Senior Consultants with International NGO headquarters experience

Senior Finance, Administration, Operations & Contracts Consultant (HQ Focus)
The Beneficial Knowledge Group (The BKG)

• Independent Consultant Roster
• Remote or home-based in the US or abroad
• 10 Openings (consultant pool)

About The BKG
The Beneficial Knowledge Group (The BKG) is a Massachusetts-based consulting, training, and staffing firm that strengthens the systems, controls, and teams organizations rely on to deliver their mission. We serve government agencies, NGOs, universities, medical and research centers, and private companies in the US and internationally, including French speaking countries.

The Role
The Senior Consultant brings headquarters experience to The BKG’s consulting engagements with U.S.-based organizations and their international operations. This is a crosscutting role: it spans all functional areas, including finance, procurement, human resources, logistics, operations, IT, grants and contracts, and administration, and is not specialized in or limited to any one area.

The role covers strategic planning, organizational development, change management, and stakeholder engagement; project management, process improvement, risk management, and performance measurement and evaluation; and specialized assessments of internal controls, contract and grant compliance, and policies, manuals, and SOPs. Engagements range from a single activity to an entire organization, and from assessment and recommendations to hands-on guidance through implementation.

Working alongside the Engagement Lead and in tandem with the other functional teams, you will provide clear and concise findings, recommendations, and implementation guidelines for the final report. Not every engagement is a review: given this crosscutting profile, you will play a broader role in advisory engagements that help clients redesign, reconfigure, or transition to a new organizational model, leading or supporting work across several functions at once.

Key Responsibilities

Crosscutting role
• Serve as a crosscutting consultant across finance, procurement, HR, logistics, operations, IT, grants and contracts, and administration
• Link findings and recommendations across functions so that headquarters systems work together as a whole
• Support or reinforce any functional team as agreed, and help the Engagement Lead connect the work of the CPA Expert and Senior Consultants into one coherent result

Transformation and advisory engagements
• Lead or support work across several functions in engagements that help clients restructure, merge, decentralize, or adopt new operating models
• Design future headquarters structures, processes, and transition roadmaps, and guide leaders and staff through the change

Strategic and organizational advisory
• Facilitate strategic planning with leadership and Boards, translating mission and priorities into practical plans with clear goals, timelines, and accountability
• Review HQ structures, roles, reporting lines, and HQ to field relationships, and recommend improvements that build capacity for growth

Project, process, risk, and performance
• Strengthen project management across the award or contract lifecycle, including scope, budgets, schedules, resources, and closeout
• Map workflows, SOPs, and approval hierarchies in finance, procurement, HR, administration, and operations, and recommend streamlined procedures
• Identify and assess organizational risks, in line with COSO and ISO 31000
• Develop meaningful indicators and evaluate results, in line with the OECD DAC evaluation criteria and results based management

Specialized assessments
• Assess internal controls, including segregation of duties, delegation of authority, reconciliations, and payroll controls, and evaluate ERPs and financial and procurement systems
• Review commercial contracts, grants, sub-agreements, and subcontracts for compliance, readiness for funder and regulatory reviews, and closeout, in line with 2 CFR 200 and FAR/AIDAR, EU and UN rules, foundation requirements, and OHADA and national regulations abroad

Coordination, reporting, and implementation guidance
• Provide the Engagement Lead with clear and concise findings, risk ratings, and recommendations with KPIs
• Contribute to findings meetings as requested; findings are presented by The BKG CEO or leadership and the Engagement Lead
• Develop practical, time-bound implementation guidelines, and when required, oversee and advise client staff on implementation; client staff remain responsible for carrying out the work
• Deliver technical assistance, seminars, workshops, and retainer coaching

Key Deliverables
• Work plan and working papers for assigned areas, agreed with the Engagement Lead
• Clear and concise findings and recommendations for the final report
• Implementation guidelines with KPIs
• Strategic plans, policies, manuals, or SOPs, when included in the engagement

Qualifications

Required
• 10+ years of progressive experience, including HQ oversight of international projects and at least 5 years on federal, multilateral, foundation, pharmaceutical, or corporate contracts and awards; a balance of HQ and field office experience is ideal
• Manager or Director experience in finance, operations, grants and contracts, administration, programs, or global operations
• Extensive experience managing projects with strong finance, operations, procurement, and contracts components
• Demonstrated experience delivering advisory services such as strategic planning, organizational development, change management, process improvement, risk management, or evaluation
• Mastery of 2 CFR 200, FAR/AIDAR, EU and UN rules, foundation and industry standards, and OHADA
• Experience in most of: institutional startup and closeout, SOP design, internal control reviews, sub-award monitoring, complex procurement, enterprise risk management, change management, and ERP implementation
• Full professional proficiency in English; ability to read French fluently and communicate in conversational French
• Bachelor’s degree or international equivalent (such as a Licence) in Finance, Accounting, Business, or Public Administration; Master’s degree (MBA, MPA, MS) or equivalent strongly preferred
• Availability to travel to client sites (an estimated 10 to 30% of time), with occasional international travel

Preferred
• Experience with organizations in the US and/or internationally, including French speaking countries, across the public, non-profit, academic, and private sectors
• Knowledge of USAID and other US federal funders, the Gates Foundation and other philanthropic organizations, and multilateral funders such as the EU, UN agencies, and the World Bank
• CPA, CIA, CMA, ACCA, DEC, PMP, or PMD Pro certification, or international equivalent
• Hands-on experience with QuickBooks Enterprise, NetSuite, SAP, Oracle, Sage, Deltek Costpoint, or Salesforce

Engagement Terms
• Independent consultant on The BKG roster (1099 for US-based consultants, or equivalent status abroad), engaged per task order, from short-term assignments to long-term retainers. This is not an employment relationship.
• Consultants may accept or decline any assignment, control the methods, means, and hours of their work, and remain free to serve other clients, subject to conflict of interest and confidentiality requirements. They are not entitled to employee benefits.
• Compensation: a daily fee equal to the consultant rate negotiated and agreed in writing with The BKG for each assignment.

Travel, Per Diem, and Travel Costs
• Travel to client sites is a strong possibility on most engagements, but it is not guaranteed.
• For each day of authorized travel, consultants receive a per diem at GSA rates within the US or U.S. Department of State rates abroad.
• Approved travel costs, such as airfare, ground transportation, visa fees, and required vaccinations, are paid or reimbursed by The BKG, in addition to the negotiated fee.

Equipment and Insurance
• Consultants provide their own work equipment, including a secure laptop, mobile phone, and reliable internet access.
• Consultants arrange their own health coverage (including medical evacuation), travel insurance, and general and professional liability insurance, and handle their own taxes and statutory obligations.

Code of Conduct
All consultants sign and comply with The BKG Code of Conduct. The BKG has zero tolerance for sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment. Client information is handled in strict confidence, and conflicts of interest must be disclosed before deployment.

How to Apply
Send the following in PDF format to staffing@thebeneficialknowledgegroup.com:
1. CV highlighting HQ and field leadership, international project oversight, crosscutting functional expertise, and consulting experience
2. Letter of motivation stating your expertise, language skills in English and French, expected daily fee (USD) as a basis for negotiation, availability, and willingness to travel
3. Three professional references with name, title, organization, and contact details

Subject line: Application: Senior Finance, Administration, Operations & Contracts Consultant (HQ) | [Your Full Name]

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Selected candidates undergo technical screening and background verification. Roster selection does not guarantee assignment volume.

The BKG is an Equal Opportunity Firm.

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