BRAC is an award-winning international non-governmental development organization, with the vision of a world free from all forms of exploitation and discrimination, where everyone has the opportunity to realize their potential. BRAC is a leader in developing and implementing cost-effective, evidence-based programs to assist poor and disadvantaged communities in low-income countries, including in conflict-prone and post-disaster settings. It is an organization of and for the people of the Global South, pioneering new development and social enterprise approaches to equip communities to achieve prosperity. As well as being the world's biggest NGO by the number of staff and people directly reached, BRAC has regularly been ranked the number one NGO in the world by the Geneva-based NGO Advisor, an independent organization committed to highlighting innovation, impact, and governance in the non-profit sector. BRAC retained the top spot in 2020 among the top 500 NGOs for the fifth consecutive year.

BRAC was founded in Bangladesh in 1972 by Sir Fazle Hasan Abed. It started its first programs outside of Bangladesh in Afghanistan in 2002 and today has activities in 14 countries across Africa and Asia. BRAC has a holistic approach to development that uses a wide array of programs that include microfinance, education, health, agriculture, gender, and human rights. BRAC invests in communities’ own human and material resources, catalyzing lasting change and creating an ecosystem in which people in poverty have the chance to seize control of their own lives.

To learn more about BRAC International, please visit (www.bracinternational.org.com).

About the Ultra-Poor Graduation Initiative

The Ultra-Poor Graduation Initiative (“UPGI”) is a global unit within BRAC that was founded in 2016 to build off the success of BRAC’s Ultra-Poor Graduation programme in Bangladesh. BRAC UPGI aims to position the evidence-backed Graduation approach as a key driver to eradicate extreme poverty worldwide. It does this by: 

• Advocating for uptake of the Graduation approach by policymakers, national governments, multilateral institutions, and non-governmental organisations; and 

• Effective adaptation and implementation of the Graduation approach in countries around the world, supported through technical assistance and capacity strengthening for external stakeholders. 

In 2002, BRAC pioneered the Ultra-Poor Graduation (“Graduation”) approach in Bangladesh — a sequenced, two-year investment that enables people to create lasting pathways out of extreme poverty — after recognising that existing programmes were not reaching the poorest people. Through the provision of a productive asset, basic needs support, and ongoing coaching, the Graduation approach tackles multiple constraints at once and achieves lasting impact. 

Graduation has been adapted and implemented across a wide variety of contexts and countries, with dozens of rigorous evaluations documenting its effectiveness at achieving broad and lasting impact, as well as returns that greatly outweigh the costs. So far, a total of 6.7 million households has been reached by Graduation programs, more than 2 million of which BRAC reached through its flagship Graduation programme in Bangladesh. 

To help eradicate extreme poverty, BRAC UPGI is working with governments across Africa and Asia to scale Graduation by integrating it into existing government programmes. Alongside governments, BRAC aims to equip 21 million more people to lift themselves from extreme poverty by 2030. 

About BRAC International’s Work in India

The National Rural Livelihood Promotion Society under the Ministry of Rural Development has signed an MoU with BRAC International, formalising a shared commitment to promote holistic economic inclusion and social protection for people living in extreme poverty, particularly women. The MoU envisions a focused strategy to reach the poorest and most excluded households through a time-bound investment in the Graduation approach, enabling more inclusive and sustainable livelihoods across rural India.

The partnership positions BRAC International as a strategic orchestrator, demonstrating how targeted interventions can reach extremely vulnerable groups while generating evidence for scale across State Rural Livelihood Missions (SRLMs). In this role, BRAC is not only providing technical assistance for the implementation of the Samaveshi Aajeevika Yojana (SAY) but also convening stakeholders, aligning systems, and enabling coordinated action across levels. Through its partner agencies, BRAC International has established Project Management Units (PMUs) at national and state levels to support the government in co-designing approaches and ensuring strong strategic guidance alongside effective implementation support. 

About the Position

BRAC UPGI India is expanding its programme and operational portfolio, working with multiple programme and implementation partners across India. As the India operation grows, BRAC is also exploring the establishment of a legally registered entity in India.

The transition towards a registered entity will require stronger country-level financial systems and capacity to support accounting, bookkeeping, taxation, regulatory financial compliance, cash management, payroll, budgeting and financial reporting.

The India Finance function currently supports programme and partner financial management as well as the broader operational and financial requirements of the country office. As the organisation expands, additional finance capacity is required to ensure that financial records are maintained accurately, partner expenditure is appropriately monitored, and day-to-day financial operations are managed efficiently.

BRAC UPGI India is inviting applications for a position aimed at providing financial and operational support to its India Finance function. The role will involve close collaboration with the program and grants teams, operations and HR teams, program partners and relevant external finance and compliance service providers. The reporting line will be Senior Program Specialist Finance and Administration, with a dotted line to Country Lead, India.

Responsibilities

The candidate will be responsible for providing financial and operational support to the BRAC India Finance function. Key roles and responsibilities of the candidate include:

1. Partner Financial Management:

• Review periodic financial reports submitted by Implementing Partners for accuracy, completeness and consistency with approved budgets and grant requirements within the stipulated timelines.

