Manager - Finance & Accounts

Role Purpose

The Manager Finance will lead the financial management of grants, business and support strong financial governance across Dharmalife Foundation and its group entities.

Grant financial management will be the key priority of the role. The Manager will oversee grant budgeting, fund allocation, expenditure monitoring, donor reporting, utilisation documentation and grant-specific audits. The role will work closely with programme and partnerships teams to ensure that financial plans, project activities and donor commitments remain aligned.

The position will also manage budgeting, accounting, statutory compliance, financial reporting, treasury, internal controls and audit coordination. The incumbent will provide leadership with accurate and timely financial information to support operational and strategic decisions.

Success in this role means that donor/stakeholder reports and statutory filings are submitted on time, financial records remain audit-ready, funds are used for approved purposes, cash requirements are anticipated, and management receives reliable financial information.

Key Responsibilities

1. Financial Planning, Budgeting and Business Finance

• Lead the annual budgeting and periodic forecasting processes across functions, programmes and entities.
• Consolidate programme, departmental and grant budgets into an organisation-wide financial plan.
• Monitor actual expenditure against approved budgets and provide monthly variance analysis with clear explanations and corrective actions.
• Develop financial models and scenario analyses for new programmes, partnerships, geographies and organisational initiatives.
• Support cost planning, resource allocation and financial evaluation of new proposals.
• Provide practical financial advice to programme and functional leaders.
• Support leadership in assessing financial risks, funding gaps and organisational sustainability.

2. Grant Financial Management and Donor Compliance

• Manage the financial lifecycle of grants from proposal development and budget preparation through implementation, reporting, audit and closure.
• Review grant agreements and translate financial conditions into budgets, controls, reporting calendars and responsibility matrices.
• Maintain grant-wise budgets, expenditure records, fund balances, reporting deadlines and supporting documentation.
• Monitor expenditure against approved budgets and programme plans and identify underspending, overspending or ineligible expenditure at an early stage.
• Coordinate with programme teams to prepare forecasts, budget revisions and fund-utilisation plans.
• Prepare accurate and timely donor financial reports, utilisation statements and supporting schedules.
• Maintain donor-specific accounting and reporting records in accordance with grant conditions.
• Coordinate grant-specific audits and ensure timely resolution of observations and audit findings.
• Ensure that grant expenditure complies with donor conditions, internal policies and applicable statutory requirements.

3. Accounting, Financial Reporting and Statutory Compliance

• Oversee day-to-day accounting and ensure that financial transactions are recorded accurately, completely and within the appropriate period.
• Ensure timely completion of bank, vendor, employee advance, grant and inter-entity reconciliations.
• Maintain accurate ledgers, schedules and supporting documentation across the group entities.
• Ensure timely compliance with applicable requirements relating to TDS, GST, income tax, FCRA, CSR and other regulatory frameworks.
• Coordinate the monthly, quarterly and annual closure of accounts.
• Prepare financial statements, management reports and schedules required for statutory, internal and donor audits.
• Liaise with auditors, consultants and statutory authorities and ensure timely closure of observations.
• Maintain financial records in an audit-ready condition.

4. Treasury, Cash Flow and Financial Controls

• Prepare and regularly update organisational and grant-wise cash-flow forecasts.
• Monitor liquidity and provide advance visibility of funding requirements, projected shortfalls and restricted fund balances.
• Manage banking relationships, authorised fund transfers and related documentation.
• Ensure that funds are allocated and used in accordance with approved budgets and grant restrictions.
• Design, document and implement financial policies, standard operating procedures and approval controls.
• Maintain appropriate segregation of duties and maker-checker controls.
• Conduct periodic financial-risk assessments and recommend mitigation measures.
• Strengthen controls relating to payments, advances, procurement, reimbursements, assets and field expenditure.
• Promptly escalate suspected irregularities, control failures or potential misuse of funds.

5. Financial Reporting, MIS and Decision Support

• Prepare monthly, quarterly and annual financial reports for management review.
• Develop clear dashboards covering grants, budgets, cash flow, receivables, payables, statutory compliance and audit status.
• Provide accurate financial information and analysis for leadership and Board reviews.
• Present significant variances, risks, funding gaps and decisions required in a concise and actionable format.
• Maintain a consolidated calendar of donor reports, audits, statutory filings and other financial obligations.
• Improve the quality and timeliness of financial information through appropriate systems, automation and standardisation.

6. Team Leadership and Financial Capability

• Guide, supervise and develop members of the Finance team and field-based finance personnel.
• Allocate responsibilities clearly and establish review and accountability mechanisms.
• Build the financial capability of programme, operations and partnership teams through practical training and guidance.
• Help non-finance colleagues understand budgets, grant conditions, supporting-document requirements and financial controls.
• Promote a culture of accuracy, accountability, transparency and timely closure.
• Identify opportunities to improve financial processes, systems and team effectiveness.

Key Measures of Success

Performance will be assessed through indicators such as:

• Donor financial reports submitted accurately and within agreed timelines
• Grant expenditure aligned with approved budgets and donor conditions
• Timely identification and resolution of budget variances and funding gaps
• Monthly and annual accounts closed according to the agreed calendar
• Statutory filings and audits completed on time
• Reconciliations completed with minimal unresolved items
• Reliable cash-flow forecasts and sufficient visibility of operational liquidity
• Audit observations and control gaps closed within agreed timelines
• Accurate and decision-useful MIS provided to leadership
• Improved financial understanding and compliance among programme and field teams

Candidate Profile

Education

B. Com/M. Com with MBA (Finance)

Preference to Qualified Chartered Accountant/ Cost Accountant (ICWA)

Experience

Seven to Ten years of relevant post-qualification experience in finance, accounting, audit, grant management or business finance.

Candidates should have demonstrated experience in managing institutional grants, donor reporting and audit requirements. Experience in a nonprofit, Section 8 company, development-sector organisation, corporate foundation or multi-entity environment would be an advantage.

Skills and Attributes

• Strong understanding of grant budgeting, utilisation monitoring. Business finance and donor financial reporting
• Sound knowledge of accounting standards, taxation and statutory compliance
• Working knowledge of applicable FCRA and CSR requirements
• Experience in budgeting, forecasting, financial modelling and variance analysis
• Strong internal-control and risk-management orientation
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel
• Working experience with Tally, ERP or comparable financial systems
• Ability to present complex financial information clearly to non-finance stakeholders
• Strong analytical, problem-solving and stakeholder-management skills
• High standards of accuracy, integrity, confidentiality and accountability
• Ability to balance detailed financial review with broader organisational priorities
• Willingness to travel occasionally to programme and field locations

Why Join Dharmalife

• Lead grant finance and financial governance within a purpose-driven organisation working at significant rural scale.
• Work across diverse programmes supported by institutional funders, government bodies and corporate partners.
• Strengthen financial systems that directly support women’s livelihoods and community impact.
• Gain exposure to multi-entity finance, donor management, field operations and organisational strategy.
• Work with multidisciplinary teams committed to inclusive and sustainable development.