Project Finance Executive job description
A Project Finance Executive keeps the accounts of each grant-funded project separate, accurate and ready for donor review in an NGO or social enterprise. The role links field spending to donor budgets.
Why the role exists
NGOs usually run several grants at once, each with its own budget lines, donor rules and audit needs. The Project Finance Executive records spending project by project, checks vouchers from the field and prepares donor financial reports. The role reports to the finance manager and works with programme staff.
What the person does
- Record project expenses in the accounting system under the right donor, grant and budget line.
- Check vouchers, bills and advances sent from field offices for completeness before payment.
- Prepare monthly project-wise statements comparing actual spending with the donor-approved budget.
- Follow up with programme staff on unsettled advances, missing bills and costs that do not match the plan.
- Draft financial reports and utilisation statements for donors in the format each donor asks for.
- Support internal checks and the annual audit by arranging ledgers, bank statements and supporting documents.
- Keep a record of budget changes and donor approvals so spending can be traced to an agreed source.
- Process payments to partner organisations, vendors and staff according to the approved procedure.
Skills and tools
- Project-wise or fund accounting in Tally, Busy or similar software
- Reading donor budgets and award terms
- Voucher checking and bank reconciliation
- Advanced Excel for budget versus actual reports
- Preparing donor financial reports and utilisation statements
- Attention to detail and a habit of documenting every entry
- Working with partner organisations on financial reporting
- Clear explanation of figures to non-finance programme staff
Education and experience
Preferred, never a bar: equivalent experience counts.
- B.Com, M.Com or similar degree is preferred, or equivalent experience in accounts.
- Experience in NGO or grant accounting is preferred, or equivalent experience handling fund-wise books.
- Working knowledge of Tally or another accounting package is useful.
- Familiarity with how statutory auditors review non-profit accounts is preferred.
How the work is judged
- Project accounts are posted accurately and on time each month
- Donor financial reports are submitted on schedule with few queries returned
- Budget variances are flagged to programme staff before they become problems
- Field advances and vouchers are settled and supported by documents
- Audit queries on project accounts are answered quickly with the right documents
Where the role can lead
- Senior Project Finance Executive or Finance Officer
- Finance Manager or Grants and Compliance Manager in an NGO
- Moves into audit, internal control or donor compliance roles
Interview questions to ask
Ask every candidate the same questions in the same order and score them against written anchors, so the decision rests on the work and not the impression.
- How do you set up books so that spending on two donors' grants is never mixed?
- A field office sends bills that do not match the approved budget line. What do you do?
- Describe a donor financial report you prepared. What was hardest to reconcile?
- A programme manager asks you to move an expense to another project to avoid a shortfall. How do you respond?
- How do you track unsettled advances to field staff and partners?
- What documents would you keep ready for an annual audit of a grant-funded project?
Hiring tips for this role
- Hire for fund accounting experience, not only general accounts. Moving cost between projects without approval is a serious risk for NGOs.
- Give a short exercise with a sample budget and a few expenses. Ask which line each belongs to and why.
- A common mistake is hiring an accountant who has never faced a donor query. Ask for examples of queries and how they were answered.
- Confirm with your own auditor or adviser what statutory and donor rules apply to your organisation. Write the role to fit those needs.
Questions about hiring a project finance executive
The person records and checks the spending of each grant-funded project, prepares donor financial reports and keeps the supporting documents ready for audit. They also help programme staff keep spending within the budget.
It is strongly useful. Fund accounting, donor budgets and utilisation statements differ from ordinary business accounts. A candidate from a commercial background can learn, but needs support and a clear induction.
An accountant keeps the organisation's books. A Project Finance Executive works project by project against donor budgets and terms, and answers donor questions about how each grant was used.
Yes. GullyHR helps with permanent hiring: it agrees the job description with you, finds and screens candidates with grant or fund accounting experience, and supports the offer stage. The final hiring decision is yours.
Hiring a project finance executive?
GullyHR runs talent acquisition for permanent roles. We agree the job description with you, find and screen candidates against it, and support the offer through to joining. We recruit permanent employees. We do not supply contract or temporary staff.