Finance Officer - Grants & Budgets

About The George Institute

The George Institute for Global Health was established in 1999 with a mission to improve the health of millions of people worldwide, particularly underserved populations, by challenging the status quo and using innovative approaches to prevent and treat the world’s biggest killers: non-communicable diseases and injury.

With offices in Australia, China, India and the UK, our 700+ people support 245+ active projects and clinical trials across 50+ countries, with 400+ more staff across our social enterprises. We focus on the global health challenges that cause the greatest loss of life, the greatest impairment of life quality and the most substantial economic burden, particularly in resource-poor settings.

Together with our academic partners, UNSW Sydney in Australia, Manipal Academy of Higher Education in India and Imperial College London in the United Kingdom, we work with a global network of collaborators, undertaking clinical, population and health systems research.

Our experts are among the most cited globally, bestowed accolades for excellence and innovation, and regularly participate in policy fora. Our research is published in leading academic journals, referenced in policy documents, and recognised for its excellence, innovation and impact. We are designated a WHO Collaborating Centre (WHO CC) for Injury Prevention & Trauma Care, and a WHO CC for Population Salt Reduction. Since 1999, we have raised more than $1 billion for research and produced over 10,000 peer-reviewed publications and other academic outputs.

What we do

• Lead world-class, large-scale clinical trials, epidemiological studies and health systems research to transform treatments and healthcare delivery
• Look beyond single diseases, across the life course, to identify patient-centred approaches to care that can be implemented at scale
• Develop low-cost, innovative solutions to global unmet needs
• Drive our global impact through a program of research, advocacy, thought leadership and disruptive social entrepreneurship

For more information about The George Institute, visit www.georgeinstitute.org.

The George Institute India

The George Institute, a wholly owned legal not-for-profit Indian research institute, has been conducting research related activities in India since 2002. The George Institute India’s mission mirrors that of the parent organization, namely the discovery and implementation of solutions to chronic and disabling health problems through research, policy development and capacity building.

A number of large-scale projects in population, health systems and clinical research, funded by a diverse group of sponsors, both public and private, are conducted in India. The George Institute India comprises two distinct operating groups: Research and Development, and Infrastructure and Resources. It has two separate offices - in Hyderabad and New Delhi, where the research staff and senior management are based.

Context & Role:

The Finance Officer – Grants & Budget will be primarily responsible for providing assistance with all financial aspects of research projects including planning, funding, day to day management and oversight of budgets.

The position will also assist Finance Manager – Grants & Budgets in all reporting, internal controls and audits, reviewing of transactions to ensure the accuracy and appropriateness of all financial transactions recorded under each project, and also assist in development/ improvement of related processes, systems and standards.

The position is based in New Delhi and would involve occasional travelling.

Reporting Relationships

Directly reports to the Finance Manager – Grants & Budgets

Dotted Reporting – Head Finance & Admin

Research project managers, partner organizations and donors will be the key stakeholders of this position.

Duties and Key Responsibilities:

