Senior Manager - Corporate Services & Outreach
The International Center for Biosaline Agriculture(ICBA) is an international, non-profit agricultural research center established in 1999 through the visionary leadership of the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) Fund, the Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development (AFESD), and the Government of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). ICBA is a unique applied agricultural research center in the world that is focused on biosaline and arid environment where an estimated 1.7 billion people live. It identifies, tests and introduces resource-efficient, climate-smart crops and technologies that are best suited to different regions affected by salinity, water scarcity and drought. Through its work, ICBA helps to improve food security and livelihoods for some of the poorest rural communities around the world. ICBA is an equal opportunity employer and appoints qualified staff regardless of race, creed, color, age, gender, religion or national origin. We demonstrate our commitment to each member of our team through a competitive benefits package designed to assist our employees to cover their needs and the needs of their immediate family members.
The Senior Manager, Corporate Services & Outreach, is responsible for two complementary portfolios: Corporate Services and Outreach. Corporate Services comprises Finance, People Resources, Procurement, Facilities, and Information Technology and represents the primary operational and technical accountability of the role. Outreach comprises Communications, the Emirates Soil Museum, and Knowledge Transfer, for which the role provides management oversight, coordination, and institutional alignment. The Senior Manager ensures effective performance, accountability, and collaboration across both portfolios.
A. Corporate Services - Primary Accountability
• Provide leadership and active management oversight of Finance, People Resources, Procurement, Facilities, and Information Technology.
• Maintain strong and substantive oversight of financial management, including budgeting, forecasting, financial reporting, internal controls, donor compliance, cost recovery, liquidity, reserves, audit follow-up, and institutional financial sustainability.
• Provide strong oversight of procurement and contracting, including procurement planning, tendering, due diligence, vendor management, contract governance, compliance, value for money, and promote transparent procurement procedures.
• Oversee People Resources and IT from a management and performance perspective, ensuring clear plans, service standards, KPIs, controls, and accountability while enabling the respective teams to lead technical delivery.
• Coordinate corporate-services policies, annual plans, budgets, risk management, business continuity, and continuous improvement, and advise the Director General and Management Committee on significant financial, procurement, operational, and institutional matters.
• Lead and support the respective teams of Corporate Services, clarify responsibilities, enhance cross-functional coordination, eliminate operational bottlenecks, and ensure the timely delivery of agreed actions.
B. Outreach - Management Oversight and Coordination
• Provide management oversight of Communications, the Emirates Soil Museum, and Knowledge Transfer, ensuring alignment with ICBA strategy and institutional priorities.
• Ensure each outreach function has clear annual plans, budgets, objectives, KPIs, and accountabilities, and monitor delivery and performance against agreed priorities.
• Enhance coordination and support across outreach, research, and partnership functions to boost institutional visibility, stakeholder engagement, knowledge sharing, capacity development, and the implementation of ICBA solutions.
• Empower the respective managers, technical teams, and focal points to lead specialist content and day-to-day delivery, while providing management direction, coordination, and accountability.
Essential
• Minimum 12 years of progressively responsible experience, including at least 5 years in management or leadership roles in corporate services or related enabling functions.
• Master's degree in finance, accounting, business administration, management, public administration, or another relevant discipline. A professional qualification in finance or accounting is an advantage.
• Demonstrated senior-level experience in financial management and procurement, including budgeting, financial reporting, internal controls, cost recovery, procurement governance, tendering, contracting, and compliance.
• Sufficient technical depth in finance and procurement to effectively supervise, review, and challenge the work of Finance and Procurement teams and advise senior management on material issues.
• Proven experience managing multidisciplinary teams and providing oversight across broader corporate functions such as People Resources and Information Technology.
• Demonstrated experience in governance, institutional risk management, business continuity, policy development, and compliance.
• Experience working with senior management and governing bodies, with the ability to translate decisions into accountable implementation.
• Strong analytical, management and communication skills, with the ability to balance detailed financial and operational oversight with coordination of a broad portfolio.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English, with strong interpersonal and cross-cultural leadership skills.
Desirable
• Experience in an international, non-profit, research-for-development or donor-funded organization.
• Experience with donor-funded project finance, full-cost recovery and institutional financial sustainability.
• Knowledge of Arabic.
• Experience providing management oversight of communications, public engagement, capacity development or knowledge-transfer functions; technical specialization in these areas is not required.
• Experience leading digital transformation or corporate-service modernization initiatives.