Finance Lead - Treasury & Order to Cash at CABI (Centre for Agriculture and Biosciences International)

THE ROLE:


We are seeking a highly skilled and forward‑thinking Finance Lead - Treasury and Order to Cash (O2C) to oversee CABI's end‑to‑end treasury operations and Order to Cash (O2C) cycle.
In this role, you will be responsible for treasury operations, ensuring optimal liquidity management, robust cash forecasting, and effective banking relationships that safeguard the organisation's financial stability.
You will also lead the end‑to‑end Order to Cash (O2C) cycle—including billing, credit management, collections, and cash allocation—driving accuracy, efficiency, and strong internal controls across all processes.
As the leader of a globally dispersed team, you will provide strategic direction, coordinate delivery across regions, and foster a high-performance culture.
This role demands a collaborative leader who can balance tactical execution with long-term strategic development of the treasury and O2C functions WHAT YOU'LL DO: The Finance Lead - Treasury and Order to Cash will oversee the organisation's global treasury and end‑to‑end Order to Cash (O2C) operations. You will ensure optimal liquidity management, accurate cash forecasting, strong banking relationships, and the effective deployment of treasury policies and controls across all regions.
You will lead and coordinate global O2C activities—including billing, credit management, collections, cash allocation, and customer account governance—driving process excellence, compliance, and efficiency.
Working closely with Finance Business partners and operational colleagues, you will implement best‑practice financial controls, strengthen working capital performance, and provide timely, high‑quality financial insights to support decision‑making.
You will also manage and develop a globally dispersed team, fostering a culture of accountability, continuous improvement and service excellence.


Key accountabilities


Treasury Management
Lead global treasury operations, ensuring effective liquidity management, short‑ and long‑term cashflow forecasting, and optimisation of working capital. Maintain and strengthen banking relationships, ensuring efficient and secure banking operations across all regions.
Oversee treasury policies, controls, and compliance, ensuring alignment with organisational and regulatory requirements.
Monitor global cash positions, investment activity, currency exposures, and banking costs, providing recommendations to senior leadership.
Work closely with the CFO and Finance Director to support the management of foreign exchange (FX) risk by providing timely and accurate cashflow forecasts across key currencies, alongside relevant money market insights to inform hedging and investment decisions
Drive process improvements in treasury operations, increasing standardisation and automation, accuracy, and reporting efficiency.
Optimise and rationalise the global portfolio of bank accounts to improve efficiency, controls, and cost‑effectiveness.
Oversee cashbook management for the Netherlands, Trinidad & Tobago, and Brazil, ensuring accurate and timely recording and reconciliation of cash movements Order to Cash (O2C) Management
Lead the Publishing & Products O2C function including billing, invoicing, credit control, collections, debtor recovery, and cash allocation.
Ensure customer accounts are accurately maintained and underpinned by strong credit risk assessment and governance processes.
Develop and enforce O2C policies, SLAs, and internal controls to ensure accuracy, timeliness, and full compliance.
Work with sales operations and commercial leaders to resolve customer account issues, drive dispute resolution, and strengthen the customer‑to‑cash process.
Deliver accurate monthly reporting of debtors, O2C KPIs, ageing analysis, trends, and risk indicators.
Collaborate closely with Finance Business Partners to manage donor‑funded receivables, ensuring timely collection, accurate allocation of funds, and effective resolution of aged or disputed balances to maintain strong debtor performance.
Oversee Bioscience invoicing, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and compliance with contractual and funding requirements.
Lead project and donor invoicing, coordinating with programme teams to ensure correct billing, timely submission, and effective follow‑up of receivables. Leadership & Collaboration
Lead and develop a global treasury team, providing direction, coaching, performance management, and fostering a high‑performance culture.
Partner with Finance, IT, and operational teams to improve treasury and O2C systems, data quality, and reporting tools.
Support change initiatives, including system upgrades, automation projects, and process standardisation across regions.
Act as a proactive finance partner to internal stakeholders, providing insight, solutions, and support for strategic and operational decision‑making.


ABOUT YOU:


Strong technical knowledge and proven experience in treasury operations, cash management, liquidity planning, and banking governance.
Demonstrable experience leading end‑to‑end Order to Cash processes within a global or multi‑regional organisation.
Proven track record of managing and developing geographically dispersed finance teams.
Strong understanding of financial controls, accounting principles, and working capital performance indicators.
Experience implementing or improving financial systems, treasury tools, or O2C process automation.
Excellent analytical skills with the ability to interpret complex data and present clear, actionable insights
Fluent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to work effectively with technical and non‑technical stakeholders.
High proficiency in MS Office applications (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook) and familiarity with ERP systems.


Desirable


Experience in an international, not‑for‑profit, development, or donor‑funded context
Knowledge of multi‑currency operations, FX exposure management, and international banking structures.
Experience with customer relationship management platforms or workflow management tools related to O2C.
Understanding of digital tools, automation platforms, and data analytics in finance process optimisation.


Personal Characteristics Required


Highly organised, proactive, and adaptable, able to manage multiple priorities and deliver high‑quality outputs under pressure.
Brings a hands‑on approach to work—setting high standards, leading by example, and actively supporting teams in delivering high‑quality outputs.
Strong interpersonal and leadership skills, with the ability to build trust, motivate, and manage teams across geographies.
A collaborative team player who communicates clearly and constructively.
High levels of integrity, professionalism, and discretion in handling sensitive financial information.
Flexible and comfortable working in a fast‑changing environment, occasionally including out‑of‑hours needs.


Desirable


Creative and solutions‑driven, with a continuous improvement mindset.
Confident influencing and engaging senior stakeholders.
Willingness to mentor, coach and develop team members at various levels.


Education & Qualifications


A recognised degree in Finance, Accounting, Business, Economics or a related field.
Advanced Professional accounting or treasury qualification (e.g., ACCA, CPA, CIMA) required.
Additional professional certification in treasury, risk management, or financial operations would be advantageous.