Head of Strategy and Governance

New York, NY
Full Time
Executive
INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF ACCOUNTANTS (IFAC)
During 2024, IFAC shifted its strategic focus to maximizing member value and experience. The Member Value Proposition (MVP) was created and is currently being embedded into all of IFAC’s activities:
  • IFAC, by connecting and uniting its members, makes the accountancy profession truly global.
  • IFAC member organizations are champions of integrity and professional quality and proudly carry their membership as a badge of international recognition.
  • IFAC and its members work together to shape the future of the profession through learning, innovation, a collective voice, and commitment to the public interest.
IFAC has traditionally delivered member services from a centralized operating model based in New York. As part of the transformation to a new target operating model, IFAC will move to a global multi-location model, which will greatly enhance our ability to deliver value to member organizations around the world. As part of this shift, we welcome applicants from around the globe to apply and contribute to our mission.

POSITION SUMMARY
The Head of Strategy and Governance leads the integration of governance excellence and strategic planning across IFAC’s global footprint. This role is responsible for managing the effective functioning of IFAC’s governance bodies, including the Boards, Council, and related committees, while also spearheading enterprise strategic initiatives, business planning, and performance monitoring. This role ensures IFAC’s governance practices are compliant, transparent, and aligned with the best global practices, and that strategic priorities are clearly defined, tracked, and communicated across the organization.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:
Essential duties and responsibilities include those that are set out below.  Other duties may be assigned to meet business needs.

Governance
  • Lead the planning, coordination, and execution of all meetings of the IFAC Board, Council, and governance-related committees, including agenda development, preparation of materials, logistics, and post-meeting follow-up.
  • Ensure governance activities comply with IFAC’s Constitution, Bylaws, policies, and applicable legal and regulatory requirements.
  • Manage Board and Council member engagement, including onboarding, term tracking, training, and ongoing communications.
  • Serve as a subject matter expert on governance practices and support periodic reviews and updates of IFAC’s governance framework and governing documents.
  • Collaborate with external counsel and stakeholders to address governance compliance and evolving regulatory and compliance requirements.
  • Respond to governance-related inquiries from member organizations, regulatory bodies, and other external parties.
  • Manage the Governance, Member Strategy, and Nominations teams, as well as oversee Volunteer relations
Strategy & Planning
  • In collaboration with the CEO and CFAO, lead the development of IFAC’s multi-year strategic plan, ensuring alignment with organizational priorities and stakeholder expectations.
  • Design and maintain processes for annual business planning, strategic initiatives tracking, and organizational reporting.
  • Develop and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) and dashboards to measure progress against strategic objectives.
  • Prepare briefing materials, analyses, and reports for senior leadership and the Board on strategic initiatives and organizational performance.
  • Lead enterprise-wide projects, process improvements, and change management efforts to enhance organizational effectiveness.
  • Coordinate stakeholder engagement activities that inform strategy development, such as surveys, interviews, or focus groups.
Leadership
  • Manage, mentor, and coach the Strategy and Governance team to enhance leadership capabilities and drive organizational impact.
  • Coordinate and facilitate stakeholder engagement initiatives such as surveys, interviews, and focus groups to gather insights that shape strategic development and inform programmatic decision-making.

QUALIFICATIONS & REQUIRED SKILLS
  • Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in Business Administration, Law, International Relations, or related field required; master’s degree or professional certifications preferred.
  • 15+ years of progressive experience in governance, corporate affairs, strategic planning, or related fields, preferably in a global, nonprofit, or professional services environment.
  • Proven experience managing and developing teams, with a track record of building talent, driving engagement, and fostering professional growth across diverse and distributed teams.
  • Deep understanding of nonprofit governance, board operations, strategic planning processes, and regulatory frameworks.
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to craft clear reports and presentations for executive audiences.
  • Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and governance/strategy platforms such as board portals (e.g., BoardVantage) and project management tools (e.g., Smartsheet, Asana).
  • Exceptional interpersonal skills, with the ability to work effectively with senior executives, boards, committees, external officials, and diverse cultural groups.
  • Excellent negotiation, diplomacy, and issue-resolution skills, with the ability to achieve consensus among varied viewpoints.
  • Commitment to quality processes and high-quality deliverables.
  • Flexibility and adaptability in a dynamic environment.
The wage range for this role takes into account the wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions, including but not limited to skill sets, experience and training, licensure and certifications, and other business and organizational needs. Additionally, if an applicant is US-based, provided they meet all eligibility requirements under the applicable plan documents, employees (and their eligible dependents) will be eligible to enroll in group healthcare plans that offer medical, dental, vision, and basic life insurance. Employees will also be able to enroll in our company’s 401 (k) plan, as well as a deferred compensation plan, provided they meet plan requirements. 

IFAC welcomes applicants from all geographical locations, and this role can be remote if outside of the NY-Metropolitan area. The disclosed range estimate has not been adjusted for the applicable geographic differential associated with the location at which the position may be filled. At IFAC, compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances of each case. A reasonable estimate of the current range for candidates in the NY-Metropolitan region is $200,000 to $250,000.

IFAC is an equal employment employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, or protected veteran status, or any other legally protected basis, in accordance with applicable law. 
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