• Conduct desk and on-site reviews of the partner records and support documents on a sampling basis, recommend mitigations for any observations arising out of the reviews,

• Analyse partner expenditure against approved budgets and work plans.

• Monitor partner expenditure rates and utilisation levels against programme timelines and deliverables.

• Support financial review during grant extensions, budget revisions and project close-outs.

• Onboarding implementation partners while working closely with the Programme team to ensure alignment in selection, onboarding processes and proper documentation.

2. Internal Controls and Finance Management

• Maintain accurate and up-to-date books of accounts and financial records. This includes but is not limited to recording cash inflows and outflows, maintaining appropriate documentation for financial transactions, maintaining schedules for receivables, payables and other financial balances and recording those expenses. 

• Support bank and cash reconciliations. 

• Assist with month-end and year-end close activities. 

• Support preparation of financial statements and financial schedules, as required. 

• Support the implementation and maintenance of accounting systems appropriate for a registered India entity.

• Support development and implementation of standard finance processes and SOPs. 

• Support maintenance of appropriate internal financial controls and documentation. 

• Identify opportunities to streamline repetitive or manual finance processes.

• 3. Office finance and operational support

• Support monthly payroll processing and reconciliation, including coordination with HR and relevant payroll service providers. Verify payroll-related financial inputs, deductions and reimbursements and maintain payroll-related financial records and documentation. 

• Manage petty cash records, supporting documentation and reconciliations. 

• Support petty cash replenishment and monitoring of office cash balances. 

• Process approved vendor payments, staff reimbursements and other operational payments. 

• Maintain payment trackers and follow up on outstanding payments and documentation. 

• Track staff advances and support timely settlement and reconciliation.

• Support the office procurement processes and maintain appropriate documentation for the same. 

• Support invoice verification and maintenance of vendor documentation. 

• Support procurement-related financial documentation. 

• Assist with travel and other operational expense processing. 

• Respond to routine finance-related queries from staff and escalate issues where required.

• Maintain finance trackers, templates and reporting tools. 

4. Country Budget Management 

• Monitor actual expenditure against approved budgets. 

• Prepare budget-versus-actual analysis and identify significant variances. 

• Monitor commitments and anticipated expenditure. 

• Flag potential budget overruns or significant deviations to the Finance Lead. 

• Support updating of forecasts based on actual expenditure and changing requirements.

• Support in the creation, consolidation and reporting for Country budgeting 

• Support cross-functional coordination with program, grants, operations and HR teams on finance-related matters.

5. Risk and Compliance

• Ensure that there is compliance with statutory requirements, 

• Coordinate with external accountants, tax advisors and auditors as required,

• Support taxation-related accounting and documentation as well as audit related documentation and preparation. 

• Maintain financial compliance trackers and calendars. 

6. Coordination with UPGI and SBI central finance team

• Coordinate and support organizational deliverables and alignment with Brac International policies, processes and systems, 

• Organize for regular drawdown requests from Brac India cash requirements for planned operational and programmatic activities

Additional work streams can be added based on emerging requirements of India operations. 

Qualifications 

The candidate should have:

• Minimum 4 years’ experience working in accounting, financial analysis, finance operations, grants finance or a similar role. 

• A Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, CA degree preferred.

• Good understanding of accounting and bookkeeping principles. 

• Experience with budgeting, financial reporting and expenditure analysis. 

• Strong proficiency in Microsoft Excel. 

• Strong numerical and analytical skills with a high level of attention to detail. 

• Experience maintaining financial records, trackers and supporting documentation.

• Good written and spoken English language and communication skills. 

• A proactive attitude and “get things done” mentality. 

• Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, highly collaborative and multicultural environment. 

• Ability to manage multiple tasks and deadlines while maintaining accuracy. 

Desirable:

• Experience working in the NGO/development sector or with donor-funded programmes. 

• Experience reviewing partner financial reports or managing grant finances. 

• Experience with accounting software or ERP systems. 

• Experience with Power BI or other financial reporting tools. 

• Familiarity with Indian taxation and statutory financial compliance. 

• Part-qualified CA, CMA, ACCA, CFA or equivalent qualification. 

How to Apply

BRAC International offers a competitive salary and benefits package.  If you feel you are the right match for the position mentioned above, please submit your resume and detailed cover letter, via the below link ;

 SPECIALIST FINANCE - UPGI -INDIA 

                                                                                                 BRAC is an equal opportunities employer.

BRAC is committed to safeguarding children, young people and vulnerable adults, and expects all employees and volunteers to share the same commitment. We believe every stakeholder and every member of the communities we work with has the right to be protected from all forms of harm, abuse, neglect, harassment, and exploitation - regardless of age, race, religion, and gender, status as an individual with a disability or ethnic origin. Therefore, our recruitment process includes extensive reference and background checks, self-disclosure of prior issues regarding sexual or other misconduct and criminal records and our values are a part of our Performance Management System.

Only complete applications will be accepted, and short-listed candidates will be contacted.