Lead - Finance and Compliance Officer (STEP Northeast)

About Mantra4Change

Mantra4Change is a non-profit organisation working with governments to transform public education systems in India — so that millions of children can learn better, grow stronger, and thrive. We partner closely with state education departments to design and implement reforms at scale, strengthening leadership, governance, and classroom practice across public schools. Our work is grounded in the belief that lasting change happens when governments lead their own transformation.

Through long-term collaboration with institutions such as SCERTs and DIETs, Mantra4Change focuses on developing school leaders and system leaders, building collaborative school cultures, and engaging communities as partners in learning. By combining strong on-ground implementation with continuous learning, we help systems identify what works, scale it responsibly, and sustain improvement over time.

Our mission is to enable leaders at every level of the system to drive continuous improvement, creating a virtuous cycle in which strong leadership, collective ownership, and systemic reform deliver better learning and more equitable outcomes for every child.

Read more - www.mantra4change.org

About STEP NE:

We have been working closely in the education sector since 2025. Our

approach to work in the northeastern states is to strengthen education at various levels through collective action by leveraging technology to bring in positive change. The programme has the objective to improve education outcomes of disadvantaged school children and aims to meet national average and continue the growth beyond. Besides the government, the team works closely with grassroots organizations and carries out comprehensive programme, technical, financial, administrative, compliance, and capacity development functions in support of various donor-funded projects.

About the role

The Finance and Compliance Officer will strengthen the financial management, compliance and reporting systems of projects in Northeast India. The position reports to and requires working under the guidance of the Program Manager

The position combines two complementary functions:

• •Financial assurance and compliance: Ensuring that project funds are managed appropriately and that financial planning, accounting, procurement, documentation, reporting and audits comply with project agreements, donor requirements, donor regulations and applicable Indian laws.
• •Partner and team capacity development: Supporting partner NGOs and M4C STEP NE team through practical guidance, training, coaching, tools and regular on-site support.

The role is intended to build sustainable financial management capacity within partner organisations rather than only identifying errors after they have occurred. At the same time, the Officer is expected to maintain a high standard of financial oversight, identify risks early and ensure that corrective measures are implemented.

Roles and Responsibilities

A. Financial Management and Oversight

• •Monitor the financial management of all assigned projects implemented by partner NGOs.
• •Review project budgets, annual financial plans, cash-flow forecasts, fund requests and budget revisions.
• •Monitor expenditure, budget utilisation, spending rates, commitments, and financial projections.
• •Identify underspending, overspending, unusual expenditure patterns, and implementation delays at an early stage.
• •Review and validate financial reports submitted by partner NGOs before submission to donors.
• •Ensure that reported expenditure corresponds with approved budgets, project activities, accounting records and supporting documentation.
• •Verify bank reconciliations, general ledgers, cash books, advance registers, payroll records and other relevant financial records for partner organisations across NE states.
• •Ensure the proper allocation of shared costs, personnel costs, administrative expenses and exchange-rate gains or losses.
• •Develop consolidated financial overviews and management information for the STEP NE and donor teams.

B. Partner NGO Financial Monitoring

• •Conduct regular finance and compliance visits to partner organisations and project locations.
• •Review financial documents, accounting records, procurement files, bank records, personnel files, asset registers, and project documentation.
• •Assess the adequacy of internal controls, segregation of duties, authorisation procedures and documentation practices.
• •Conduct risk-based voucher checks and transaction reviews.
• •Verify that expenditure is reasonable, necessary, adequately documented, related to approved project activities, and represents value for money.
• •Agree on corrective action plans with partner organisations and monitor their implementation.
• •Escalate significant financial, compliance fraud, or governance concerns to management without delay.
• •Maintain a structured overview of partner-specific risks, pending actions, and compliance requirements.

C. Compliance with Indian Laws and Regulations

• •Support partner NGOs in maintaining compliance with applicable Indian financial, tax, labour and non-profit regulations.
• •Monitor compliance with the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act, FCRA, and applicable rules, notifications, and filing requirements.
• •Review the validity and conditions of partners’ FCRA registration or prior permission before disbursements are made.
• •Verify that foreign contributions are received, transferred, accounted for, and utilised through the appropriate bank accounts and accounting structures.
• •Ensure that foreign and domestic funds are properly distinguished and that project expenditure can be traced to the relevant funding source.
• •Monitor FCRA-related reporting, annual returns, bank reconciliations, donor records, and utilisation documentation.
• •Review proposed transfers, subcontracting, third-party implementation arrangements, and payments for potential FCRA implications and flag concerns before commitments are made.
• •Coordinate with chartered accountants, legal advisers, and other specialists when formal professional advice is required.
• •Maintain a compliance calendar covering statutory filings, donor reports, audits, agreement renewals, and other key deadlines.

The Finance and Compliance Officer supports compliance monitoring but does not replace the statutory responsibilities of the management, governing bodies, or appointed Chartered Accountants of the respective partner organisations.

D. Donor Compliance

• •Develop a detailed understanding of the financial and administrative requirements applicable to each donor project.
• •Advise partners and programme colleagues on eligible and ineligible expenditures, budget flexibility, procurement, currency exchange, documentation, asset management, and reporting requirements.
• •Ensure that financial transactions are economical, efficient, appropriate, and directly related to the approved project purpose.
• •Monitor compliance with approved budget categories and donor-specific limits.
• •Review proposed budget reallocations and determine whether prior approval is required.
• •Ensure that funding requests are based on realistic cash requirements and that funds are used within the applicable utilisation periods.
• •Monitor compliance with required funding ratios, partner contributions, and other sources of project financing.
• •Ensure that procurement procedures are transparent, competitive, appropriately documented, and compliant with the applicable thresholds and project agreements.
• •Review quotations, bid analyses, procurement committee documentation, conflict-of-interest declarations, and contracts.
• •Ensure that assets and equipment are recorded, labelled, safeguarded, and used for the approved project purpose.
• •Maintain complete and audit-ready financial and compliance documentation for each project.

E. Financial Reporting

• •Establish and communicate clear reporting schedules and requirements for all partner NGOs.
• •Provide partners wi