Lead - Finance & Accounts

Job Description

Reporting to the Chief Financial Officer (CFO), the Lead Finance & Accounts will be responsible for overseeing a range of financial, accounting and reporting activities at IIHS. He/she will be involved in supporting presentations to the board’s finance and audit committees and will work closely with the senior leadership team.

Activities and Tasks

Responsibilities may include, but not be limited to, the following:

• Leading much of the day-to-day Finance & Accounting operations and supervising the work of team members to ensure consistently high levels of accuracy, timelines, rigour and process compliance;
• Holding controller and functional responsibility over accounting, accounts payable, accounts receivable, payroll, grants administration and related activities;
• Ensuring that appropriate systems and processes are in place to support effective programme implementation; continuously evaluating, monitoring and improving systems and processes in line with evolving institutional needs;
• Overseeing all accounts, ledgers, and reporting systems ensuring compliance with appropriate Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) standards and regulatory requirements;
• Developing various reports from time to time as per changing needs of the organization – this will also include the monthly report formats;
• Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) accounting and compliance including revenue recognition of FCRA project funding;
• Tax compliance including leading co-ordination with tax consultants;
• Leading the finance team on monthly and quarterly closing activities;
• Maintaining internal control and safeguarding the receipt of revenue, costs, and programme budgets and actual expenditures;
• Coordinating and managing all audit activities including statutory audit, internal audit, half yearly audit and FCRA audit; ensuring consistently flawless audit outcomes;
• Consistently analysing financial data and presenting financial reports in an accurate and timely manner; clearly communicating monthly, quarterly and annual financial statements; monitoring progress, changes and keeping the senior leadership abreast of the financial status;
• Assisting the senior leadership in the annual budgeting and planning process; administering and reviewing all financial plans and comparing to actual results with a view to identify, explain and correct variances as appropriate;
• Leading and coordinating ERP implementation and working closely with the implementation and support partners;
• Continuously exploring areas where automation can be implemented and leading the automation exercise;
• Supporting the CFO in preparing presentation material for the Board meetings, audit committee meetings and executive committee meetings and ensuring circulation of MoM in time;
• Overseeing all financial, project / programme and grants accounting; ensuring that expenditures are consistently aligned with grant and programme budgets throughout the grant / fund period; collating financial reporting materials for government, corporate and foundation grants;
• Managing organizational cash flow forecasting by working in partnership with programme heads and project leads; collaborating with programme heads and project leads to assess the financial efficacy of programme operations, and establish financial and administrative systems to support programme operations;
• Managing and tracking the performance of invested assets, in alignment with the policies and investment guidelines;
• Leveraging strengths of the finance team members; providing clarity on their roles and responsibilities; developing and implementing training programmes to maximize and help them reach optimal individual and organizational goals;
• Providing leadership in strengthening internal communications with staff at all levels throughout the organisation; creating and promoting a positive and supportive work environment;
• Overseeing Campus Development accounting and finance activities;
• Providing support to other IIHS activities including academics, research, training, practice, operations and others;
• Participating in all activities of Institution-Building at IIHS, carrying out tasks as assigned by IIHS, and travelling on IIHS work within or outside the country as needed.

Structure and Reporting

The Lead – Finance & Accounts will report to the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) at IIHS and will be required to collaborate effectively with a diverse group of internal teams and external individuals/organizations, and students.

Person Specification

This role is an extraordinary opportunity for a mature leader with strong accounting and finance experience, ideally beginning in accounting and audit, followed by experience in gathering, evaluating, presenting and reporting financial information to executive teams and external stakeholders.  The candidate will ideally have experience in a complex nonprofit that has multiple programmes.

Other qualifications required for this role, include:

• A minimum qualification – CA (Chartered Accountant) with at least 10 years of work experience;
• Hands-on experience in coordinating audit activities and managing reporting, budget development and analysis, accounts payable and receivable, general ledger, payroll, and accounting for investments;
• Strong financial control and review skills characterised by unflinching rigour and attention to detail;
• A track record in grants management; experience in compliance and reporting of government, corporate and foundation grants is essential;
• Technological savvy with experience in selecting and overseeing software installations and managing relationships with software vendors; advanced knowledge of accounting and reporting software;
• Commitment to recruiting, mentoring, training, and retaining a diverse team, with a foresight and ability to delegate accordingly;
• Keen analytic, organization and problem solving skills which allows for strategic data interpretation versus simple reporting;
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills; experience in effectively communicating key data, including presentations to senior management, board or other outside partners;
•   Ability to translate complex financial concepts to individuals at all levels including finance and non-finance managers;
• Knowledge on FCRA and FEMA administration;
• Implementation knowledge of ERP systems desirable;
• Experience in leading and coaching a team and working closely with the Institution’s Leadership/Executive teams is essential;
• Personal qualities of integrity, credibility, and unwavering commitment to the IIHS mission;
• A proactive, hands-on strategic thinker who in partnership with the CFO, will build and strengthen the Finance & Accounts function at IIHS.

This offer is on an exclusive basis, which implies that other professional assignments (whether compensated or not) that bear a potential conflict of interest with IIHS cannot be undertaken.

The search will remain open until the position is filled.

Location

This position is based in Bengaluru and may entail travel to other locations in India.

Review and Assessment

The role and performance of the incumbent shall be subject to normal review and assessment systems at IIHS.

Diversity Policy

IIHS is an equal opportunity employer that encourages women, people with disabilities and those from economically and socially excluded communities with the requisite skills and qualifications to apply for positions.

Contact

Please write to us at hr@iihs.co.in if you need any clarifications while filling the online application form.