Position: Chief Operating Officer Finance (COO Finance)

Organization: BRLF

Location: Delhi

KEY JOB RESPONSIBILITIES:

Leadership for BRLF as a member of the senior management team of the organization

•  Provide leadership, insights and guidance to BRLF on the organization’s financial health, investments, potential risks & mitigation strategies with respect to finance and compliance issues, coordinate information needed for finance strategy development and participate in key senior management meetings of the organization
• Assist the CEO on BRLF’s strategic plans and represent/participate in various initiatives/forums on Finance and strengthen BRLF’s position with respect to finance and governance.
• Participate in discussions of policy and share fully in the work of the organization as a member of the management team

 Travel outside Delhi, to remote locations to perform duties as deemed necessary

Financial Management and Planning

•  Overall management of office finance as per the approved finance rules
• Responsible for developing and suggesting amendments to the finance rules
•  Responsible for planning and managing grant fund flow to the partners
• Ensure timely payment of dues to all clients and staff
• Ensure finance books are balanced at end of each month
• Responsible for preparation of annual budget of BRLF under the guidance of the CEO.
• Prepare Budget Estimates for the FY and Revised Estimates in the course of the FY to be presented to the FAC for consideration and approval
•  Prepare monthly expense report for internal management
• Ensure compliance with the normal accounting and auditing requirements;responsible for annual financial audit
• Ensure compliance with the donor grant agreements requirements
•  Ensuring proper management of fixed assets and inventory registers
•  Responsible for due process for disposal of assets
•  Ensure Inventory control and management
•  Maintain a good filing system
•  Handle internal & external Audits, including C&AG audits and donor audits. Organize audits of BRLF partners by external auditors.
• On the job support and training of the other finance staff
• Make sure proper handling of office cash
• Recording of expenses on a standard accounting package used by BRLF
• Ensure statutory compliance with the law of the land – IT, FCRA and so on in a time-bound manner
•  Ensure, under the guidance of the Finance and Audit Committee (FAC) of BRLF a proper and judicious investment of BRLF corpus funds in avenues which maximize returns while ensuring maximum capital protection

Funding and donor related:

• Oversee and ensure that all funding related information and briefing is done to the CEO.
• Creating donor specific budget heads etc, and ensure proper financial reporting in all reports to donors
•  Ensure expenditures are as per donor agreements.
• Conduct proper financial due diligence of grantee partners by checking the balance sheets and audited reports of grantees during proposal assessments. Conduct periodic checking of utilization of funds against predefined milestones, as well as during reporting.
• Coordinate with programme officers on grantee release of tranches and ensure compliance from finance side is met.
• Provide monthly expense and budget balance reports against donor grants and advice CEO and Programme Officers on budget management
•  Check expenses incurred in the offices are followed through normal approval process and are supported with the proper backups.
• Play an active role in advising on the budget and financial section of donor Proposals. Engage effectively with the donor CFO/Finance Director during negotiations and on any query as may arise regarding funds disbursed and their utilization related to the project.

IT and Procurement:

• Provide oversight and guidance to all activities of procurement and IT function.

• Plan the implementation of new systems and ensure smooth running of MIS system and software for incorporating grant making process online

• Ensure and oversee all financial approvals and processing are done online

• Responsible for developing, updating procurement procedures that meet government’s General Financial Rules (GFR) and prudent financial practice norms.

• Responsible for procurement and ensuring procurement procedures are followed correctly

Team Management and external representation

• To develop, mentor and support team members for successful financial and operational management at BRLF

• Play an active role in external representation for various audits, income tax and financial compliances

• To strengthen collaboration with programs, fundraising, M&E, HR etc teams so that finance is seen as an enabling function while ensuring that compliances at all levels and best financial management practices are being followed

• To conduct performance appraisal of the team members

• To coordinate with the HR department for payroll

• To ensure excellent communication and a good working relationship with Government of India’s Departments and Ministries as relevant and with other stakeholders- institutional and corporate donors, Board members, relevant BRLF stakeholders, grantee partners and other non profit organizations as required.

BRLF India Board meetings

•  To work with the CEO in planning and organizing the Board meetings and other relevant Board events as and when required.
• Report to the Finance and Audit committee of the Board on the proposed budget,twice a year, along with the Audit report, before it is presented to the BRLF Board.
• Attend Board and Committee meetings, as and when required
•  To assist the CEO on any matters regarding the finances of the company before it is tabled to the Board.

EXPERIENCE AND COMPETENCIES

MUST HAVES

• Applicants must have a CA/ ICWA or Master’s degree in Business Administration (Accounting/Finance) from any recognized university with minimum 12- 15 years of relevant work experience of which at least 5 years should have been in a leadership role
•  Prior experience of interacting with senior leadership of an organization and the Board on strategic matters.
• Sound experience in financial management, budgeting, statutory compliances, government regulations, financial trouble shooting and audits.

PREFERRED

• Demonstrated leadership and a track record of working with government/civil society organizations having nation wide programs in a senior finance role.
• Demonstrated experience in handling range of Indian and FCRA grants is helpful.

KEY SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES

•  Excellent understanding of financial systems, policies and procedures.
• Someone who is solution oriented and can think out of the box without compromising on proper financial management discipline and compliance.
• Good communication and representational skills along with the ability to build value based relationships.
• Ability to successfully work with other verticals and functions and with own team to enhance overall efficiency and effectiveness.
• Mature professional with the ability to handle multiple stakeholders and complex situations
•  Ability to understand the demands and work under pressure
• Ability to work strategically in close alignment with the vision of the organization

COMPENSATION OFFERED

The remuneration for the COO Finance will be attractive and determined after considering the qualifications and experience of the selected candidate