Lead - Finance and Compliance Officer (STEP Northeast)
About Mantra4Change
Mantra4Change is a non-profit organisation working with governments to transform public education systems in India — so that millions of children can learn better, grow stronger, and thrive. We partner closely with state education departments to design and implement reforms at scale, strengthening leadership, governance, and classroom practice across public schools. Our work is grounded in the belief that lasting change happens when governments lead their own transformation.
Through long-term collaboration with institutions such as SCERTs and DIETs, Mantra4Change focuses on developing school leaders and system leaders, building collaborative school cultures, and engaging communities as partners in learning. By combining strong on-ground implementation with continuous learning, we help systems identify what works, scale it responsibly, and sustain improvement over time.
Our mission is to enable leaders at every level of the system to drive continuous improvement, creating a virtuous cycle in which strong leadership, collective ownership, and systemic reform deliver better learning and more equitable outcomes for every child.
Read more - www.mantra4change.org
About STEP NE:
We have been working closely in the education sector since 2025. Our approach to work in the northeastern states is to strengthen education at various levels through collective action by leveraging technology to bring in positive change. The programme has the objective to improve education outcomes of disadvantaged school children and aims to meet national average and continue the growth beyond. Besides the government, the team works closely with grassroots organizations and carries out comprehensive programme, technical, financial, administrative, compliance, and capacity development functions in support of various donor-funded projects.
About the role
The Finance and Compliance Officer will strengthen the financial management, compliance and reporting systems of projects in Northeast India. The position reports to and requires working under the guidance of the Program Manager
The position combines two complementary functions:
• Financial assurance and compliance: Ensuring that project funds are managed appropriately and that financial planning, accounting, procurement, documentation, reporting and audits comply with project agreements, donor requirements, donor regulations and applicable Indian laws.
• Partner and team capacity development: Supporting partner NGOs and M4C STEP NE team through practical guidance, training, coaching, tools and regular on-site support.
The role is intended to build sustainable financial management capacity within partner organisations rather than only identifying errors after they have occurred. At the same time, the Officer is expected to maintain a high standard of financial oversight, identify risks early and ensure that corrective measures are implemented.
Roles and Responsibilities:
A. Financial Management and Oversight:
• Monitor the financial management of all assigned projects implemented by partner NGOs.
• Review project budgets, annual financial plans, cash-flow forecasts, fund requests and budget revisions.
• Monitor expenditure, budget utilisation, spending rates, commitments, and financial projections.
• Identify underspending, overspending, unusual expenditure patterns, and implementation delays at an early stage.
• Review and validate financial reports submitted by partner NGOs before submission to donors.
• Ensure that reported expenditure corresponds with approved budgets, project activities, accounting records and supporting documentation.
• Verify bank reconciliations, general ledgers, cash books, advance registers, payroll records and other relevant financial records for partner organisations across NE states.
• Ensure the proper allocation of shared costs, personnel costs, administrative expenses and exchange-rate gains or losses.
• Develop consolidated financial overviews and management information for the STEP NE and donor teams.
B. Partner NGO Financial Monitoring:
• Conduct regular finance and compliance visits to partner organisations and project locations.
• Review financial documents, accounting records, procurement files, bank records, personnel files, asset registers, and project documentation.
• Assess the adequacy of internal controls, segregation of duties, authorisation procedures and documentation practices.
• Conduct risk-based voucher checks and transaction reviews.
• Verify that expenditure is reasonable, necessary, adequately documented, related to approved project activities, and represents value for money.
• Agree on corrective action plans with partner organisations and monitor their implementation.
• Escalate significant financial, compliance fraud, or governance concerns to management without delay.
• Maintain a structured overview of partner-specific risks, pending actions, and compliance requirements.
C. Compliance with Indian Laws and Regulations:
• Support partner NGOs in maintaining compliance with applicable Indian financial, tax, labour and non-profit regulations.
• Monitor compliance with the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act, FCRA, and applicable rules, notifications, and filing requirements.
• Review the validity and conditions of partners’ FCRA registration or prior permission before disbursements are made.
• Verify that foreign contributions are received, transferred, accounted for, and utilised through the appropriate bank accounts and accounting structures.
• Ensure that foreign and domestic funds are properly distinguished and that project expenditure can be traced to the relevant funding source.
• Monitor FCRA-related reporting, annual returns, bank reconciliations, donor records, and utilisation documentation.
• Review proposed transfers, subcontracting, third-party implementation arrangements, and payments for potential FCRA implications and flag concerns before commitments are made.
• Coordinate with chartered accountants, legal advisers, and other specialists when formal professional advice is required.
• Maintain a compliance calendar covering statutory filings, donor reports, audits, agreement renewals, and other key deadlines.
The Finance and Compliance Officer supports compliance monitoring but does not replace the statutory responsibilities of the management, governing bodies, or appointed Chartered Accountants of the respective partner organisations.
D. Donor Compliance:
• Develop a detailed understanding of the financial and administrative requirements applicable to each donor project.
• Advise partners and programme colleagues on eligible and ineligible expenditures, budget flexibility, procurement, currency exchange, documentation, asset management, and reporting requirements.
• Ensure that financial transactions are economical, efficient, appropriate, and directly related to the approved project purpose.
• Monitor compliance with approved budget categories and donor-specific limits.
• Review proposed budget reallocations and determine whether prior approval is required.
• Ensure that funding requests are based on realistic cash requirements and that funds are used within the applicable utilisation periods.
• Monitor compliance with required funding ratios, partner contributions, and other sources of project financing.
