Job Description

Commercial Finance Partner

Plan International Australia | Permanent, Full-Time | Melbourne | Hybrid | SCHADS Level 6

Who are we?

We are the world’s leading organisation dedicated to girls’ equality. 

We believe when we invest in girls, everything changes — their families, communities and entire nations rise. We tackle the root causes of inequality, support communities through crisis, and shift money, power and influence toward girls and the local organisations closest to them.

We are evolving. Plan International Australia is becoming a bridge builder and catalyst for change - mobilising evidence, influence and investment that strengthens those closest to the issues, rather than simply delivering programs ourselves. Our new Girls Rise strategy positions us to do more sophisticated, higher-impact work with a leaner, more focused team. This is the world you will help us create.

The Opportunity

We're looking for a Commercial Finance Partner to sit at the heart of our strategic flywheel - the place where philanthropy, climate finance, institutional investment and program delivery connect. This isn't a traditional finance role. It's a bridge-building role with a finance lens.

As we reposition toward higher-value, longer-term donor relationships - including philanthropy, gifts in wills, Green Climate Fund accreditation and blended finance - we need someone who can shape the financial architecture that makes ambitious propositions fundable, deliverable and compelling.

You'll partner across portfolios, working with our Deputy CEO Engagement, Deputy CEO Impact, Director of Fundraising and Chief Operating Officer to ensure the financial case behind every major opportunity is rigorous, legible and ready to move.

What You'll Do

Shape Growth - Not Just Report On It

• Partner with fundraising, philanthropy and impact leaders to financially structure major propositions, giving vehicles and multi-year arrangements that donors and investors can say yes to.
• Provide commercial challenge and support on business cases, deal structures, match funding logic and funding propositions before external commitments are made.
• Design donor budgets and financial sections of major proposals across institutional, philanthropic and climate finance opportunities.

Hold the Joins of the Flywheel

• Ensure financial and program obligations are aligned before commitments - connecting program leads, external affairs and fundraising teams so propositions reflect delivery reality.
• Provide portfolio-level insights on institutional, philanthropic and investment income to support planning and decision-making.
• Advise on the financial implications of Plan Global Federation co-investment, income crediting and match arrangements.

Steward Compliance and Financial Integrity

• Monitor match funding commitments, funding utilisation, cash flow requirements and key financial risks across the funding portfolio.
• Review major grant proposals, budgets, donor reports and acquittals prior to GM Finance approval.
• Support donor accreditation, audits and compliance activities -including readiness for Green Climate Fund accreditation (targeted October 2026).
• Advise on accounting treatment of complex and emerging funding modalities.

Drive Continuous Improvement

• Develop and maintain financial guidance and templates that help teams across the organisation design fundable, deliverable propositions.
• Embrace AI and new technology responsibly and ethically to help us work smarter and deliver greater impact for girls.

Who You'll Work With

This role is intentionally connected - You will work closely with:

• The GM Finance - as the primary partner on growth and new investment
• Climate and development finance colleagues - providing financial structuring and readiness testing on major opportunities
• Philanthropy and major giving colleagues - shaping propositions that different kinds of donors can say yes to
• Program leads and program support - ensuring proposition design reflects delivery reality
• External affairs and strategic communications - making the financial case legible to investors, donors and government
• Plan International Federation - on co-investment mechanics, income crediting and business-model implications

Externally, you'll engage with institutional and multilateral donors, philanthropic advisers, impact investors, external auditors, ACFID, accreditation bodies and federation counterparts.

What You'll Bring

Skills and Experience

• CA or CPA qualified with strong accounting foundations
• Demonstrated commercial acumen - the ability to shape and challenge business cases, deal structures and funding propositions, not only to report on them
• Experience in one or more of: institutional grants finance, philanthropic income, impact investing, blended finance, or development finance instruments
• Proven ability to design donor budgets and financial sections of major proposals
• Strong understanding of financial risk, cash management, restricted funding and match arrangements
• Sound judgement on the accounting treatment of complex or emerging funding modalities
• Advanced Excel; experience with NetSuite or similar ERP an advantage
• Excellent written and verbal communication, with the ability to make financial insight useful to non-finance colleagues

Connection and Collaboration

• Demonstrated ability to partner with revenue-generating, program and executive colleagues as a trusted commercial adviser
• Experience holding shared accountabilities across functions and managing complex handoffs
• Comfortable working with external partners including donors, auditors, federation counterparts and investment counterparties

Values and Ways of Working

• Demonstrated commitment to gender justice, feminist leadership and sharing power
• Willingness to work in connected, collaborative, non-hierarchical ways
• Adaptive mindset - comfort with change, ambiguity and evolving ways of working
• Commitment to child protection and safeguarding

What It Feels Like To Work Here

• You will get up each day knowing your work helps create justice and equality for girls.

• Hybrid working: We do some of our work in the office and some at home - and honour true flexibility.
• You'll find strength in our diversity, inclusiveness and mutual respect.
• Salary packaging: up to $15,900 in pre-tax salary packaging plus $2,650 meals and entertainment packaging, increasing your take-home pay
• You'll be part of a bold strategic shift - helping build an organisation that is smarter and more impactful.
• Access to wellbeing suppport and EAP.
• Connection: regular team events, offsites, and active staff-led communities including our Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Working Group, Reconciliation Action Plan Group, Pride Network Committee and Social Committee

Safeguarding, Gender Equality and Inclusion

Safeguarding, gender equality, inclusion and anti-racism are central to who we are and how we work. We take seriously our responsibility to ensure that we, and anyone who represents us, does not harm, abuse or commit any act of violence against the people we work with - including children, young people, and all participants and partners.

Plan International believes that in a world where children and program participants face so many threats of harm, it is our duty to ensure that we do everything we can to keep children and program participants safe. As part of our efforts to create safe environments for children and program participants, candidates will be required to complete a satisfactory National police Check, sign our Safeguarding policies and code of conduct, and where necessary complete a Working with Children Check.

Ready to Build the Bridge?

If you're a finance professional who wants to use your commercial skills in service of something bigger - helping shift money, power and influence toward girls and the local leaders closest to them - we'd love to hear from you.

Review the PD and apply with your CV and a brief cover letter telling us what draws you to this role and how your experience connects to the work we've described.

We'll be reviewing applications and scheduling interviews on a rolling basis, so we encourage you to apply as soon as possible. We don't want to miss connecting with the right person.

Plan International Australia is committed to the safety and wellbeing of children and young people. We welcome applications from all backgrounds, identities and lived experiences. We actively encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, people with disability, people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, and LGBTIQ+ communities.