Accounting Business Partner

Reports to: Head of Finance
Location: Cairo, Egypt
Closing date: 20 August 2025

Main purpose of position

The Accounting Business Partner will play a crucial role in overseeing financial operations, ensuring compliance with various laws and regulations, financial controls, external audit, financial statements, and supporting the organization's mission through effective financial management.

About ICARDA

The International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) is a treaty-based international non-profit research organization supported by CGIAR.

ICARDA's mission is to reduce poverty and enhance food, water, nutritional security, and environmental health in the face of global challenges, including climate change. We do this through innovative science, strategic partnerships, linking research to development, and capacity development that consider gender equality and the role of youth in transforming the dry areas. ICARDA works in partnership with governments, universities, civil society, national agricultural research organizations, other CGIAR research Centers, and the private sector. With its temporary Headquarters in Beirut, Lebanon, ICARDA operates in regional and country offices across Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. For more information: www.icarda.org.

Main responsibilities

• Oversee ICARDA’s accounting activities, including cash position and liquidity, accounts payable, accounts receivable, Payroll processing, and general ledger functions, ensuring the optimal delivery of services and effective mitigation of risks while remaining responsive to business needs and priorities. 
• Implement or adapt tools and systems relating to accounting, controlling, working closely with IT and other key stakeholders to ensure the use of modern technology and integration with other systems.  
• Develop financial reports, statements, and other documentation, ensuring all outputs align with international accounting standards, local financial regulations, principles, and policies.
• Build the capacity of the accounting team, providing guidance and leadership to effectively optimize capacities while sustaining the delivery of high-quality services and outputs.  
• Engage with legal authorities, tax specialists, and external auditors to deepen institutional understanding of accounting laws, trends, and regulations which sustains and strengthens the organization’s financial integrity. 
• Organize the timely and coordinated execution of accounting activities and outputs (e.g., month-end close and management accounts, annual audited financial statements), ensuring adaptive measures to support delivery.

Requirements

Education, qualifications, and experience

• Relevant Masters' university degree with at least 7 years of experience (or a Bachelor’s with at least 10 years’ experience and formal training).
• Significant experience in accounting and financial management, including financial reporting, compliance, and team leadership.
• Experience with accounting systems and financial management software.
• Accounting qualification – ACCA, CPA, CIA, CMA or equivalent is an advantage.
• An effective and energetic team leader, with excellent communication and interpersonal skills, able to work effectively in a multidisciplinary and multi-cultural environment.
• Excellent command of the English language, both written and spoken.
• Strong self-motivation and innovative skills.
• Proficiency in relevant software packages (Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
• Experience in working on an ERP.

Benefits

Terms of appointment, salary, and benefits

This is a nationally recruited position for which ICARDA offers an attractive compensation package including a competitive salary, medical insurance, 30 days of annual leave, five months’ maternity leave, 15 days’ paternity leave. The successful candidate will be offered an initial contract of 3 years, renewable subject to continued need for the position and satisfactory performance. The first year will be probationary period.

Please be advised that ICARDA accepts applications only in English, as per the organization's standard communication language. Applications in other languages will not be considered.

Only shortlisted applications will be contacted.