e.g. ERP, IPSAS) with genuine staff buy-in rather than top-down mandate;
• Coaching and talent development – builds bench strength and succession within the finance function itself;
• Resilience under resource constraint – sustains service quality and team morale through funding volatility or donor-driven change;
• Diplomatic acumen – navigates competing priorities between the Board, donors and scientific leadership without compromising financial discipline; and
• Hands-on digital fluency – works directly and confidently with financial systems, dashboards and data-analytics tools, not just through others.

Compensation

This internationally recruited position offers a competitive salary paid in US Dollars.

The successful candidate will receive an initial three-year contract, including a one-year probationary period. Contract renewal will be subject to satisfactory performance and funding availability.

Application Process

Interested candidates are invited to submit a detailed curriculum vitae and cover letter, outlining how their qualifications and experience meet the requirements of the position.

Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

icddr,b is an equal opportunity employer committed to a diverse, inclusive and respectful workplace. Qualified candidates from all backgrounds are encouraged to apply. Applications from women are particularly encouraged. For further information about the organisation, please visit www.icddrb.org.