CIPFA
Senior International Development Lead
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About Us
At CIPFA, we're driven by a singular purpose: to transform lives through exceptional public financial management. As a leading international accountancy body, we champion integrity, transparency, and efficiency in the use of public funds. We believe that every pound spent should deliver tangible improvements to public services, creating a better future for individuals and communities worldwide. Join us in shaping a world where public money truly makes a difference.
About the Role
We are seeking a highly motivated and strategically minded international development professional to play a leading role in growing and delivering CIPFA's international development portfolio.
This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced practitioner with a strong background in donor-funded development programmes, public financial management (PFM), governance, or related fields.
The postholder will lead business development activities across key international markets, identifying opportunities, building strategic partnerships, and developing high-quality proposals for major donor-funded projects. They will also oversee the successful delivery of international development contracts, ensuring projects achieve their objectives, deliver impact for clients and partners, and contribute to CIPFA's international growth ambitions.
Working closely with colleagues across CIPFA and with senior stakeholders internationally, the role combines strategic market development, relationship management, project leadership, and operational oversight. It offers the opportunity to shape CIPFA's international development impact while contributing to stronger public financial management, accountability, and governance systems around the world.
About You
You will be an experienced international development professional with a strong track record of securing and delivering donor-funded programmes, ideally within public financial management, governance, public sector reform, or a related field.
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You will bring:
- Significant experience developing successful proposals and managing donor-funded projects from inception through to delivery.
- Strong relationship-building skills, with the ability to engage confidently with donors, partners, government stakeholders, and technical experts.
- Excellent project and financial management skills, with experience overseeing complex programmes, budgets, and consultant teams.
- A strategic and growth-oriented mindset, with the ability to identify opportunities, develop partnerships, and contribute to business growth.
- Outstanding written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to produce high-quality proposals, reports, and client-facing outputs.
Person Specification
Qualifications
- Educated to Degree level preferably in an accounting/public finance or international-related subject (international relations, public policy, political science) or equivalent practical experience in a project or administration environment (Essential)
- A post Graduate qualification in an accounting/public finance or international-related subject (international relations, public policy, political science) (Desirable)
Experience
- Extensive experience in one or all of these areas: public financial management, donor-funded projects, membership, and professional bodies.
- Proven experience of developing and delivering project solutions in a professional environment, including planning, tracking, reporting, and communicating with internal and external customers.
- 10 years experience in the management of large and complex donor-funded projects, including monitoring of quality and performance, and management of associates.
- Proven experience in project financial reporting, including accurately tracking financial performance against budget.
- Experience of leading teams to carry out business development or project management.
- Strong understanding of key donor procurement procedures and compliance.
- Strong existing network in the PFM sector. (Desirable)
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Our Employee Offer
In exchange for helping us to make a difference, we offer:
- Reward – Giving you fair pay and generous benefits, which includes competitive salary, generous pension scheme, holiday scheme, family-friendly benefits, and more!
- Wellbeing – Empowering you to work flexibly, balancing your personal and professional life through our permanent 4-day working week (work 4 days, get paid for 5) and hybrid working, alongside a range of health benefits, such as access to an Employee Assistance Helpline and the opportunity to join our Health Cash Plan.
- Purpose – Connecting the work you do with its social value and impact through paid volunteering days and charity and community work.
- Growth – Enabling you to develop your skills and knowledge through access to training opportunities, paid professional membership subscriptions, and career break options.
- Culture – Our culture is one of respect. We give you a sense of belonging, supporting you to work with autonomy, openness, and collaboration.
We know that not all people come from the same background, or think the same – so why should we? At CIPFA, we want to be a great place to work where a diverse group of people from all backgrounds can turn up and thrive. When we hire, we want you to feel empowered to bring your best self to work.
Please let us know if you need any reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process.
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