Restricted Finance Officer at Christian Aid

About the role

Reporting in to the Restricted Funding Manager, the Restricted Finance Officer provides financial capacity to the Multi-Country Cluster (MCC), being proactive in supporting restricted funded programming contracts with donors and work funded through internal restricted funding streams.

The post holder collaborates across the MCC to build trust and drive financial management processes that align with organisational goals and values and improve impact.

The role actively participates in learning and reflection spaces convened with partners and key stakeholders, to build consensus with partners and communities about priorities for funding, so that programmes only bid for appropriate funding which aligns with strategy.

Some of the main responsibilities of of the Restricted Finance Officer include:

• Proactively ensure effective financial management and compliance across all donor contracts within the MCC restricted income portfolio, fostering collaboration and trust among MCC colleagues.
• Lead financial reporting on donor-funded contracts, promoting transparency and decision-making that improves impact.
• Oversee financial assurance and escalate issues as needed to MCC senior management, advising on where to align resource allocation with high-impact initiatives to maximise outcomes.
• Build and maintain strong relationships (in collaboration with MCC staff) with external donor contacts in financial and compliance roles, promoting openness and identifying areas of shared goals.
• Ensure that specific financial and procurement compliance obligations are monitored and met across the contract portfolio (e.g. through tracking reporting requirements, supporting with ‘flex’ plans, and being a member of relevant procurement committees).
• Monitor and regularly review donor-funded programme budgets and appeal funds to ensure fit with new resourcing strategy and model, taking corrective action as needed in agreement with the Restricted Funding Manager to drive better results.
• Understand and meet specific financial and procurement compliance obligations across the MCC contract portfolio, ensuring all documentation is accurately logged on iPIMS.
• Provide support for the donor portfolio risk management framework, critically assessing challenges and adapting work to align with organisational values and goals and the new partnership led model.
• Input into the MCC restricted funding contract portfolio dashboard, supporting onboarding and quality assurance of new programmes by collaborating across divisions and with partners.
• Promote Christian Aid’s work and develop business opportunities by fostering positive relationships and networks with INGO HQ’s, private sector partners, knowledge partners, and institutional donors

About you

Who we are looking for

Essential:

• Degree or equivalent qualification in a relevant discipline, Finance, Economics, Business International Relation, or Social Sciences.
• Fluent in English (both written and spoken).
• Significant experience and track record as Finance Officer working to support multi-million dollar/pound programmes.
• Significant experience of multi-million-pound programme collaborative budget development, monitoring and management.
• Understanding donor compliance requirements
• Substantial experience of donor and partner due-diligence processes.
• Substantial experience of budgeting and financial monitoring and reporting for programmes funded by major institutional donors 
  (Government, Private Sector and Foundations).
• Detailed understanding of Project Management monitoring and donor reporting, from a decolonised and localised approach.
• Detailed understanding of financial principles and processes.
• Detailed understanding of financial systems.
• Highly developed understanding of financial controls and procedures and highly numerate.
• Developed decision making skills including working under high pressure.
• Developed and proven negotiation and collaborative working skills.
• Developed organisational planning and prioritisation skills.
• Developed communication and networking skills for engagement, relationship building at all levels.
• Highly developed analytical and financial acumen.