Job Summary: The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), an international non-profit, research organization with over 600+ employees worldwide, seeks a Director of Finance and Administration to oversee the institute’s annual budget of USD 100+ million and lead the finance and administration services across the institute including Finance, IT Services, Travel and Facilities. The Director of Finance and Administration is a member of the Senior Management Team and reports to the Director General. The ideal candidate should be an excellent leader, people person, strategic communicator and relationship builder who can thrive in a complex, fast-changing environment. This is a three-year, full-time, exempt, renewable appointment and involves international travel, particularly to developing countries. This position could be based at IFPRI’s headquarters located in Washington, DC (preferred), Nairobi, Kenya or New Delhi, India. Essential Duties: Specific duties include but are not limited to: Provides information and advice to the IFPRI’s Board and senior management to ensure that the financial and physical resources of the institute are managed optimally and sustainably. Ensures that an effective framework is in place for informed decision making including the appropriate financial and risk management strategies, internal and external audits, compliance policies, corporate financial planning and reporting. Oversees the preparation and timely distribution of the Institute’s annual budget, long-term forecasts, including base case and downside scenario planning, and regular financial and management reports in accordance with internal, external and statutory obligations Directly supervises the senior corporate services managers (Finance, IT Services, Facilities, and Travel). Leads, manages and supports all managers in carrying out their duties by providing them with information, advice, general support and capacity building as needed. Monitors budget and expense trends; recommends and implements corrective actions as required. Reviews financial policies, procedure and practices; recommends improvements to financial processes and controls. Develops and implements systems that ensure the smooth operations of central administration. Work closely with the CGIAR Corporate Service Heads and at the One CGIAR System Office. Oversees all space and lease functions. Primarily responsible for IFPRI’s risk management system including oversight of IFPRI’s operations in Africa and Asia. Ensures that Finance and Corporate Service units in all IFPRI locations are appropriately staffed, well led and managed for performance. Ensure continuous improvement in the service delivery from these units. Required Qualifications: CPA/MBA or equivalent; minimum of fifteen years of relevant experience at the senior management level. Demonstrated leadership, management, and supervisory skills including the ability to recommend or make decisions, including difficult ones, in a complex, changing environment. Excellent planning and organizational skills, as well as attention to detail. Broad knowledge of finance and corporate service functions. Senior level experience in contract administration. Managerial experience in a non-profit, research, and/or international organization. Excellent written and verbal English communication skills.  Demonstrated ability to work in multi-cultural settings and to build productive relationships with diverse internal and external stakeholders. Willingness and ability to travel internationally, particularly to developing countries (15-20%). Essential personal qualities: integrity, responsiveness and decisiveness. Preferred Qualifications: Knowledge of or experience with the CGIAR Understanding of US GAAP AND IFRS Experience in donor relations Proficiency in a second language of the U.N. system Physical Demand and Work Environment: Employee will sit in an upright position for a long period of time.  Employee will lift between 0-10 pounds.  Employee is required to have close visual acuity to perform activities such as: preparing and analyzing data and figures; transcribing; viewing computer terminal; extensive reading. Salary Range: The expected salary ranges for this job requisition are between $ 188,900 - $231,400.  In determining your salary, we will consider your experience and other job-related factors. Benefits: IFPRI is committed to providing our staff members with valuable and competitive benefits, as it is a core part of providing a strong overall employee experience. This position is eligible for health insurance coverage and a summary of our benefits can be found on our website. Please note that the listed benefits are generally available to active, non-temporary, full-time and part-time US based employees who work at least 25 hours per week. The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) is an equal employment opportunity employer - F/M/Disability/Vet/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity.

