Finance Business Partner

**M**ain purpose of the role**

Programme Finance business partners are the critical interface between the finance function based in London and the India programme management team, playing a key role of representing finance in the India team and representing the India team in finance function. The FBP will provide commercial and financial input to the design and delivery of our programme investments. They will provide added value support to the India team, by performing modelling for cost benefit analysis and ad hoc data analysis as required. This role also involves technical oversight and support to ensure that CIFF’s grant monies are safeguarded and utilised in the pre-agreed manner. The FBP is responsible for the due diligence assessment of CIFF’s grantees including internal controls, processes and procedures and ensuring grant activity is properly reported.

The FBP will work across the broad portfolio of Girl Capital, Child Health & Development, Adolescence, Child Protection & Climate activities in India which focuses on improving the survival, health and well-being of children, adolescents and their mothers and education and skilling of girls and young women

The position is based in the CIFF office in New Delhi and involves travel to the programme implementation sites in India in order to work closely with our partners in monitoring the expenditure on CIFF’s grants. Some travel will also be required to the UK.

The reporting line is to the Senior FBP, India, based in New Delhi.

**Role’s responsibilities**
- Advice on the finance structure of grant proposals
- Analysis and negotiation of grantee budgets
- Management of the payment approval process
- Financial, governance and risk due diligence prior to investment approval
- Input into monthly management reporting process for grant disbursements and multi-year commitments
- Support of external provider in completing grantee audits
- Working with grantees to strengthen their financial and operational controls

Decision support
- Provide added value, commercial and financial advice on relevant aspects of programme design and delivery
- Carry out financial modelling and analysis to support programme decision making
- Act as a trusted advisor to the India leadership team

Grantee Assessment
- Prior to investment approval, reviewing the budget submitted by the grantee for reasonableness and accuracy. Budgets should also comply with CIFF’s internal policies and be compatible with the Foundation’s priorities and financial resources. Where appropriate, suggest changes to the proposals and agree internally.
- Working with the sector teams to identify financial and operational risks which may impact on programme strategy and develop mitigating solutions to the identified risks for the grantees to implement.
- Supporting partners in building financial reporting tools, giving guidance where necessary on data analysis and interpretation once tools are operational.
- Supporting the Finance team and Portfolio Managers in analysing the quarterly financial reports submitted by the grantees and in preparing summaries of progress and performance.
- Working with grantees to address the findings of audits to improve the internal controls and processes of CIFF’s partners
- Analysing trends and findings from prior year audits to ensure that all key lessons from previous reviews are implemented
- Preparing financial or grantee assessment-related dissemination materials for CIFF and as needed, for distribution to other stakeholders.
- Responsibility for the quality of the data on CIFF’s grantee database, Fluxx, and reporting through Power BI.

Grants accounting and controls
- Working with the finance team to support management reporting, e.g. analysing key trends in granting activity and disbursements and using this analysis to develop internal reporting and to benchmark future grant budgets.
- Supporting the finance team in the statutory reporting of grant and programme related investment activities and for complex mixed motive investments.
- Working with the management of the grantees to implement a control system which ensures that all major risks of the grantee are identified and mitigated, whilst meeting CIFF’s grant stipulations.
- Working with the Fluxx team to improve the effectiveness of this grant management tool to support all aspects of the relationship with Grantees.
- Ensuring compliance with Charity Commission audit and financial best practice.

**Requirements**:
**Skills & Experience**
- Demonstrable experience in analysis and due diligence; policy, planning and programme delivery, including field experience, all within the development sector
- Qualified accountant with demonstrable experience working in India and a strong audit background
- Experience within Internal Audit would be particularly helpful
- Experience of working with not for profits in India and understanding/experience of local NGO laws would also be of value
- Understanding o