Job Description
Position - Assurance Manager
Reports to: Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
Location: Bangalore
Functional Responsibilities (Role Purpose):
The Assurance Manager is responsible for providing independent, CEO?level assurance across programs, grants, and organizational systems at Rise Against Hunger India. The role exists to identify risks early, strengthen process and compliance discipline, and protect institutional credibility, particularly as the organization scales in size, complexity, and donor exposure.
Operating independently of program delivery and fundraising functions, the Assurance Manager supports leadership by offering an objective assessment of compliance, quality, and control effectiveness, enabling timely corrective action and continuous system improvement.
Core Accountabilities
- Independent visibility into risks, gaps, and systemic weaknesses across programs and grants
- Early identification and escalation of compliance, quality, and delivery risks
- Strengthened internal controls and process discipline as the organization scales
- Audit readiness and sustained institutional credibility with donors, partners, and regulators
Key Responsibilities
1. Program & Delivery Assurance
- Conduct periodic reviews and spot checks across implementation locations including NGO partner locations to assess adherence to approved program designs, SOPs, quality standards, and donor commitments.
- Verify that meal packaging, distribution, and other program activities are executed in line with organizational and donor?approved guidelines.
- Identify deviations, gaps, or emerging risks in program delivery and document findings clearly for review with relevant leaders.
- Support corrective?action planning in collaboration with Program Implementation and Program Quality teams, while maintaining independent judgment.
2. Grant, Donor & Compliance Assurance
- Review grant?funded projects to assess compliance with approved proposals, budgets, donor agreements, and reporting requirements.
- Verify that outputs, utilization data, and expenditures reported to donors are supported by adequate documentation and evidence.
- Conduct internal compliance reviews in advance of donor audits, due?diligence exercises, or external assessments.
- Work closely with the Grants Facilitation Manager to strengthen compliance systems and reduce recurrence of grant?related risks.
3. Process, Systems & Internal Control Reviews
- Assess organizational processes related to program delivery, procurement, inventory, logistics, volunteer management, and reporting.
- Review internal controls, approval workflows, segregation of duties, and record?keeping practices for adequacy and effectiveness.
- Identify systemic control gaps, inefficiencies, or weaknesses that could expose the organization to compliance or reputational risk.
- Recommend practical process and control improvements to strengthen institutional robustness and scalability.
4. Risk Identification & Assurance Planning
- Support leadership in identifying programmatic, operational, compliance, and reputational risks across the organization.
- Develop and maintain a structured assurance review plan covering programs, grants, locations, and functional areas, prioritized by risk and exposure.
- Track recurring issues and patterns across reviews and escalate systemic risks, not just isolated gaps, to the CEO and senior leadership.
5. Data, Documentation & Evidence Validation
- Verify consistency and accuracy of key data across program reports, utilization records, inventory data, and financial summaries.
- Ensure that documentation supporting reported activities is complete, traceable, and audit-ready.
- Work with Program, M&E, and Finance teams to strengthen evidence chains, documentation discipline, and data reliability.
6. Audit & External Review Support
- Support internal preparation for statutory audits, donor audits, and third?party reviews.
- Coordinate internal information collation and response tracking during audits or reviews, while maintaining independence from donor communication.
- Track audit observations, management responses, and closure of assurance points over time.
7. Assurance Culture & Capacity Strengthening
- Contribute to building a culture of proactive assurance and risk awareness, rather than reactively fault?finding.
- Share learning from assurance reviews to strengthen compliance understanding and prevent recurrence of issues.
- Support development and periodic review of SOPs, compliance checklists, and assurance frameworks as required.
Qualifications & Experience
- Bachelor’s degree required; postgraduate qualification in management, finance, audit, development studies, or a related field preferred.
- Previous work experience with an audit firm or with a chartered accountant will be given preference
- 10–12 years of experience in assurance, compliance, internal audit, risk management, or governance roles, preferably in complex program environments.
- Demonstrated experience working across multiple functions and engaging constructively with senior leaders and operational teams.
- Prior exposure to donor compliance, audits, or high?accountability environments strongly preferred.
Key Competencies & Capabilities
- Strong analytical and critical?thinking skills, with the ability to identify patterns and systemic risks.
- High integrity, objectivity, and sound judgment, balanced with a collaborative and respectful working style.
- Attention to detail without losing sight of organizational context and priorities.
- Clear written and verbal communication skills, particularly in presenting risks and recommendations to senior leadership.
- Ability to influence without direct authority and build trust across teams.
- Alignment with organizational values of credibility, accountability, and responsible scale?up.