Program Finance Lead

The Program Finance Lead will be responsible for overseeing and strengthening financial due diligence, monitoring, and reporting framework across the organization s grants portfolio. The role demands a strategic thinker with a hands-on approach to ensure financial integrity, compliance, and alignment with the organization s grant-making strategy. Key Responsibilities: 1. Leadership & Strategy Lead the financial evaluation, budgeting, and monitoring processes for all grant portfolios. Serve as a finance advisor to the grants and program leadership teams, shaping financial strategy and risk mitigation in alignment with our values and goals. Contribute to grant strategy by providing insights from financial analysis and risk assessments. 2. Financial Oversight of Grants Design and manage systems for financial due diligence of partner NGOs, including desk reviews and in-person assessments. Lead the review and approval process for proposed grant budgets. Ensure accurate and timely review of fund utilization reports and compliance with grant conditions. 3. Team Management Lead and mentor a team of program finance associates. Build team capacity in budgeting, financial analysis, and partner engagement. Establish standard operating procedures and review mechanisms for quality assurance. 4. Process & Systems Development Develop and maintain financial SOPs and tools for grant management. Drive automation and use of the grant portal for improved transparency and tracking. Identify and mitigate financial risks in the grant-making process. 5. Stakeholder & Partner Engagement Engage with partners to strengthen financial practices and reporting standards. Represent the finance function in cross-functional planning and review meetings. Serve as a point of contact for internal and external audits related to grants. 6. MIS and Reporting Consolidate data across portfolios to support organizational learning and reporting. Lead the preparation of dashboards and financial reports for senior management. Qualifications & Skills: CA / ICWA / MBA Finance with 20+ years of relevant experience. Strong foundation in accounting, financial due diligence, and fund management. Prior experience in the development sector is strongly preferred. Demonstrated experience in team leadership and cross-functional collaboration. Strong analytical, documentation, and communication skills. Willingness to travel to across locations as required. Good verbal, written and analytical skills.