Controller

What does Max Foundation do?

Max Foundation is an ambitious and fast-growing Dutch based non-profit organization (€4,5M annual programs, 3,0M beneficiaries, 58 FTE) founded by Steven and Joke Le Poole to have something positive come from the death of their son Max. Max Foundation believes that no child should die from easily preventable diseases and aims to provide a healthy future for as many children as possible in the most effective and sustainable way. We have programs in Bangladesh, Ethiopia, and Nepal.

To maximise the impact of our funds, we focus on (social) returns and efficiency with a business approach: the maximum value for money spent. When it comes to determining how we work and what we do, we ask ourselves: what is the most efficient and effective way? MF seeks to increase impact directly and inspire other parties’ in the field to apply our learnings.

The organisation is growing fast, last year we doubled our income and team and in 2020 we started our operating in Ethiopia. Over the years we developed our unique integrated Healthy Village approach in which we combine the thematic areas of WASH, nutrition and health. We strongly believe in partnerships, as a lever of our work and ideas. We also set-up a social water enterprise in Bangladesh that provides easy, safe and affordable water through piped water grids at home. To date our impact has been to connect 1,500 households to our water grids.

It is an exciting time to join Max Foundation, while the organization is preparing to take ambitious steps forward. We are an organization in transition that is building its country teams and systems to be ready to scale. The new controller would need to spend relatively more time on building systems and coaching country teams.

The position

Place within the organization

The controller directly reports to the business development director (CEO)/Co-founder and will work closely with the Director Programme and Operations (COO) and together with the treasurer of the board. He/she provides leadership and gets support from the programme finance officer and financial administration officer, collaborate with the financial team in the country office in Ethiopia and Bangladesh and supports the social water enterprise in Bangladesh.

The role

The primary tasks of the Controller are:

1. Further optimize and standardise the current financial organization, ICT, HR and other operational systems and set the base for projected growth.
2. Strengthen and support the finance team of the Bangladesh and the Ethiopia country-offices and the Max Social Enterprise office in Bangladesh.
3. Further focus and increase of cost effectivity of the programs.
4. The controller is responsible for the design and implementation of an audit protocol for both regular business operations and programs.
5. Provide leadership to programme finance officer and financial administration officer
   

The controller is responsible for financial management, and supports ICT, HR and other control systems at headquarters, our project partners and our country office in Bangladesh and Ethiopia. The projects are largely implemented by Max Foundations own country offices. The controller will work from Amsterdam, but will also regularly visit Max Foundation offices abroad. The controller gives solicited and unsolicited advice to management and the board.

Core responsibilities/accountabilities

• Pro-actively develop and set standards for financial reporting and monitoring for headquarters, country office (Bangladesh & Ethiopia), and our project partners.
• Prepares annual budgets for headquarter, country offices, programs, donors and monitors actual progress and share outcomes and conclusions with stakeholders.
• Prepares quarterly consolidated finance reports for board meetings.
• Actively supports the Finance Managers of our country offices to enable the growth to a professional and more mature organisation.
• Consolidates data from various (financial) administrations and establishes annual accounts for the purposes of external accountability.
• Monitors internal reports and audits of our country offices and project partners.
• Collects financial data from country offices, draw up financial analyses and delivers financial donor reports.
• Strives for continuous improvement of our AO/IC organisation.
• Manage ICT within the head office.
• Preparation and management of contracts with third parties.
• Strengthening the organisation on cost-effectiveness.
  

Profile of the ‘ideal candidate’

Education and experience

University degree, with minimum of five to ten years’ work experience in finance and administration preferably in a similar function.

Key competences

The controller will need to combine a talent for thinking strategically with strong communication skills and translate plans into action (Thinking, Sharing and Acting)

The following characteristics and skills are essential

1. Proactive and accurate financial expert with a strong interest in continuous improvement.
2. Works independently, has a helicopter-view and safeguard deadlines.
3. Knowledge and experience with ICT.
4. Experience working in a grant funded, project-based environment is an advantage.
5. Analytic & flexible.
6. Hands-on mentality.
7. Affinity with the mission of Max Foundation.

Languages

Excellent written and verbal skills in Dutch and English.

We Offer

A great next step in your career as a controller. You will work closely in a small team of professionals, who all have their own expertise and work with heart and head to achieve maximum impact:” Saving as many children’s lives as possible”. Benefits in the sector are competitive and remuneration will be according to the “Regeling Beloning Goede Doelen Nederland”

Application

The Max Foundation is assisted in this procedure by executive search agency Colourful People. For more information about the position and the organization, please call Rick Verhoeven, partner at Colourful People (06-267 067 57). The closing date for applications is 26 November 2022. The interviews will be held in week 50 and 51.

You can express your interest by uploading your letter and CV (PDF) via the 'Solliciteer' button on ColourfulPeople.nl