Finance Manager

About the Role

A leading international non-profit organization working at the intersection of research, innovation, and social impact is seeking an experienced Finance Manager / Senior Finance Manager to lead financial operations, statutory compliance, audit coordination, and multi-entity financial management.

This role requires a hands-on finance professional with strong expertise in Indian taxation and compliance, coupled with the ability to oversee end-to-end finance operations across multiple geographies. The successful candidate will work closely with leadership teams, program stakeholders, auditors, consultants, and operational teams to ensure robust financial management and compliance standards.

Key Responsibilities

1. Finance & Accounting Operations

• Oversee accurate and timely processing of all accounting transactions, including payroll, vendor payments, employee reimbursements, travel expenses, and consultant payouts.
• Ensure compliance with internal procurement and financial policies.
• Maintain high accounting standards and oversee ledger accuracy, voucher management, fixed asset registers, and bank reconciliations.
• Monitor operational cash flows and fund utilization across projects and functions.

2. Taxation & Statutory Compliance

• Lead GST compliance, including review of filings, reconciliations, and supporting documentation.
• Oversee Income Tax compliance, TDS deductions, deposits, and coordination with external consultants.
• Ensure compliance with all applicable statutory and regulatory requirements.
• Maintain documentation required for donor, funder, and government compliance.
• Identify and mitigate financial, tax, and compliance-related risks.

3. Audit & Documentation

• Coordinate statutory, internal, and donor/funder audits.
• Prepare and organize financial documentation required by auditors and regulatory bodies.
• Support preparation of utilization certificates, statements of expenditure, and compliance reports.
• Ensure strong documentation practices and audit readiness throughout the year.

4. Financial Management & Internal Coordination

• Support budgeting processes and monitor expenditure against approved budgets.
• Assist teams in understanding financial policies, procedures, and reporting requirements.
• Act as a liaison between finance, operational teams, and leadership.
• Support cash flow planning and project fund tracking.

5. Process Improvement & Systems

• Identify inefficiencies and improve finance processes through SOP development and workflow optimization.
• Implement scalable systems and tools to improve operational efficiency.
• Develop training materials and provide guidance to internal teams on finance-related processes and controls.

6. Multi-Entity & Multi-Currency Coordination

• Support financial operations across multiple entities and jurisdictions.
• Manage inter-company accounting, foreign exchange considerations, and cross-border transactions.
• Ensure financial data from multiple entities can be consolidated accurately for management reporting.

7. Team Leadership & Stakeholder Management

• Lead, mentor, and develop junior finance team members.
• Review work outputs and support professional development of team members.
• Simplify complex financial concepts for non-finance stakeholders and business teams.
• Manage relationships with banks, auditors, tax consultants, vendors, and regulatory authorities.

Candidate Profile

Must-Have Requirements

• 8+ years of core finance and accounting experience.
• Minimum 5 years of team management experience in a managerial or senior managerial capacity.
• Strong hands-on expertise in GST, Income Tax, TDS, and statutory compliance.
• Proven experience preparing and reviewing financial statements under Indian Accounting Standards (Ind AS) and/or Accounting Standards (AS).
• Experience managing statutory audits and coordinating with external auditors.
• Strong operational finance experience across Procure-to-Pay (P2P), Record-to-Report (R2R), and related finance functions.
• Advanced proficiency in MS Excel and Google Sheets.

Preferred Qualifications

• Chartered Accountant (CA), Inter-CA, or MBA (Finance).
• Experience with accounting platforms such as Zoho Books, Zoho Expense, QuickBooks, or similar ERP systems.
• Exposure to multi-country or cross-border financial operations.
• Experience within project-based organizations, consulting firms, service organizations, research institutions, or the social impact/non-profit sector.
• Familiarity with donor reporting, grant management, and project budget monitoring.