Program Finance Consultant

PROGRAM FINANCE CONSULTANT

Main areas of focus: Grant appraisal and preparation, program compliance management, international auditing, partner capacity training, budget monitoring, partner financial analysis

Location: This opportunity is for a remote contractor based in East Africa, ideally Kenya. As a part of this role, you will be required to travel as much as 30% of the time to developing countries.

JOB HIGHLIGHT

You’ll monitor and manage charity: water’s funds efficiently by frequently traveling to the field to conduct compliance reviews, audits, and capacity-building training.

JOB SUMMARY

As a Program Finance Analyst, you’ll be responsible for developing and managing financial tracking, resource flows, reporting, and compliance for a specified portfolio of grants awarded to a variety of partners. Reporting to the Program Finance Lead, you’ll ensure our donors’ dollars are spent efficiently, and our international partners accurately implement our financial policies and procedures. You’ll also partner with the Finance team to enhance and implement our audit and control functions. You’ll work closely with our partners to monitor and improve their financial processes.

YOU’LL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR…

● Supporting the financial assessment of new grant proposals and the review of grant agreements to completion

● Supporting the financial assessment of new partners added to the portfolio

● Keeping the grant budget under continuous review, identifying, investigating and reporting budget variances providing regular financial information and analysis to Programs team members as required

● Coordinating with your programs team to manage timely and reliable water project reporting

● Supporting the Program Finance audit and compliance plans, which may involve assisting in the prioritization of partners and identifying and managing local audit firms that can provide oversight and training for partners

● Creating and implementing a financial capacity training program and assisting in the prioritization of partners when creating an annual training plan

● Coordinating stewardship of the organization’s cash while meeting water project implementation timelines

● Actively benchmarking water program investments against industry best practices

● Monitoring economic, political, currency, and fiduciary risk exposure to the grant portfolio

● Assisting in the due diligence process used to financially vet potential partners

● Contributing proactively with Programs and Finance to improve Program Finance systems and procedures

● Ensuring grant disbursements, reporting, and audit requirements have been met

● Helping other departments comprehend the financial implications of all aspects of the charity: water programs

● Spending about 30% of your time traveling to the field

YOU MUST HAVE…

● Minimum 2-4 years of relevant experience in a similar capacity for an NGO or a charity

● A bachelor's degree in finance or a related field

● Demonstrated experience of financial administration of a portfolio of grants

● Demonstrated experience of preparation and review of budgets and grant financial reports, including allocation of project

● Internal or External Auditing expertise

● The proven ability to translate technical financial data into informative reports

● Fluency in English (essential) with superlative communication skills, both spoken and written

● Advanced Excel skills from formal training

● Minimum one year of experience working in developing countries

IT’S AN ADDED PLUS IF YOU HAVE…

● A year or more of experience working in the field

● A background in Financial capacity training

● Experience with grant proposals and evaluation

● French fluency

● Master’s degree in a relevant field

● Residency in Kenya

YOU’LL BE SUCCESSFUL IF...

You know what you’re doing

You have experience not only crunching the numbers but also articulating what they mean and how they are applied to the international nonprofit financial field.

You get under the hood

Our team digs deep. They jump on planes if they have to. The integrity of our financial data is a core value, so your attention to detail must be impeccable.

You’re flexible, a quick responder

The problem we’re trying to solve as an organization is dynamic and each day brings fresh and exciting obstacles. You can react quickly and efficiently when called upon to change or pivot. You like special projects and learning new things.

You’re a problem solver and strategic thinker

We find ways of getting it done at charity: water. We don’t invest time on why it can’t be done. You know how to articulate and roll out solutions, recognizing there are many solutions to the same problem. You find new and effective ways to streamline and create processes to increase efficiency.

Your passport has many stamps

You have worked and traveled globally so you are comfortable dealing with a myriad of people and situations.

You have a team ethos

You thrive in a creative, inventive, fast-paced start-up environment, with people who are passionate about their work and mission. You’re excited to work cross-functionally with other departments.

TEAM OVERVIEW

The Water Programs team works closely with our local partners, vetting, managing, monitoring the programs we fund, and acquiring the information we need to report back to our donors. They manage tens of millions in donor dollars in over 20 countries (and growing) each year. They are the protectors of our transparency pillar, ensuring our partners continue to meet our sustainability and reporting requirements.