• Preparation of grant utilization certificates including transaction listing statement for various research projects under the supervision of Finance Manager – Grants & Budgets. This would involve timely preparation and submission of utilization reports and other reports to donors, including review by internal teams and coordination with auditors wherever certification is required.
• Performing primary analysis of the financial transactions as reported in the utilization certificates submitted by partner organizations. And in case of any inconsistencies in the utilization certificates, liaise with the partner organizations to get it corrected.
• Assisting partner organization to improve their financials and reporting processes.
• For new project submissions, assist in preparation of budgets as per donor guidelines (along with linking with internal chart of accounts) and provide various supporting documents to be submitted to the donor
• Ensure project expenses are booked in Tally as per the approved budget lines and in compliance with the terms of the grant agreement so that manual workings are reduced for donor reporting.
• Review and ensure completeness and accuracy of all transactions (income, unutilized grants, overheads recovery etc.) for the month and compile monthly P&L statements and send the reports to various stakeholders as per agreed timelines
• Periodic review of spends vis-à-vis budgets with the project owner and planning the utilization of balance funds available
• Ensure all project related data i.e. grant agreements, amendments, financial and other reports etc are well organised and saved on the shared drive / server.
• Ensure timely availability of accurate financial information to project managers for monitoring of research funds. Assist in empowering project managers in financial management of their project. Improve, maintain and develop various reports as per their requirements for making project related decisions. Flag the need and assist in seeking ‘no cost extension’ or budget realignment wherever required.
• Review all grant/project agreements to ensure that amounts due are requested as per the agreed timelines by preparing grant disbursement requests. Escalate to senior management any overdue amounts.
• Assist in the annual budgeting process. Work with project managers to ensure the annual budget and annual reforecast is complete, timely and accurate. After finalization of budgets, upload them in the reporting software (Jedox).
• Drive improvement in policies, processes, systems and internal control environment of the organization, process improvement, documentation of SOPs
• Contribute to improving Tally and Jedox e.g. report customization etc.
• Prepare dashboards for senior managements giving key project data and information required to monitor status of projects
• For each grant, preparing Budget vs Actual on monthly basis, reviewing and report unusual variation to Finance Manager – Grants & Utilizations.
• Provide budget availability confirmation as per budget line item (opex and capex) in the grant agreement
• Providing timely details and information as required by Program Team to enable to discharge their responsibilities.
• Be a back-up for other team members, and assist with any other task assigned by the line manager.

As a Team Member:

• Be responsible for and participate in team meetings and activities.
• Participate in special projects to improve policies, processes, tools, systems etc.
• Take responsibility for personal learning and development and for setting achievable and meaningful work objectives and managing personal targets, meeting obligations of the Institute’s Performance Management and Development Policy;
• Demonstrate commitment to the Institute’s values, including performing to an exceptionally high ethical standard and focus on integrity, collaboration and teamwork in all efforts. 

Work, Health and Safety

• Comply with GI’s Work Health and Safety Policy and related procedures, and similar policies which apply when visiting the premises of affiliates and collaborating sites.
• Promote and contribute to a safe, secure environment for staff and visitors.
• Ensure direct reports, if any, understand and comply with safe work practice and procedures.

Skills, Knowledge and Experience

• Graduate in Commerce/ Finance/ Accounts with minimum 3-5 years of experience, working in a non-profit (grant receiving organization) with multiple donors.
• Sound working knowledge of grant terms & conditions, and reporting requirements of large funders like USAID, NIH, MRC, NIHR, BMGF etc.
• Familiarity with FCRA compliance and understanding of donor audits.
• Fluent in English and Hindi with strong oral and written communication skills
• Proficient in Tally with knowledge of all features and functionalities, with excellent understanding of cost centre accounting and project accounting
• Advanced level knowledge of Microsoft Excel, at ease with complex spreadsheets with large volumes of data
• Proficient and at ease in sourcing, reconciling and synchronizing data from multiple sources into an accurate and reliable summary report.
• Methodical with very high level of attention to detail
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Team player with ability to be flexible and adaptable in the face of changing organizational priorities and ambiguous environments
• Multi-tasker with excellent prioritizing and time management skills
• Self-starter with a drive to excel while achieving results
• Very high level of commitment and integrity
• Quick learner
• Open to feedback and willing to work on it

Note: It is not the intention of the job description to limit the scope or accountabilities of the position but to highlight the most important aspects of the position. The aspects mentioned above may be altered in accordance with the changing requirements of the role as per mutual agreement.

For more details, please see the Position Description for this role.

How to apply:

Interested candidates should send their resume with full contact details, current and expected CTC/salary. Clearly mentioning the job title <Finance Officer – Grants and Budgets> in the subject line to hrindia@georgeinstitute.org.in by the 14 July 2024.

Our big and bold mission to improve the health of millions of people worldwide needs a diverse and innovative team to deliver it.  So, we foster a dynamic, inclusive and flexible workplace where each individual can bring their best selves to work.

Everyone is encouraged to apply, including people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, people with a disability, people of all gender identities and sexual orientations, and mature-aged adults.