Job Opportunity for Grants and Finance Manager at Inclusion Economics India Centre in New Delhi

Employer: Inclusion Economics India Centre at IFMR/Krea University

Location: Delhi, India

Who We Are:

Inclusion Economics India Centre is an initiative affiliated with Inclusion Economics at Yale University, founded and based out of the Yale Economic Growth Center and MacMillan Center. Inclusion Economics India Centre is based at, and accountable to, the Institute for Financial Management and Research (IFMR) Society, with strategic oversight from Krea University. Inclusion Economics India Centre collaborates with the Inclusion Economics at Yale University team to enable inclusive economies and societies through research and policy engagement. 

Drawing upon economics, political science, and related fields, we conduct cutting-edge research to understand how policy can promote inclusive, accountable economies and societies. Our core research focuses on gender as it relates to labor economics and broader economic empowerment; political economy and governance; and environmental economics. We also aim to build a culture of evidence and increase data literacy in the public sector, strengthening leaders’ ability to identify and implement evidence-informed policies. Throughout the research life cycle, we engage closely with policy counterparts to ensure we address questions of immediate relevance, and we regularly communicate data-driven insights with policy counterparts and the general public.

The Role:

The Grants and Finance Manager will be responsible for managing a portfolio of financial grants from various funders alongside Research Managers, setting up organizational accounting systems for close monitoring of expenditures, documenting payments, generating periodic financial reports as well as invoices, optimizing the grant administration process, preparing progress reports, ensuring compliance with grant regulations, managing grant databases, engaging with donor agencies, and defining and educating staff on financial processes and policies. The Grants and Finance Manager will be a part of the core programmatic team, and we seek to hire an individual with significant experience in the non-profit sector, as well as with an understanding of the requirements of FCRA regulations. The person should demonstrate high integrity in financial matters and work to build systems and processes that are improved over a period of time.

Responsibilities:

• Coordinate with research staff and IFMR to ensure necessary steps relevant to budgeting, contract set-up and compliance, grant reporting, milestone tracking, etc., are met and all project teams track and manage finances appropriately.
• Work with research staff, external vendors, and IFMR to ensure expenses submitted follow appropriate policies and procedures and are booked to appropriate funding sources and lines.
• Facilitate approval of requisitions, and follow up on procurement orders and payment requests as per the agreed systems to resolve issues related to invoicing, expense management, and payments.
  Review donor agreements from a statutory compliance, reporting and operational management perspective.
• Serve as liaison with IFMR Accounts team and Inclusion Economics India Centre (IEIC) to ensure donors and Inclusion Economics receive accurate accounting and reporting information and timely payments are made. This includes:

1. Conducting regular reviews of ledger accuracy and coordinating with partner organizations to rectify errors.

2. Receivables management, local taxation compliance etc.

3. Supporting research teams in preparing financial reports to be submitted to donors and help with providing rationale and responding to queries from donors.

4. Tracking funding milestones, including supporting invoice submission, to ensure continuity of operational funding and liquidity.

• Maintain current accounting of expenses, prepare monthly reports, trend & variance analysis, and other ad-hoc reports (both financial and expense narrative).
• Develop, create and/or modify financial analysis templates to support the administration and ongoing monitoring of a growing portfolio of grants. Track cross-project liquidity for IEIC grants and providing regular financial updates and reports to IEIC at IFMR leadership.
• Support IEIC leadership in the annual budgeting process, and provide functional guidance to the research team in the preparation of budgets, cash flow projections, and work plans for grant planning and reporting.
• Work with Inclusion Economics at Yale University and IEIC based team members to institutionalize financial management, controls, and operational protocol to ensure all processes run smoothly and are in compliance with donor and government requirements. Oversee and maintain systematic documentation related to grants, budgets, contracts, and payments.
• Supervise the Operations Officer, who supports day-to-day office operations, events, vendors, assets and equipment, and provide guidance and support as needed to ensure offices and events run smoothly.
• Other tasks, as assigned.

Qualifications and Key Skills:

• Masters in Finance or MBA (Finance) or Chartered Accountant
• 7+ years of progressively responsible experience in a relevant capacity (e.g. managing research grants in excess of $1 million/INR 10 Crores, budgeting, contract management, accounting, and/or finance)
• A strong track record demonstrating financial management skills including developing and monitoring budgets, financial analysis, and financial reporting.
• Setting up administrative and financial systems for new projects and programs
• Must be fluent in English with skills in written communication and report writing
• Demonstrate high integrity in dealing with financial matters and build a similar culture across in the organization