Finance and Operations Business Partner – Europe and UK (M/F)

Job description

About Fondation CHANEL:

Created in 2011, Fondation CHANEL (the “Fondation”) is a corporate foundation aiming for women and girls to be free to shape their own destiny. It works in partnership with nonprofit organisations, international organisations, alliances, academic and research institutions, social businesses and other charitable funds and foundations to address the overlapping discriminations women and girls experience, and advance gender equality.

The Fondation is guided by a set of core values which lie at the heart of the way in which it carries out its work, both internally and externally with its grantee partners: act with humility, hold trust, learn in collaboration, think holistically and nurture lasting change.

Fondation CHANEL is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion and to building a collaborative work environment where each individual can perform at their best and feel fulfilled and confident in their work.

The Finance and Operations team at Fondation CHANEL supports and enables all areas of the Fondation’s global and regional financial management and operations including accounting, payment processing, planning, budgeting and forecasting, financial controls, management reporting and analysis, statutory reporting, internal and external audit, tax, treasury management, systems development, policies and procedures, risk management, safeguarding, frameworks for impact monitoring and learning to enhance organizational effectiveness.

The role:

The Finance and Operations Business Partner (FOBP) is a highly influential role supporting the strategic and operational effectiveness of Fondation CHANEL’s work across Europe, driving operational excellence, building resilience in systems and processes, and serving as a trusted advisor to programme and leadership teams.

The role will serve as a dedicated partner to Fondation CHANEL’s regional programmatic teams based in Paris, covering Europe. They will both support and enable their programmatic colleagues by contributing financial acumen, analytical skills, risk management insight and professional advice to the development and management of the grant making portfolio, operational and programmatic budgets and compliance with local regulations and Fondation CHANEL global policies and procedures.

They lead on ensuring the smooth operation of internal financial and operational processes for their internal stakeholders (for example, ensuring payments to suppliers and grantee partners are paid on time, budgets and reforecasts are submitted on time, grant documentation is provided in line with agreed timetables, etc.) and support the Head of Region in carrying out their risk management, budgeting and planning responsibilities by providing relevant financial and risk analyses to guide evidence based decision-making. They will also work collaboratively with the finance and operations teams at the London headquarters and other regional offices to design and embed high-quality systems, policies and procedures which are suitable for a global Foundation and suitably adapted for the local context if necessary.

The ideal candidate will be a proactive, service-oriented financial and operations professional with the ability to multi-task and manage change while maintaining high analytical proficiency and integrity while demonstrating a real passion for the mission of the Fondation.

The impact you can create:

Programmatic Support

Provide financial and operational expertise and insights to the regional programmatic teams throughout the grant lifecycle from grant prospection, throughout the term of the grant and to the renewal or end of the grant agreement. Support teams as necessary with the preparation of regional and global portfolio analyses for stakeholders.

Regional Financial and Operational Management

Work with the Head of Region, programmatic teams and central team to support the region’s financial and operational requirements including:

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strategic financial support (budgeting and reforecasting, compliance with statutory and regulatory filing requirements, insightful financial analyses and risk analysis);

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regional liaison and international collaboration (connection between central finance and operations functions and the regional team, facilitating effective two way communication to enhance efficiency and effectiveness);

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systems and processes (ensure the accuracy, completeness, and timeliness of data in all relevant systems, including the global ERP and support the implementation of new systems or processes).

What you will bring to the team:

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Significant experience in a finance/accounting role, with a recognised accountancy qualification and direct experience of programmatic support within an international organisation. 

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Direct experience of programmatic support within an international organisation is strongly desirable.

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Experience or knowledge of the civil society ecosystem.

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Interest in Fondation CHANEL’s mission and vision.

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Self-motivated with the ability to plan, manage and prioritise their own varied workload and take responsibility for dealing with issues through to resolution.

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Demonstrated analytical and problem-solving skills with high attention to quality and detail.

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Experience implementing or optimising finance processes and operational systems to drive efficiency and scalability.

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Proven ability to navigate and ensure compliance across complex regulatory and operating environments.

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Ability to build capacity and confidence in non-financial colleagues on financial processes and risk.

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Strong understanding of financial statements, budget analysis and financial forecasting and planning.

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A service-oriented mindset in addition to being proactive and values driven, always guided by the Fondation’s mission and strategy.

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Excellent and adaptable communication, presentation, and relationship-building skills with internal and external stakeholders across varied levels of seniority and financial expertise

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Ability to read, grasp, and synthesize grantee proposals and narrative and financial reports efficiently.

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Ability to challenge and influence respectfully.

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Ability to operate effectively in a matrix management structure.

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A willingness to learn and model trust-based philanthropy and feminist funding principles.

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Deep integrity, the ability to act always with discretion, and adherence to Fondation CHANEL’s core values.

Position Logistics:

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Fluent business English with French highly advantageous in both written and verbal communication. Knowledge of other languages relevant to the region would be an advantage. 

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Ability to adapt and be flexible working across different time zones. 

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Role involves 5%-10% international travel. 

What you will gain from this experience:

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The opportunity to apply your analytical skills and financial acumen in the service of equity for women and girls globally.

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Collaboration with a dynamic, collaborative, and forward-thinking Fondation team

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Leadership experience serving as the key financial and operations business partner providing comprehensive financial, compliance, risk and systems support to your region(s).

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The opportunity to immerse yourself in the Fondation during a period of exciting evolution and growth and help test and improve new ways of working.

At CHANEL, we are focused on creating an inclusive culture that nurtures personal growth, contributing to collective progress. We believe the uniqueness of each individual increases the diversity, complementarity, and effectiveness of our teams. We strongly encourage your application, as we value the perspective, experience, and potential you could bring to Fondation CHANEL.