Job Summary: The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) seeks a Finance & Administrative Coordinator for its Development Strategies and Governance Unit (DSG). This is a one-year, renewable appointment and is located at IFPRI’s South Asia Office in India. This position will work within the DSG department in providing support with travel organization, contract drafting & monitoring, revision of deliverables, financial reports, and invoices; workshops, edit narratives; close contracts and projects. Interested applicants must have work authorization to work in India. Essential Duties and Responsibilities Project Logistical Coordination : Provide logistical coordination for project activities, to include drafting and monitoring of project subcontracts, for complex Divisional projects. Monitor deadlines and coordinate the receipt of collaborator deliverables and submission of donor deliverables as requested. Accounting Support : Prepare travel and field expense reports.  File & monitor project budgets, collaborator and donor-approved budget expenditures, and sub-contracts. Submit and monitor collaborator invoices upon submission/approval of deliverables. Monitor weekly unit payments and submit updates to vendors and/or PM/PL/ project coordinators. Follow-up and process invoices from centers that host Group staff.   Assist, as needed, on provision of monthly General Ledgers (GLs)/Project Summary Report (PSRs) to PM/PLs.  Submit/correct project-related expense adjustments (as needed) Contact Data Base Support:   Maintain various administrative/unit database including Collaborator & Project main list, staff contact/emergency file, and other master files. Monitor SAC calendar to identify: Project end-dates and eventual closeout. Provide project budget burn rates to projects leaders upon request. Electronic filing of documents. Closeout collaborator and sub-contractor contracts after detailed verification that all deliverables have been received and all funds have been disbursed, filling in the checklist, obtaining the Project Leader signature, and importing the Close Out Form onto D4D. Timely preparation of periodic financial reports and invoices for a range of donors. Monitor billed and unbilled receivables for delinquent payments and billable cost. Data Entry in Tally and Finalization of accounts books as per Indian Accounting standards. Review monthly project status reports. Address internal and external inquiries regarding project financial matters. Assist with annual statutory audit. Other duties as assigned. Required Qualifications: Bachelor’s degree in accounting/finance plus two years of relevant experience or associate’s degree plus five years of relevant experience. Preference would be given to Intermediate/pursuing CA/CS/CWA. Knowledge of Tally is preferable. Demonstrated proficiency with computers: experience with MS Office, especially Microsoft Word, Outlook, Excel, and PowerPoint required. Strong analytical skills. Demonstrated ability to work productively within a multi-cultural team environment. Excellent oral and written communications skills. Demonstrated ability to pay diligence and follow-through to closure. Demonstrated experience working in a fast-paced work environment. Physical Demand & Work environment: Employee will sit in an upright position for a long period of time. Employee will lift between 0-10 pounds. Employee is required to have close visual acuity to perform activity such as: preparing and analyzing data and figures; viewing computer terminal; extensive reading. 

Preventing data loss, complying with regulations, automating workflows and managing access are four key challenges facing financial institutions. Learn how Tenable can help.

Imagine a bustling bank, made not of bricks and mortar, but of a swirling mass of data in the cloud. Account numbers, transaction histories and personally identifiable information (PII) zip across servers, powering the financial world. Holding all this sensitive data requires tremendous care. Therefore, securing this sensitive information is paramount.

This is where Tenable Cloud Security steps in, offering a data security shield specifically designed for the unique needs of financial institutions.

The challenge: A data deluge demands vigilance

Financial institutions generate massive volumes of data daily. While the public cloud offers unparalleled capacity to store such data, along with agility and scalability, the cloud also expands the attack surface. Legacy cybersecurity solutions are often unable to manage — let alone secure — the sheer volume of data and the variety of ways it is accessed, leaving organizations exposed to malicious actors. At the same time, financial institutions must keep up with new and evolving compliance standards and regulations set forth by governing bodies. Financial institutions need a security platform that helps them protect their data and maintain compliance.

Tenable Cloud Security’s advantage: Seeing beyond the walls

Tenable Cloud Security actively scrutinizes every corner of the cloud data vault, continuously and automatically.

"Without [Tenable Cloud Security], we would've been virtually blind to risks and threats impacting our sensitive data. [Tenable Cloud Security] allows us to preempt any issues and meet the requirements we're receiving from our business partners, with minimal effort.

— VP Security at a leading Fintech platform

Here's how Tenable empowers financial institutions:

• Protecting sensitive data: Tenable doesn't just guard the door; it knows what's inside and how to best protect it. It identifies and labels all data, like financial records and social security numbers, understanding its sensitivity and prioritizing its protection.
• Continuous monitoring: Imagine guards constantly scanning every inch of the vault. Tenable does the same digitally, using advanced technology to constantly search for suspicious activity and potential breaches. Any unusual movement of the data, either exfiltration or copying to a different and inaccessible location, triggers an alarm, allowing for immediate intervention.
• Policy enforcement: Just like a vault needs clear access protocols, so does your data. Tenable automates setting and enforcing cybersecurity policies across the entire cloud, ensuring everyone plays by the book and no unauthorized hands touch the valuables.
• Following mandated regulations: Financial institutions juggle a complex set of regulations and industry standards like the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI-DSS). Tenable simplifies compliance with a host of international regulations by providing timely reports and audit trails.

Beyond traditional security: More than just a lock

Modern technology stacks for data storage require a modern cybersecurity stack. Traditional security solutions are unable to address the unique risks associated with storing data in cloud technologies. Financial organizations that leverage Tenable’s data security platform are able to meet existing and future challenges, including:

• Preventing data loss: Early detection and prevention of unauthorized data access can help organizations minimize financial losses and reputational damage, keeping valuable assets safe from even the most cunning thieves.
• Complying with regulations: Automated reports and adherence to the most stringent regulations and industry standards ensure compliance, saving time and resources.
• Automating workflows: Tenable automates tasks and provides deeper insights into how data behaves, enabling organizations to free up their valuable resources for other endeavors and make their security teams more efficient.
• Managing access: Just like knowing who has access to the vault is crucial. Tenable tracks who and what has access to data, ensuring only authorized parties can handle the data.

