Senior Associate – Financial and Grants Management

Role Overview

You will work as a financial management and fund administration consultant within a global professional services firm, helping public sector bodies, donor agencies, foundations, and non-profits run development programmes that are financially sound and accountable. Day to day, you will juggle multiple assignments: designing grant facilities, reviewing budgets, tracking disbursements, running fiduciary assessments, and advising clients on how to strengthen their financial systems and governance. Your work matters because it ensures that development money is used efficiently, transparently, and in line with donor rules, ultimately enabling programmes to deliver meaningful results on the ground.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the practical delivery of consulting assignments and donor-funded projects, from initial planning through to final reporting, including preparing workplans, budgets, and resource schedules that keep engagements on track.
• Set up and manage development funds and grant facilities, including drafting governance documents, operational manuals, and grant management procedures that define how money flows and who is accountable at each stage.
• Oversee the full grant lifecycle, from reviewing applications and conducting due diligence to contracting, disbursing funds, verifying compliance, and closing out grants once activities are complete.
• Monitor financial performance across portfolios, preparing expenditure analyses, cashflow forecasts, and financial dashboards that give clients and funders a clear picture of how resources are being utilised.
• Advise clients on public financial management improvements, including designing budgeting and reporting frameworks, strengthening internal controls, and implementing financial management information systems or grant platforms.
• Carry out fiduciary risk assessments and organisational capacity reviews of grant recipients and implementing partners, identifying weaknesses in governance, internal controls, procurement, and financial management, then recommending practical corrective actions.
• Build the capability of client staff through training workshops, coaching, and the development of manuals, toolkits, and learning materials tailored to financial management and grant administration.
• Contribute to business development by researching donor priorities, preparing technical and financial proposals, and creating sector insights that help the firm win new advisory work.

Requirements & Qualifications

• A master’s degree in finance, accounting, economics, public financial management, business administration, international development, or a closely related field; a professional qualification such as CPA, ACCA, CFA, or equivalent is strongly preferred.
• At least three years of professional experience in financial advisory, fund management, development consulting, or accounting advisory, with hands-on exposure to donor-funded programmes or grant facilities.
• Proven ability to manage grant-making processes, including application appraisal, disbursement controls, and compliance verification, in line with donor regulations and fiduciary standards.
• Strong technical skills in budgeting, forecasting, cashflow management, financial reporting, and financial modelling, with proficiency in ERP systems and analytics tools.
• Demonstrated experience conducting due diligence, risk assessments, or audits of partner organisations, and the ability to design risk mitigation and financial control enhancements.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to present complex financial and programme information clearly to clients, governance bodies, and non-financial stakeholders.
• Strong organisational skills and a track record of managing multiple priorities and deadlines, working effectively within multidisciplinary and multicultural teams.
• A genuine commitment to international development, public financial management, and improving institutional accountability; experience with governments, multilateral or bilateral donors, NGOs, foundations, or professional services firms is highly desirable.
• Additional certifications in project management, grant management, climate finance, or blended finance are an asset, as is prior involvement in financial management information system implementation or public sector reform.