Programme Finance Accountant-ADB Project (3 Year Fixed term contract)

About the Agency

The Aga Khan Foundation is a leading global development organisation working to tackle the root causes of poverty. For more than 50 years, we have helped create strong community institutions that support sustainable, locally driven initiatives to improve the lives of millions of people. By combining local knowledge with global best practices, we strive to bring about transformative and long‑lasting improvements to quality of life. Working alongside the agencies of the Aga Khan Development Network and through partnerships with local communities, civil society and business as well as governments and international aid agencies, we are building a future where we all thrive together.

The Requirements

• Must have right to work in the UK.
• Must include CV and a supporting statement that outlines why they want the role, why they want to work for AKF(UK) and how their experiences and skills to date will make them the most suitable applicant for the role.

Qualifications

• CCAB qualified accountant (desirable).

Experience

• 3 years relevant experience in financial accounting and financial reporting.
• Experience of designing and managing effective administrative systems and procedures.
• Experience of managing finances for large‑scale, complex donor‑funded projects.
• Experience of working with multilateral development banks (ADB, World Bank, AfDB, etc.) is highly desirable.
• Experience of budgeting, forecasting and cash‑flow management.
• Experience working in international organisations or donor agencies, including field‑level implementation, is highly desirable.

Skills

• Good interpersonal, customer care and liaison skills with a wide range of stakeholders.
• First‑rate oral and written communication skills.
• Ability to work under pressure and to manage competing priorities and deliver to tight deadlines.
• Ability to problem‑solve, working with both internal and external stakeholders to deliver results.
• Ability to work in a multi‑institution network within a multi‑cultural environment.
• Fluent in oral and written English.
• Proficient in all Microsoft Office applications, especially Excel.
• Excellent numeracy, financial analysis and financial presentation skills.
• Ability to synthesise complex operational and financial details for reporting and presentation.

Knowledge

• Knowledge of ADB donor requirements and compliance frameworks.
• Broad understanding and experience of development issues and organisations.
• Understanding of and appreciation for AKDN's goals, values and ethics.
• Knowledge of charity accounting.

Further Details

The role will be contracted on a fixed‑term basis, for three years. As well as a rewarding role with a global international development organisation, you'll get access to a wide range of enhanced benefits including but not limited to flexible hybrid working, enhanced leave entitlement and access to several health and wellbeing programmes and benefits.

The Position

To lead the financial management and oversight of the ADB project, ensuring timely, accurate and compliant financial accounting, reporting, and oversight. The role will support the delivery of all financial aspects of the ADB project, including donor reporting, reconciliations, cost recovery, budgeting, and compliance, in close collaboration with programme colleagues and the wider AKF(UK) finance team.

Financial Oversight, Planning, and Reporting

• Review all financial transactions related to the ADB project on a monthly basis and ensure that they are correct including cost recovery, co‑financing, bank balances, and coding.
• Ensure the ADB project is up to date in the Grant Management Tracker, Co‑financing Tracker and Cost Recovery forecast.
• Prepare financial information for internal reporting, including contributions to quarterly CEO reports, monthly dashboards and co‑finance updates.
• Prepare all ADB project donor financial reports and ensure consistency with internal data.
• Prepare and submit other donor financial reports as required.
• Monitor project and portfolio spending, flagging significant under‑ and overspends in a timely manner to the Programme Finance Manager and Programmes & Partnerships team.

Financial Controls, Compliance, and Audit

• Lead financial planning and monitoring for the ADB project, ensuring alignment with ADB compliance requirements and AKF(UK) internal controls.
• Support the design and implementation of quality controls, manuals, checklists and tools to ensure compliance with donor requirements (ADB and others).
• Oversee compliance with donor and AKF(UK) rules on procurement, accounting and project expenditure, supported by reporting, engagement with the field and spot checks.
• Maintain internal tools (including AIMS) to track active ADB grants as well as other grants, ensuring data on secured funding, cost recovery and cash balances remains up to date.
• Prepare for and support donor and statutory audits, with particular responsibility for the ADB project while also contributing to audits of other grants.
• Maintain an up‑to‑date audit and disallowance tracker for the ADB project, while supporting the Programme Finance Manager in tracking audit issues across all grants.
• Act as a resource person for ADB donor compliance within AKF(UK), while sharing knowledge and lessons learned more widely across the grants portfolio.
• Support wider Programme Finance team capacity‑building efforts, drawing on insights from ADB donor requirements and practices.

Grant Financial Management

In close consultation with the programmes & partnerships team:

• Maintain accurate financial records and grant codes for the ADB project, while supporting the set‑up and management of other grants as needed.
• Ensure timely submission of cash requests and sub‑grant agreements, in compliance with both ADB and AKF(UK) standards, and support the same across the wider portfolio.
• Review budgets for ADB and other donor concepts/proposals, ensuring inclusion of AKF(UK) costs, compliance with donor requirements and consistency with narratives.
• Support the in‑country project management unit (PMU) to ensure that the project is robustly managed and proactively support the resolution of challenges as they arise.
• Provide training and reference materials for implementing partners and field staff on ADB‑specific donor regulations, procurement and reporting, while contributing to broader finance training across the organisation.
• Provide technical support and guidance to implementing partners and country units.
• Conduct monitoring visits and spot checks on the ADB project and participate in risk monitoring across the wider portfolio.

The role will involve travel to countries in which we operate grants, particularly Afghanistan (security situation dependent). Normally this could be 1–2 trips per year.