The future of financial security is data-centric

Tenable Cloud Security's data-centric approach positions it as a valuable partner, not just for guarding the perimeter but for understanding the inner workings of the vault and the most sensitive data within it. By leveraging Tenable’s capabilities, financial institutions can confidently embrace the cloud while ensuring the highest level of security for their most valuable assets — their data.

To learn more about how you can secure your data

• Webinar: Know Your Exposure: Is Your Cloud Data Secure in the Age of AI?
• Data Sheet: Data Security in a Unified Cloud Security Solution
• Infographic: When CNAPP met DSPM
• Demo Video

SAINT JOHN, NB - In recognition of Financial Literacy Month’s theme “Money on your Mind?

Toronto – The Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA) is warning the public about scammers claiming to represent large, well-known financial companies.  Recently, the CSA has noted an increase in the number of scams involving the use of professional looking electronic broch

Using a representative sample of irrigation schemes, the study documents the physical, knowledge, and governance infrastructures of irrigation schemes in Ethiopia’s most intensively used river basin, the Awash. The findings show that about 20 percent of the equipped area of irrigation schemes in the basin is not being irrigated, while the number of actual beneficiaries […] Source: IFPRI Ethiopia: Ethiopia Strategy Support Program

"Ethiopia's agricultural sector, which is dominated by smallscale, mixed-crop, and livestock farming, is the mainstay of the country's economy. It constitutes more than half of the country's gross domestic product, generates more than 85 percent of foreign exchange earnings, and employs about 80 percent of the population. Unfortunately, Ethiopia's dependence on agriculture makes the country particularly vulnerable to the adverse impactsof climate change on crop and livestock production.

 New research conducted by Tenable®, Inc., the exposure management company, has uncovered more than 26,500 potential internet-facing assets among Southeast Asia’s top banking, financial services and insurance (BFSI) companies by market capitalisation across Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

On July 15, 2024, Tenable examined the external attack surface of over 90 BFSI organisations with the largest market capitalisations across the region. The findings revealed that the average organisation possesses nearly 300 internet-facing assets susceptible to potential exploitation, resulting in a total of more than 26,500 assets across the study group.

Singapore ranked the highest among the six countries assessed, with over 11,000 internet-facing assets identified across its top 16 BFSI companies. Over 6,000 of those assets are hosted in the United States. Next on the list is Thailand with over 5000 assets. The distribution of internet-accessible assets underscores the need for cybersecurity strategies that adapt to the rapidly evolving digital landscape.

“The results of our study reveal that many financial institutions are struggling to close the priority security gaps that put them at risk. Effective exposure management is key to closing these gaps,” said Nigel Ng, Senior Vice President, Tenable APJ. “By identifying and securing vulnerable assets before they can be exploited, organisations can better protect themselves against the growing tide of cyberattacks.” 

Cyber Hygiene Gaps 
The Tenable study revealed many potential vulnerabilities and exposed several cyber hygiene issues among the study group, including outdated software, weak encryption, and misconfigurations. These vulnerabilities provide cybercriminals with easily exploitable potential entry points, posing potential risk to the integrity and security of financial data. 

Weak SSL/TLS encryption 

A notable finding is that among the total assets, organisations had nearly 2,500 still supporting TLS 1.0—a 25-year old security protocol introduced in 1999 and disabled by Microsoft in September 2022. This highlights the significant challenge organisations with extensive internet footprints face in identifying and updating outdated technologies.

Misconfiguration increases external exposure

Another concerning discovery was that over 4,000 assets, originally intended for internal use, were inadvertently exposed and are now accessible externally. Failing to secure these internal assets poses a significant risk to organisations, as it creates an opportunity for malicious actors to target sensitive information and critical systems.

Lack of encryption 

There were over 900 assets with unencrypted final URLs, which can present a security weakness. When URLs are unencrypted, the data transmitted between the user's browser and the server is not protected by encryption, making it vulnerable to interception, eavesdropping, and manipulation by malicious actors. This lack of encryption can lead to the exposure of sensitive information, such as login credentials, personal data, or payment details, and can compromise the integrity of the communication.

API vulnerabilities amplify risk

The identification of over 2,000 API v3 out of the total number of assets among organisations' digital infrastructure poses a substantial risk to their security and operational integrity.

APIs serve as crucial connectors between software applications, facilitating seamless data exchange. However, inadequate authentication, insufficient input validation, weak access controls, and vulnerabilities in dependencies within API v3 implementations create a vulnerable attack surface.

