JOB DESCRIPTION:  SPECIFIC DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead the strategic financial modelling & planning for the organization and for the new projects, offering insights and recommendations to support business growth and profitability.
• Develop and implement financial strategies, policies, and tools to optimize the company’s financial performance, mitigate risks, and align with long-term business objectives.
• Drive the contract management process, including negotiation, review, and execution of contracts, with a focus on securing favourable terms and conditions while minimizing legal and financial risks.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to evaluate and assess potential business opportunities, conducting financial analysis and due diligence to support informed decision-making.
• Establish and maintain robust governance practices, including internal controls, risk management frameworks, and compliance with regulatory requirements.
• Provide leadership and guidance, fostering a culture of high performance, continuous improvement, and value-based professional development. The Belgian finance team has a headcount of 4: a finance director, 2 analysts and 1 accountant. Ethiopia has 2 finance employees and Zambia 6.
• Ensure seamless alignment and teamwork with the finance director (Group Controlling & Audit), with whom you will have to agree respective scopes of work.
• Stay updated on industry trends, regulatory changes, and best practices in finance, contracts, and governance, applying relevant knowledge to drive continuous improvement and innovation within the organization.

REQUIRED SKILLS & QUALIFICATIONS

• Master’s degree in the areas of finance, accounting, business management or a related discipline. 
• Minimum of 10 years of senior leadership experience, including experience as a CFO, demonstrating a successful track record in managing complex projects and remote teams, particularly in developing countries. Extensive experience of not-for-profit finance, knowledge of forestry or carbon-related initiatives, is advantageous.
• Inspiring leadership skills, with a strategic vision and the ability to inspire and coach teams.
• Proficiency in driving planning and reporting processes while fostering effective and collaborative teamwork.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, able to represent WeForest publicly.
• Coachable and open to feedback.
• Proven ability to work with diverse individuals and partners, consistently meeting deadlines.
• Familiarity with developing countries and willingness to travel regularly.
• Fluent spoken and written English; proficiency in additional languages such as French and Dutch is a strong advantage.

TERMS & CONDITIONS

Position: Full-time employee contract, preferably based in Belgium or neighbouring countries.

Start date: As soon as possible; target would be no later than October 1st, 2023.  

Competitive package for an NGO.

ABOUT

WeForest is a globally renowned non-profit organization headquartered in Belgium, developing impactful forestry projects across Brazil, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Malawi, Senegal, Tanzania and Zambia. Our organization’s core objective is to restore forests in tropical regions, benefiting people, nature and planet. By recognizing the vital role of forests in mitigating climate change, enhancing water resources, promoting local cooling, and improving rural livelihoods and resilience, we strive to make a lasting positive impact on the environment and communities.

We place great importance on values and seek to recruit colleagues who align with our organizational principles. We are committed to promoting a work environment characterized by collaboration, courage, excellence, integrity, passion, and transparency. We believe that these values are essential for driving positive change and achieving our mission of forest restoration and sustainable development. Thus, we require candidates to wholeheartedly embrace and embody these values throughout their work with us.