Associate Head - Financial Planning, Accounting and Reporting

ABOUT STIR EDUCATION

We are an international NGO that supports education systems to reignite intrinsic motivation so that every child, teacher and official is motivated to learn and improve. At a practical level, that means we support governments to reignite intrinsic motivation in teachers and local officials, through teacher networks. Our vision is a world where teachers love teaching and children love learning. Since 2012 we have reached 200,000 teachers and 6 million children across 70 districts in India and Uganda and have recently launched our programme in two districts in East Java, Indonesia.

OUR MODEL

We achieve this through a five-year learning partnership with an education system, where we align all levels of the education system (officials, teachers and children) around the goal of increasing intrinsic motivation.

Practically, this means that teachers undergo monthly network meetings with about 20 to 30 local peers. Through these meetings they’re supported to develop their practice in areas ranging from effective questioning to creating warm but orderly classroom routines – all designed to create a more effective relationship between the teacher and child. In doing so they develop a sense of autonomy (the sense they can change things), mastery (sense of getting better as a professionals) and purpose (reconnecting emotionally with their peers and students) – the key drivers of intrinsic motivation.

District officials undergo a training and coaching programme that motivates and supports them to prioritise, run and monitor the teacher networks and a close partnership with the state or national government enables the government to align this intrinsic motivation approach within their priorities, structures and systems.

The approach is run by the government from day one and after about five years of partnering with an education system we hope to have embedded a culture of improvement at all levels for the system to continue to strengthen itself. We typically allocate one member of our own staff per district to train, energise and coach the district officials running the approach, and a small team at the national or state level.

OUR VALUES

How we approach our work is as important as what we do and our core values guide the way:

Humility – We don’t have all the answers upfront.

Ownership –We empower each other with high expectations & support.

Openness –We will listen, learn and improve, and lead through obstacles.

Purpose – We’re united by a shared vision we’ll build & achieve together.

GLOBAL MANAGER - REPORTING & FINANCIAL PLANNINGTHE OPPORTUNITY

STiR Education is looking for a Global Associate Head- Finance who will primarily lead on Financial planning, accounting & reporting based in New Delhi, India. This role forms a vital part of STiR’s finance operations and will provide crucial support to the Global finance function. The candidate will report to the Global Director Finance and Operations and will support in Global management reporting, budgeting, donor budgeting & reporting, global accounting review and audits to continuously improve financial systems and processes to be timely, accurate and responsive to the organisation’s needs.

The role is based in New Delhi. The last date to apply is the 15th of August 2024
ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIESMANAGEMENT OF ACCOUNTS, REPORTING AND BUDGET PREPARATION

• Lead and Prepare monthly, quarterly and annual reports for Leadership team, Finance Committee and Board.
• Sharing consolidated monthly reports with Leadership Team/budget holders containing variance and narratives received after close coordination with in-country finance team leads budget holder wise and location wise.
• Ensuring adherence to operating rhythm by Country finance teams to share monthly and quarterly reports
• Prepare and support GDFO (Global Director Finance and Operations) to build financial health and reserves.
• Ensure projections are prepared in close coordination with donor partnership team and prepare analysis with different models and lead on sharing with GDFO and flag concerns, indicate areas of focussing organisational energies and attention
• Map donor expense reports submitted and pre-empt any corrective actions needed and update the country/global finance leads.
• Support GDFO for preparing FC papers which includes, Financial projections, Funding Scenarios, Global Budget Variance reports, cash flow, graphs etc.
• Lead on annual budgeting process with country finance leads and budget holders.
• Being part of strategic discussions and preparing 3-5 year costs to predict Global picture and organizational expansion with scenario building.
• Preparing standardized global budget and re-forecasting templates and preparing Global consolidation of budgets.
• Co-ordinating with various functional heads and provide guidance/ orientation on budgets wherever required.
• Be responsible for Intercompany reconciliation on monthly basis