• Ensure that procurement procedures are transparent, competitive, appropriately documented, and compliant with the applicable thresholds and project agreements.
• Review quotations, bid analyses, procurement committee documentation, conflict-of-interest declarations, and contracts.
• Ensure that assets and equipment are recorded, labelled, safeguarded, and used for the approved project purpose.
• Maintain complete and audit-ready financial and compliance documentation for each project.
E. Financial Reporting:
• Establish and communicate clear reporting schedules and requirements for all partner NGOs.
• Provide partners with standardised templates, checklists, and guidance for financial reporting.
• Review quarterly, half-yearly, and annual financial reports for accuracy, completeness, and consistency.
• Reconcile reported expenditures with accounting records, budgets, bank balances, advances, and fund transfers.
• Follow up promptly on missing information, unexplained variances, and documentation gaps.
• Ensure that partner reports are submitted correctly and early enough to allow for a meaningful internal review.
• Support the preparation of consolidated financial reports for donors.
• Coordinate closely with programme colleagues to ensure consistency between financial expenditure and reported project implementation.
F. Audit Coordination and Follow-up:
• Review draft audit reports and management letters for completeness and accuracy.
• Follow up on audit observations and ensure that agreed corrective actions are implemented.
• Maintain an audit recommendation tracker across all partner organisations and projects.
• Support investigations into suspected fraud, misuse of funds, or serious non-compliance, as requested by management.
• Contribute to the development of fraud prevention, whistleblowing, and incident-response procedures.
G. Capacity Development of Partner NGOs:
o Assess the financial management capacity of existing and potential partner organisations.
o Develop partner-specific capacity-development plans based on identified risks and needs.
o Provide practical coaching to partner finance staff, project managers, and organisational leadership.
o Conduct training on topics including:
o budgeting and financial planning;
o financial reporting;
o FCRA compliance;
o Donor requirements;
o procurement and value for money;
o accounting and supporting documentation;
o internal controls and fraud prevention;
o asset and inventory management;
o advance management;
o audit preparation; and
o digital document management.
o Develop simple manuals, checklists, templates, and standard operating procedures that partners can apply independently.
o Promote peer learning and exchange between partner finance teams.
H. Support to the M4C STEP NE Team:
o Train M4C STEP NE programme staff in basic financial management, donor compliance, and the financial implications of programme decisions.
o Support programme colleagues in preparing realistic activity budgets and implementation plans.
o Participate in project planning, proposal development, partner assessments, and agreement preparation.
o Review the financial sections of project proposals, contracts, amendments, and partner agreements.
o Advise management on financial risks, partner capacity, funding requirements, and corrective measures.
o Contribute to the development and regular improvement of STEP NE finance and compliance systems.
o Facilitate cooperation between partner finance teams, programme teams, donor headquarters, auditors, and external advisers.
o Provide clear and solution-oriented recommendations rather than only identifying problems.
Initial Priorities:
The Finance and Compliance Officer will be expected to:
o Conduct a structured financial and compliance assessment of all active partner NGOs.
o Establish a consolidated project finance and compliance dashboard.
o Develop a reporting and statutory compliance calendar.
o Standardise key finance templates, checklists, and partner reporting formats.
o Review the status of FCRA compliance and documentation for each relevant partner and project.
o Establish a risk-based schedule for partner monitoring visits.
o Develop an annual training and capacity-development plan.
o Identify urgent compliance gaps and agree time-bound corrective actions with the relevant partners.
o Improve the timeliness and quality of partner financial reports.
Skills & Qualifications Required:
• Must have a bachelor’s or master’s degree in accounting, finance, commerce, business administration, or a related field.
• Must have a professional qualification or advanced training in accounting, audit, or financial management.
• Must have at least seven years of progressively responsible experience in finance, accounting, audit, or compliance.
• Must have at least five years of relevant experience with NGOs, INGOs, foundations, or donor-funded development projects.
• Must have strong practical knowledge of FCRA and experience supporting FCRA-compliant organisations.
• Must have demonstrated experience in project budgeting, financial reporting, and internal controls.
• Must have experience reviewing the accounts and financial systems of partner organisations or branch offices.
• Must have experience building the capacity of finance and non-finance staff.
• Must have advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and good knowledge of accounting software such as Tally, QuickBooks, Zoho Books, or comparable systems.
• Must have strong written and spoken English.
• Must have the willingness and ability to travel regularly, including to remote project locations.
• Good to have experience with projects funded by BMZ, Engagement Global/bengo, the European Union, United Nations agencies, or other institutional donors.
• Good to have knowledge of German public-donor compliance requirements.
• Good to have experience working with NGOs in Northeast India.
• Good to have knowledge of relevant Indian taxation, labour, procurement, and nonprofit regulatory requirements.
• Good to have working knowledge of Hindi and one or more regional languages.
Why Mantra:
• A trust-based work environment that encourages independent thinking, questioning, and building solutions.
• An open and collaborative culture where teams are accessible and diverse perspectives are valued.
• 24 paid leave and 12 calendar holidays.
• Health insurance coverage of up to ?5 LPA for the employee and their dependents.
• One menstrual leave each month for women employees.
• Rs. 5000 L&D fund to pursue job-related learning opportunities.
Remuneration: An annual CTC of INR 6-10 Lakhs Onwards (depending on competency, experience & last drawn CTC)
Location: Jorhat, Assam (with frequent travel to the field locations when needed)
Learn more about Mantra on our website, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram
Apply through this link: mantra4change.keka.com/careers/jobdetails/159316