Malicious actors can exploit such weaknesses to gain unauthorised access, compromise data integrity, and launch devastating cyber attacks.

“The cybersecurity landscape is evolving faster than ever, and financial institutions must evolve with it, so they can know where they are exposed and take action to close critical risk” Ng added. “By prioritising exposure management, these organisations can better protect their digital assets, safeguard customer trust, and ensure the resilience of their operations in an increasingly hostile digital environment.”

About Tenable
Tenable® is the exposure management company, exposing and closing the cybersecurity gaps that erode business value, reputation and trust. The company’s AI-powered exposure management platform radically unifies security visibility, insight and action across the attack surface, equipping modern organizations to protect against attacks from IT infrastructure to cloud environments to critical infrastructure and everywhere in between. By protecting enterprises from security exposure, Tenable reduces business risk for more than 44,000 customers around the globe. Learn more at tenable.com. 

Notes to Editors:

1. Tenable examined the top 12-16 BFSI companies discoverable based on market cap. 
2. In the context of this alert:

• An asset is a domain name, subdomain, or IP addresses and/or combination thereof of a device connected to the Internet or internal network. An asset may include, but not limited to web servers, name servers, IoT devices, network printers, etc. Example: foo.tld, bar.foo.tld, x.x.x.xs.
• The Attack Surface is from the network perspective of an adversary, the complete asset inventory of an organisation including all actively listening services (open ports) on each asset.

Christy Award winner Nancy Moser is the best-selling author of more than 16 popular books of faith and inspiration. In this compelling historical novel, Wolfgang Mozart's little-known sister Nannerl tells the tale of her own bittersweet life. Eleven-year-old Nannerl is arguably the best keyboard player in all of Europe. Yet because her six-year-old brother Wolfie can play almost as well as she, he receives virtually all the praise and adulation. Traveling far and wide with her family, she and her brother perform before the crowned heads of Europe. Social convention and public clamor relegate her to living life in the shadow of a prodigy. But when will Nannerl ever realize her own dreams and aspirations? "Moser's writing is smooth" and replete with "fascinating historical details" Publishers Weekly "Mozart's Sister is a masterpiece of lyrical prose; a deeply moving story that embodies a love for music and a fascination with history. Bravisima, Ms. Moser!"-Tamera Alexander, best-selling author of Rekindled.

El Museo Guggenheim presenta “Armonía y disonancia: orfismo en París, 1910-1930” Del 8 de noviembre...

Guggenheim Museum presents “Harmony and Dissonance: Orphism in Paris, 1910–1930” From 8 November 2024 to...

Global Food Policy Report 2024: Improving governance to create supportive environments for diet and nutrition policies

Key steps to strengthen institutions and relationships

The post Global Food Policy Report 2024: Improving governance to create supportive environments for diet and nutrition policies appeared first on IFPRI.

Features recommendations for dining, lodging, transportation, shopping, recreational activities, landmarks, and cultural opportunities. -- Publisher.

EAT Action Dialogues on “Mobilizing Finance for the Food System Transformation”

This dialogue series is by invitation only. In preparation for the 2025 launch of the EAT-Lancet Commission 2.0, EAT is hosting a series of ‘EAT Action Dialogues’ to engage with stakeholders and co-create solutions for transforming food systems in line with the new targets and recommendations of the EAT-Lancet Commission 2.0.  The first two Dialogues will […]

The post EAT Action Dialogues on “Mobilizing Finance for the Food System Transformation” appeared first on IFPRI.

Agricultural growth key to accelerated poverty reduction in Bangladesh (Financial Express)

Senior research fellow and country representative, Akhter Ahmed writes in an op-ed for the Financial Express (Bangladesh) that the country “has witnessed substantial economic growth over the past decade, with an average annual gross domestic product (GDP) growth of 6.6 per cent between 2016 and 2022. Notably, the country experienced a 3.4 per cent increase in GDP in 2020, making Bangladesh one […]

The post Agricultural growth key to accelerated poverty reduction in Bangladesh (Financial Express) appeared first on IFPRI.

Steven Were Omamo joins IFPRI as the new Director of the Development Strategies and Governance Unit

IFPRI is pleased to announce that Steven Were Omamo joins IFPRI as the new Director of the DSG Unit.

The post Steven Were Omamo joins IFPRI as the new Director of the Development Strategies and Governance Unit appeared first on IFPRI.

Nanoparticle enrichment mass-spectrometry proteomics identifies protein-altering variants for precise pQTL mapping  Nature.com

Nanoparticle–Protein Corona-Based Tissue Proteomics for the Aging Mouse Proteome Atlas  ACS Publications