DONOR BUDGETING AND REPORTING

• Ensure the donor partnership team (your primary stakeholder) has all required financial information on time for either Donor reporting or bespoke proposals/budgets
• Support the donor partnership teams in preparation of  donor budgets in line with the proposals
• Ensure timely support to country leads in donor budget review for the local fundraising in different geographies
• Build understanding on full cost recovery of the Global costs and support in developing financial sustainability strategies
• Tracking donor income on monthly basis and timely updation of donor pipelines in collaboration with the donor partnership team for different countries
• Maintain a schedule of financial reporting deadlines to donors in co-ordination with the donor partnership function
• Liaise with donor partnership lead to ensure that financial reporting templates for all grants are set up in accordance with donor requirements
• Compile financial reports for donors according to reporting schedules in donor agreements and as per donor templates/formats
• Ensure consistency between narrative and financial components of reports to donors
• Track and maintain a record of grants expected, received and reports submitted to donors ensuring all grant income due are duly applied for
• Track and maintain record of funds expected and received and highlight delays, if any during the grant lifecycle.
• Improve current donor reporting, undertake longer term forecasting and optimisation specifically on restricted v/s unrestricted funding and building reserves
• Be part of donor-programme calls for ensuring financial narratives are in-line with programme narrative reports.
• Build understanding of the in country teams on donor budgeting and reporting

 AUDITS AND ACCOUNTING 

• Stay on top of audit requirements for funders and ensure all documentation and requirements are complied with and audits completed in time
• Manage and support during global donor and statutory audits and thereafter to implement feedback as part of the wider team
• Prepare global financial consolidation for GDFO to review and support in preparation of global audit (UK)
• Review Global books of accounts in the accounting software on monthly basis and take corrective measures wherever necessary
• Monthly review and analysis of Overall Global accounts(sample check for different countries) and highlighting any discrepancies if any to the GDFO
• Monthly review of all ledgers balances and reconciliation(advances ,payables, expenses, income, assets)
• Ensuring timely Global/UK payment run on weekly basis
• Ensure the global accounting is done and if needed do the entries as well
• Ensuring timely fund transfer process from Global to different countries
• Assist the GDFO in internal review/assurance process and reporting
• Undertake any other responsibility as required, from time to time

ACTIVELY CONTRIBUTE TO ORGANISATIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND CULTURE 

• Role model professionalism, ensure integrity and accuracy in your work and take ownership of your own development.
• Develop strong, purposeful and collaborative relationships with all team leads.
• Make sure that all the work you do and relationships you build are in the STiR spirit and in line with our values
• Model ‘Growth Mindset’ at all times - show that improvement is always possible

KEY COMPETENCIES REQUIRED

         - Outstanding communication skills 

         - Strategic, analytical and critical thinking skills

         - Personal commitment to excellence and quality

         - Values driven role model

         - Dynamic self-starter that demonstrates creativity and initiative

         - Intrinsically motivated to learn and grow

         - Honesty and integrity

REQUIRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

• Post Graduate in Accounts and Finance/MBA with at least 5-7 years in a Not for Profit organization including two years’ experience of either management accounts report preparation, or preparation of financial reports to external agencies (e.g. statutory donors, grant-making institutions), or equivalent experience of accounts analysis and reporting
• CA is desirable (atleast two years of work experience post qualification)
• Excellent knowledge of Tally and MS Office. Proficiency in Excel is a must.
• Experience of working on SAP is desirable.
• High level of accuracy and attention to detail
• Ability to prioritise work, meet deadlines and combine responding to urgent requests with longer terms tasks and activities
• Ability to work with a high functioning team and communicate clearly to diverse audiences working in different time zones
• Ability to learn and adapt rapidly based on feedback.
• Strategic thinker with the ability to translate ideas into action.
• Open to travel as and when required

REMUNERATION AND BENEFITS

A consultancy fees of ₹ 200,468/- per month ( 24,05,616/- per annum including local taxes) will be paid for your service (subject to relevant taxes at source), along with Medical Insurance for yourself, spouse and up to two children.