Senior Manager (Administration and Finance) - J-PAL South Asia (Apply by: July 17, 2015)

JOB DESCRIPTION

Senior Manager - Administration and Finance

J-PAL South Asia, Chennai

1. POSITION VACANT: Senior Manager – Administration and Finance, J-PAL South Asia, Chennai

2. BACKGROUND: 

The Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) was established in 2003 as a research center at the Economics Department at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Since then, it has grown into a global network of researchers who use randomized evaluations to answer critical policy questions in the fight against poverty.

J-PAL is organized both by regional offices and by research themes called Programs. J-PAL's headquarters is a center within the Economics Department of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), with independent regional offices in Africa, Europe, Latin America, North America, , and Southeast Asia that are hosted by a local university. J-PAL's Programs include Agriculture, Education, Environment and Energy, Finance, Health, Labor Markets, and Political Economy and Governance. These regional offices and Programs are directed by members of the J-PAL Board, which is composed of J-PAL affiliates and senior management. 

J-PAL South Asia is based at the Institute for Financial Management and Research (IFMR) in Chennai. It was established in 2007, with generous support from the Mulago Foundation, to manage J-PAL's growing partnerships in India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. J-PAL South Asia seeks to improve the effectiveness of poverty programs by providing policymakers with clear scientific evidence.

For more information about J-PAL, please visit http://www.povertyactionlab.org/southasia/  andhttp://www.povertyactionlab.org/

3. JOB DESCRIPTION/ RESPONSIBILITIES:

J-PAL South Asia at the Institute for Financial Management and Research (IFMR), Chennai, seeks a qualified applicant for the position of Senior Manager – Administration and Finance (A&F) in India.

The Senior Manager-A&F shall support the Associate Director (Administration and Finance) to ensure the smooth functioning of all financial and operational aspects of J-PAL South Asia. The post requires a multi-skilled person with strong administrative, financial and operational skills, proficient in MS Office and financial management software packages. The position will be based at Chennai, India, at the Headquarters of J-PAL South Asia at IFMR.

Key Job Responsibilities:
The key responsibilities of the Senior Manager-A&F shall be to help the Associate Director A&F oversee all administrative and financial activities relating to operational efficiency and efficient financial management of J-PAL SA and to develop and implement related policies and procedures in alignment with the core values of the organisation and the statutory rules of the country. Specific responsibilities shall include but not be limited to the following: 
(1) Developing, designing and improving internal financial and administrative systems and accounting practices, with the goal of timely and accurate tracking of expenses;
(2) Responsible for the Annual Budgeting exercise and developing and monitoring the cash flow plans; Reviewing and analyzing financial reports;
(3) Developing and monitoring financial controls for accounts receivables, payables, assets and donor receipts;
(4) Ensuring invoices and financial reports are raised on time and reviewed before sending to donors or other external stakeholders;
(5) Overseeing, reporting and monitoring of organisational performance metrics  including developing dash boards and other relevant Financial MIS for regular reporting to ADF and other senior team members;
(7) Overseeing the payroll function and negotiating for employee insurance and other such employee benefits;
(8) Guiding relevant A&F contact person at field offices in procurement;
(9) Responsible for the annual closure of accounts and preparation of the annual report to the IFMR Board;
(10) Responsible for coordination of audit reviews and resolving audit queries raised, both quarterly and annual;
(11) Ensuring timely tax compliance and adherence to FERA/FEMA regulations while making any payments and depositing within the stipulated statutory deadlines;
(12) Developing risk management policies to ensure that the organization’s risk is minimized;
(13) Supervising the Admin and Finance team at Head Office and A&F contact persons at the field offices;
(14) Participating in organizational trainings and supervising and training staff in administrative and financial operations;
(15) Any other task assigned by the Associate Director A&F and/or the Executive Director.

4. QUALIFICATIONS, EXPERIENCE AND COMPETENCIES: 

Qualification:
Applicants must have a degree in CA/ MBA Finance/ICWAI with significant training in and a strong understanding of financial management systems.

Experience: 
(1) Minimum 10 years of relevant experience in the NGO sector, with experience in cash flow management and consolidation of accounts in a senior administration or operational role; 
(2) Strong grip of accounting packages, preferably Tally or Quick Books;
(3) Knowledge of the FCRA, Society Act, Income Tax and other such statutory laws; 
(4) Experience of managing a small team of people, including training and development.

Skills & Abilities:
(1) Excellent communication skills with the ability to liaise closely with non-financial staff;
(2) Ability to deal with people at all levels, in a professional manner;
(3) Good MS Excel skills; Experience in quantitative analysis would be beneficial;
(4) Proven ability to handle several tasks at one time, with the ability to prioritise, plan and organize workloads in a challenging and flexible environment; 
(5) Self-motivated with willingness to work hard.

5. COMPENSATION OFFERED:

The offer made to the selected candidate shall be commensurate with qualifications, experience and salary history.

6. CONTRACT:

The selected candidate shall be offered a five years contract, renewable based on performance.

7. LOCATION: Chennai

8. REFERENCE: SMAF-JPAL

9. CONTACT INFORMATION:

Senior Consultant
Strategic Alliance Management Services P Ltd.
1/1B, Choudhary Hetram House, Bharat Nagar
New Friends Colony, New Delhi 110 025 
Phones: 011-2684-2162; 011-4165-3612; 011-4101-1564 and 011-4101-1565
Email: smaf-jpal@sams.co.in 

10. LAST DATE FOR APPLICATIONS:

Eligible candidates interested in this position are requested apply to smaf-jpal@sams.co.in with a cover letter, discussing their interest in and suitability for the position, along with an updated resume, giving details of three references, current cost to organization and expected compensation, by or before July 17, 2015.

For further details please visit www.sams.co.in.