Finance and Compliance Manager

Kopila Valley Sewa Samaj (KVSS)

“A world where every child is safe, educated, loved”- Kopila Valley Sewa Samaj is a non-profitable NGO registered in Surkhet, Nepal to provide support for children and families in our community. Our mission is to change the world by empowering Nepal’s children. KVSS programs include a residential children’s home, Kopila Valley School (KVS) for inclusive quality education, women’s empowerment, sustainability, health and wellness, and family development program. We provide our students a free education, educational materials, health treatment and medicine, counseling, and a place to live. With our innovative future program, we strive to provide our children with career guidance, and scholarships for further studies. Our children’s home provides a safe, loving, and stable home for children in extreme cases of need, when all other options have been exhausted. We do this with our funding partner BlinkNow Foundation and in close ties with the local government and communities. 

The BlinkNow Foundation is a 501(c)(3) based in New Jersey which, through its country office in Nepal, oversees these programs in rural Nepal. Every day we strive to create a sustainable organization working to educate all of Kopila’s children until they are ready to enter the world as happy, skilled, confident, self-sufficient adults. We believe we can serve as a model for quality education in Nepal. We will strive to provide our children with scholarships (should they choose to pursue higher education), the skills required to enter the world as global citizens, and ambassadors for change.

Position Summary: - Finance and Compliance Manager

The Finance and Compliance Manager will oversee all the administrative, accounting, legal, and financial procedures and tools used in Kopila Valley Sewa Samaj Nepal and make sure they are up to the highest standards.

Work Location: Birendranagar -4, Surkhet

Application Deadline: Rolling Basis

The Main Responsibilities

1. Finance and Compliance Management
2. Grants and Fixed Assets Management
3. Liaise between direct reports, between departments and with external stakeholders

Detailed Responsibilities

1. Finance and Compliance Management

• Perform financial management duties including generating financial data, compiling and submitting reports, analyzing organization trends, assessing and financial health of the organization.
• Supervise the preparation of quarterly and annual account reconciliations, monitor and enforce compliance with tax and financial reporting standards and assists with cash flow forecasting.
• Oversee the operations and development of the organization’s finance departments including creating and reviewing policies, budgeting, recruiting, training and conducting regular assessments of financial procedures.
• Advice colleagues and executive management on decisions related to the organization’s finances.
• Supervise the documentation of the organization’s financial status and forecasts.
• Develop grant proposals, RFP, Cost tracking, and analyze variance in grant implementation to support informed decision making for effective program delivery and compliance check.
• Lead the overall operations of the finance to ensure accurate and timely reporting.
• Prepare monthly BvA analysis, cash flows, balance sheet and forecast.
• Review and approve expenses per authority matrix.
• Ensure timely submission of overall budgeting, financial planning and compilation of financial reports, statutory reports including tax returns.
• Lead the budget development and monitoring process and share the report with Operations Director and Program leads.
• Monitor the day-to-day financial operations within the organization (payroll, invoicing, and other transactions).
• Prepare monthly and quarterly management reporting.
• Ensure that policies, processes, and manuals are up to date and relevant to organization operations.
• Ensure that accounting entries and financial reports are in compliance with Nepal Accounting Standard, funder regulations and local laws.
• In collaboration with the Operation Director and legal counsel, minimize legal risk to the organization and address any legal issues that may arise.
• Analyze internal system to ensure compliance with organization regulations and ethical standards.
• Create, modify, update and implement the organization policies.
• Design and control system to address cases of violation of internal organization policies.
• Plan and coordinate internal and external audits and develop & implement actions plans to remediate audit findings.
• Liaises with the Audit Committee and other auditors to ensure compliance with relevant statutory requirements and standards.
• Undertaking financial data and risk analysis for assisting with strategic planning.
• Provide financial reports and interpret financial information for managerial staff while recommending further courses of action.

2. Grants and Fixed Assets Management

• Verify grant expenses & compliance and ensure that supporting documentation is available for all the disbursements.
• Provide technical assistance as required to build capacity of Finance Coordinator, Finance Assistant as well as procurement and logistics team Member.
• Carryout capital expenditure reconciliation to determine assets to be capitalized in a timely manner and amounts to be written off.
• Along with Administration Officer, ensure the development of and implement policies, systems and procedures to identify, record, value, depreciate, account and report on fixed assets.
• Ensure consolidation of fixed asset information to enable a complete and accurate record of the identification, location and value of fixed assets.

3. Liaise between direct reports, between departments and with external stakeholders

• Coach, train, counsel, and advise staff including partner organization staff on finance related rules and procedures
• Coordinate routinely with other departments to ensure effective and timely function and teamwork in finance, grant, and procurement and logistics functions.
• Liaise with other department heads to ensure that all business operations are in line with business policies
• Liaise with the Managing Director and Operations Director (Human Resource Department) for training reporting, problem solving, system issues and other needs as they arise.
• Advise the top management on organization relating risks, and any policy development

Additional expectations

1. Takes ownership of change and engage and encourage innovation
2. Build positive working relationships and environment in the organization by bringing solutions to the discussion table.
3. Report to the manager on a weekly basis, and as needed in case of urgent activities.
4. Build and maintain a strong relationship with the staffs, direct reports, line manager and relevant stakeholders. 
5. Attend weekly staff meetings, and share operational updates.  

The above list of responsibilities is not comprehensive, and the Finance and Compliance Manager may be required to take on additional responsibilities, as determined by his/her manager.

Must Haves

1. Education: Master’s degree in business, management, administration or any relevant discipline/s
2. Experience: Minimum 5 years of experience working in supervisory role with strong finance oversight required. 
3. Language: A good communicator, and fluent in English and Nepali
4. Skills and Abilities: Ability to manage, mentor and lead departmental and organizational activities. Excellent verbal and written communication and presentation skills.
5. Works collaboratively and independently with the least supervision required.

Key Requirements

1. A deep understanding of the NGO including statutory environment of Nepal.
2. Experience in managing budgets and forecasting.
3. Experience in providing data analysis and producing report.
4. Demonstrated strategic planning experience at management level.
5. Experience working in QuickBooks will be an added advantage.
6. Proven financial planning experience at the management level.
7. Proven knowledge of financial analysis and strategies.
8. In-depth knowledge of financial reporting standards, tax regulations and industry legislation.
9. Proficient in Microsoft Word, Excel, Access and PowerPoint.
10. Demonstrated experience in grants management.
11. Prior knowledge of donor regulations such as EU, USAID etc.

Key Characteristics

• You believe that we can change the world, in the blink of an eye
• You believe in making decisions that put children first
• You are self-motivated, organized, and approachable
• You enjoy creating systems, keeping records, and increasing efficiency
• You are always looking for new ways for our team to work smarter instead of harder
• You are detail-oriented and conscientious. You make sure nothing slips through the cracks
• You have a strong work ethic and a willingness to pick up new skills.
• You are comfortable multi-tasking and prioritizing. 
• You are positive, patient, and a clear communicator who is comfortable working with both Kopila Valley staff in Nepal and the BlinkNow staff in the United States
• You are an empathetic person, with a knack for putting out fires before they start and soothing conflicts brewing beneath the surface.
• You require little supervision and are flexible. You understand that you will be wearing many hats in this role, many of which are not explicitly included in this job description

Application Procedure

If you think this opportunity will amplify your career growth, we encourage you to apply by clicking  “Apply for the Job” and submit all required documents.

Note: No telephone inquiries will be entertained. If your application is a good fit, we will follow up with you directly for the screening process.