Senior Manager - Finance, Audit and Compliance

       SWAYAM SHIKSHAN PRAYOG (SSP)

• Review and strengthen the process of monthly closing, journals, advances, liabilities, receivables, payroll, fixed assets and project expenditure.
• Ensure monthly reconciliation of every bank account, cash balance, control account and material Balance Sheet item.
• Maintain clear segregation of FC, domestic/local, restricted project, organisational and other designated funds.

• Maintain donor-wise records, receipts, interest, programme and administrative expenditure, capital expenditure etc.
• Monitor budgets, grant periods, utilisation rates, donor restrictions, reallocations and unspent balances.
• Prepare and review donor financial reports, utilisation certificates and project closure statements.
• Provide programme teams with regular budget-versus-actual analysis and early warning on material variances or low utilisation.

• Maintain complete segregation and reconciliation of foreign contribution across donor ledgers, books, designated/utilisation bank accounts, fixed deposits, audited statements and Form FC-4 and other relevant compliances.
• Maintain donor-wise ageing of unutilised FC, FC-derived interest, FC-funded assets and supporting documentation.
• Monitor FCRA administrative expenditure through the year, including staff and common-cost classifications.
• Strengthen the process of FCRA renewal, annual returns, donor audits and due diligence, regulatory inspections and responses to queries.

• Maintain a complete register of FC and non-FC bank accounts, fixed deposits, authorised signatories and account purpose.
• Map material bank balances to donor/project sub-ledgers and ensure interest is attributed to the appropriate funding source.
• Review cash-flow requirements, bank concentration, idle balances and compliance with Board-approved investment policy. 

• Coordinate and technically oversee statutory, internal, donor, project and FCRA audits in consultation with the Head of Finance.
• Review draft audited accounts line by line for accuracy and transperency.
• Maintain an audit-observation register with risk, owner, corrective action, deadline and evidence of closure.
• Escalate unresolved or repeated audit issues to the Head of Finance, Chief Executive Director and relevant Board Committee.

• Strengthen and oversee the process of Income-tax compliance for charitable trusts, 12A/12AB, 80G, TDS, annual returns, FCRA, CSR-related financial requirements, GST where applicable, Maharashtra Public Trusts Act filings, Professional Tax, PF, ESIC where applicable and gratuity-related obligations.
• Maintain a compliance calendar showing due date, preparer, reviewer, filing date and acknowledgement.
• Review changes in law and advise the Head of Finance and management on financial and compliance implications.

• Maintain an employee-cost register and reconcile payroll to the general ledger.
• Review employee-wise/project-wise allocations so total allocation does not exceed 100%.
• Ensure salary allocations are supported by contracts, roles, approved budgets and a reasonable allocation methodology.

• Maintain and reconcile fixed-asset registers with donor source, FC/non-FC status, project, location, custodian, cost, depreciation and disposal status.
• Maintain separate visibility of FC-funded assets and immovable-property accounting records.
• Ensure any revolving/restricted fund is maintained with accuracy and transperency.

• Support the CEO and Head of Finance in annual budgeting, project-budget consolidation, cash-flow forecasting and financial scenario analysis.
• Prepare monthly and quarterly management information covering income and expenditure, donor utilisation, FC/local balances, cash, staff costs, receivables, major variances and compliance status.
• Prepare concise financial dashboards and explanations for the Chief Executive Director and Board members who may not have finance backgrounds.
• Flag material financial, compliance or control risks early and propose corrective action.

• Review maker-checker controls, delegation limits, procurement, payments, advances, travel, payroll, bank operations and project-cost documentation.
• Improve use of Tally, Excel and finance/MIS tools for automated reconciliation and management reporting.
• Provide technical mentoring to the finance and accounts team under the overall leadership of the Head of Finance.
• Develop standard checklists, templates and review routines so critical financial knowledge does not sit with one person.

• Qualified Chartered Accountant.
• Strong working knowledge of accounting standards and financial reporting applicable to charitable trusts and non-profit organisations.
• Strong working knowledge of FCRA and other tax compliances.

• Preferably 10+ years of post-qualification experience, with substantial experience in NGOs, charitable trusts, Section 8/non-profit organisations or development-sector institutions.
• Demonstrated experience in FCRA accounting and reporting, donor accounting, restricted funds, multi-year grants, statutory audits and donor audits.
• Strong knowledge of Income-tax provisions for charitable organisations, 12A/12AB, 80G, TDS, CSR financial compliance, GST, Maharashtra Public Trusts Act and employee-related statutory requirements.
• Strong financial analysis and judgement: able to identify anomalies, explain why numbers moved and assess the implications for management and governance.
• High attention to detail and willingness to challenge unsupported balances, weak documentation, incorrect classifications or poor-quality audit outputs.
• Professional independence and confidence to raise material financial or compliance concerns with the Head of Finance, Chief Executive Director, auditors and the relevant Board Committee.
• Ability to translate complex financial matters into clear, concise explanations for colleagues (especially grassroots colleagues with limited financial understanding) and Board members without finance backgrounds.
• Advanced working ability in Excel and strong practical knowledge of Tally or comparable accounting systems; familiarity with finance/MIS integration is desirable.
• Experience guiding or mentoring finance staff and strengthening systems in a growing, decentralised organisation.
• Strong written and spoken English; working knowledge of Marathi and Hindi is desirable.
• A systems mindset that strengthens control and accountability while keeping processes proportionate and practical.

• High integrity, discretion and a strong sense of fiduciary responsibility.
• Analytical, methodical and comfortable moving between transaction-level scrutiny and Board-level interpretation.
• Collaborative in working style, while prepared to hold a firm professional position where compliance or financial integrity is at risk.
• Respect for field teams and programme realities, with an ability to design controls that support rather than obstruct implementation.

• SSP is committed to women's leadership and equal opportunity. Women candidates are strongly encouraged to apply, and preference may be given to suitably qualified women candidates where candidates are otherwise comparable in experience and capability.