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Division Chief, Accounting

Washington DC, United States – Headquarters

The IDB Group is a community of diverse, versatile, and passionate people who come together on a journey to improve lives in Latin America and the Caribbean. Our people find purpose and do what they love in an inclusive, collaborative, agile, and rewarding environment.

About this position

We are looking for a highly qualified and experienced finance professional to provide leadership and oversight to the Accounting Division, within the Finance Department (FIN). FIN is responsible for the mobilization and administration of the Bank’s financial resources, both the assets and liabilities, and for the management of the Bank’s liquidity, accounting and financial records, and for the relations with financial markets and intermediaries. FIN is divided in the Treasury and Accounting Division as well as Financial Policy, Planning & Decision Support Group and Business Performance Group. Reporting directly to the General Manager of the Finance Department, who is also the Chief Financial Officer, you will be part of the FIN management team.

The Accounting Division is responsible for preparing all financial statements and other related internal and external financial reports for the Bank's main funds and other funds under its administration, establishing accounting policies and procedures, managing all accounting operations, and monitoring and ensuring that all official accounting and financial reports are in compliance with U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principal (US GAAP) or other special basis of accounting, as applicable. The division is also responsible for lending back-office and corporate payment functions.

What you’ll do:

You will be responsible to oversee a multidisciplinary group of professionals clustered into four teams: Bank Financial Reporting; Accounting Policy and Financial Reporting for Pension and funds managed on behalf of third parties; Financial Instruments Accounting and Loans Back-office and Corporate Accounts. In addition to the functional oversight and technical leadership, you will:

• Oversee the execution of the division’s work program, ensuring timely and accurate process execution, first-class client support and continuous improvement. This will include, among others, [i] establishing the Bank’s accounting policies in compliance with US GAAP, [ii] monitoring internal controls over financial reporting in compliance with the Bank’s internal control framework, [iii] overseeing the implementation of new accounting and financial reporting standards.
• Foster and be a role model for an inclusive and equitable work environment, promoting employee engagement.
• Lead cross-functional project teams related to accounting and financial system implementation, process standardization and simplification, productivity improvements, and internal control enhancement initiatives.
• Serves as subject-matter expert advisor to FIN Management, other Business Units, Senior Management, and the Board of Executive Directors on matters relating to accounting and financial reporting, and on potential or planned changes in accounting, financial reporting and auditing standards that may impact the Bank.
• Coordinate the external audits. Support the Audit Committee of the Board of Executive Directors in its oversight of the external audit process.

  What you'll need

  • Education requirement: Master's degree or equivalent advanced degree in finance, business administration, accounting, or other relevant field required. Certification to practice public accounting in the US (CPA) is considered a plus.
  • Experience: At least 12 years of relevant experience in accounting and/or finance fields, with at least 5 years leading teams in multicultural environments and/or international accounting firm. Proven expertise in establishing and evaluating internal controls, analyzing accounting standard pronouncements, designing and implementing accounting and financial information systems, and reporting under US GAAP and/or International Accounting Standards. Strong interpersonal and communication skills with proven experience working with all levels of staff and internal and external counterparts, including Management, the Board of Executive Directors, and External Auditors. Expertise in management positions, preferably including experience in financial institutions core lending activities and international financial institutions.
  • Languages: Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English. Working knowledge of Spanish is helpful for day-to-day interactions. If you choose to learn Spanish, the Bank will provide the necessary training support.

    Key skills

    • Mentor and develop: Develops talent and capability inside the organization through mentoring, assignments, knowledge sharing and hands-on coaching.
    • Promote Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging: Builds diverse teams, and ensures equity, equal access, and inclusion in decision-making.
    • Build Lean and Versatile teams: Creates teams that are nimble, cost-efficient, and can adapt quickly and expertly to new challenges and opportunities.
    • Lead change and Transformation: Champions projects and initiatives that lead to significant change and innovation.
    • Create Partnerships: Increases impact and scalability through strategic internal and external partnerships.

      Requirements

      • Citizenship: You are a citizen of one of our 48-member countries. We may offer assistance with relocation and visa applications for you and your eligible dependents.
      • Consanguinity: You have no family members (up to the fourth degree of consanguinity and second degree of affinity, including spouse) working at the IDB, IDB Invest, or IDB Lab.