Job Description

Sector
Social Development
About the Agency
The Aga Khan Foundation is a leading global development organisation working to tackle the root causes of poverty. For more than 50 years, we have helped create strong community institutions that support sustainable, locally driven initiatives to improve the lives of millions of people. By combining local knowledge with global best practices, we strive to bring about transformative and long-lasting improvements to quality of life.
Working alongside the agencies of the Aga Khan Development Network and through partnerships with local communities, civil society and business as well as governments and international aid agencies, we are building a future where we all thrive together.
AutoReqId
4313BR
Agency
Aga Khan Foundation
Salary
Salary and package to attract the best candidate
Region
Europe
The requirements
Must have right to work in the UK.
Must include CV and a supporting statement that outlines why they want the role, why they want to work for AKF(UK) and how their experiences and skills to date will make them the most suitable applicant for the role.
The role will involve travel to countries in which we operate grants. Normally this could be 2 - 3 trips per year.
Qualifications

• CCAB qualified accountant (desirable).

Experience

• 3 years relevant experience in financial accounting and financial reporting
• Experience of designing and managing effective administrative systems and procedures
• Experience of budgeting, forecasting and cash-flow management
• Experience working in international organisations or donor agencies including field-level implementation highly desirable.
• Experience working with EC, ECHO, DFID or equivalent and familiarity with the various compliance rules and regulations highly desirable.

Skills

• Good interpersonal, customer care and liaison skills with a wide range of stakeholders
• First rate oral and written communication skills
• Ability to work under pressure and to manage competing priorities and deliver to tight deadlines.
• Ability to problem solve, working with both internal and external stakeholders to deliver results.
• Ability to work in a multi-institution network within a multi-cultural environment.
• Fluent in oral and written English
• Proficient in all Microsoft Office applications, especially Excel
• Excellent numeracy, financial analysis, and financial presentation skills
• Ability to synthesise complex operational and financial details for reporting and presentation.

Knowledge

• Broad understanding and experience of development issues and organisations
• Understanding of and appreciation for ADKN's goals, values and ethics
• Knowledge of charity accounting

Attributes

• Committed to international development, improving the quality of life, and promoting pluralism through civil society.
• Demonstrates equity, transparency, and integrity with high personal and organisational ethical standards; is fair, honest, and trustworthy with respect for confidentiality; inspires and builds trust and respect.
• Respectful of diversity; sensitive toward others, open and understanding toward other people's cultures, values, autonomy, and faiths; demonstrates compassion and empathy; is courteous to others with respect for their background, religion, gender, and age particularly when on international visits to the countries in which we operate.
• Committed to acting ethically and upholding safeguarding standards towards all staff, volunteers, and beneficiaries of the organisation.

The position
To support the Programme Finance Manager in running efficient and effective programme financial accounting, programme financial management and programme financial reporting processes in relation to AKF (UK)'s programmes and grants. To provide support to the full life cycle of grants: from donor concept notes/proposals to final reports.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES AND CORE TECHNICAL COMPETENCIES
Programme financial planning, management, and reporting
In close consultation with the programmes/partnerships team:

• Support the design and implementation of effective quality controls to ensure compliance with donor requirements and to maintain appropriate donor stewardship, including through manuals, checklists, templates, and other tools.
• Monitor spending and activity implementation and ensure regular scheduling of grants management meetings, alerting the Programme Finance Manager and Programmes/Partnerships team about significant under or overspend on a timely basis.
• Maintain internal tools that track active grants, cost recoveries and cash balances and ensure they are kept up to date.
• Maintain internal tools tracking pipeline and secured funding (Awards Information Management System -AIMS) and ensure they are kept up to date.
• Prepare financial information for internal reporting purposes.

Grants management and compliance

• Maintain the grants management tracker so that grants are properly recorded and monitored, ensuring that input from the Programmes/Partnerships team and the Programme Finance Manager are incorporated on a timely basis.
• Review budgets for concepts/proposals, ensuring the inclusion of AKF(UK) costs, make recommendations for improvements and liaise with the programme/partnerships team and field units to ensure these are complete, accurate, consistent with the narrative, compliant with donor requirements, and correctly formatted for presentation to donors.
• Support the preparation, review, and submission process for donor financial (and narrative as relevant, e.g. ECHO) reports to ensure compliance with donor requirements.
• Ensure timely submission of cash requests as required by donor contracts and internal sub-grant agreements.
• Prepare donor and internal sub-grant agreements with AKDN agencies, field units, and implementing partners, including (but not limited to) those with co-financing.
• Ensure that donor and AKDN rules are being adhered to regarding procurement, accounting, project expenditure, and implementation of activities through regular reporting, engagement with the field, and remote spot checks.
• Carry out monitoring visits and audits on specific projects as necessary.
• Assist in the preparation, support, and follow up of internal or external grant audits and expenditure verifications of AKDN field units, including direct liaison with auditors as required, and ensure that management (programmes and finance) is apprised, including through maintaining and updating the audit and disallowance summary.
• Develop and deliver relevant training and reference material on grants management, including procurement, donor regulations, IATI, finance and reporting for Programme, Finance, and other field-based staff; act as a resource for agencies/field units on donor regulations and compliance.
• Ensure all AKF (UK) direct grants are reflected on the IATI system.

Audit, internal controls, and risk

• Contribute on programme finance to all audits and statutory compliance in line with UK and AKF/AKDN regulations and compliance requirements.
• In collaboration with field units, prepare due diligence assessments for potential new partners or donors and ensure these are refreshed periodically.
• Troubleshoot financial, donor compliance and procurement-related queries identified through monitoring grants or as raised by management or field units.

Carry out any other duties as assigned by the Programme Finance Manager or the Head of Finance and Operations.