Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi)
Finance Manager - Grants Management
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The Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi)
The Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) is an international, not-for-profit research and development (R&D) organization. Together with more than 200 public research and industry allies worldwide, we use the power of partnership, innovation, open science, and advocacy to develop and deliver new treatments for neglected diseases that disproportionately impact millions of the world’s poorest people.
About the Role
The Operations Department manages DNDi’s corporate infrastructure globally across eight locations through its Business Development, Finance, Human Resources, Information Systems and Technology, Legal Affairs, and Project Management Office teams. The Department plays a central role in DNDi’s compliance and performance.
Preferred Location: Europe except Switzerland, Nairobi, Malaysia or India.
Role: Finance Manager - Grants Management
Responsibilities
The Finance Manager - Grants Management is responsible for managing DNDi’s financial activities related to grant and budget management. This includes:
- Contributing to proposal development
- Supporting donor compliance and reporting processes
- Financial monitoring
- Ensuring compliance with DNDi policies and applicable regulations throughout the grant lifecycle
The role also contributes to project budget planning, financial forecasting, and the effective use of budgeting tools across the organization. It supports program teams in the effective financial management of grants and project activities, including project budget preparation, monitoring, and collaboration with external partners to ensure appropriate financial oversight and follow-up.
Key Duties
- Proposal Development: Lead the financial component of proposal development in collaboration with R&D, External Relations, and Finance teams, ensuring compliance with donor requirements and internal policies.
- Contract Review: Review and validate donor agreements and contracts prior to signature, ensuring clarity on financial terms, eligibility rules, and reporting obligations. Provide guidance to internal teams and partners on donor financial conditions and implications for project implementation.
- Financial Management: Oversee financial management practices of implementing partners, ensuring compliance with donor agreements and DNDi policies. Provide guidance and support to partners on budgeting, reporting, and financial controls.
- Compliance and Reporting: Ensure that all financial reporting to donors is accurate, timely, and compliant with contractual, regulatory, and organizational requirements. Monitor compliance with donor rules and escalate risks or discrepancies as needed.
- Funding Analysis: Contribute to organizational funding analysis, including forecasting income, tracking funding gaps, and supporting resource planning to support senior management in decision-making through analysis of funding trends, resource allocation, and financial performance of grants.
- Audit Support: Support the preparation and coordination of donor audits in collaboration with Project teams, External Relations, and Accounting teams. Ensure proper documentation, archiving, and traceability of donor financial information.
- Budgeting and Financial Planning: Support the preparation and consolidation of project and grant budgets as part of the annual DNDi budgeting process, working closely with the budget team and project stakeholders.
- Systems and Tools Support: Lead improvements in financial systems and tools related to donor and budget management, in coordination with the IST, and finance team especially the budget process leader. Act as a key resource person for Tagetik and related financial tools, ensuring adoption, training, and continuous improvement.
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Qualifications
- Education: Advanced post graduate degree or graduate degree with equivalent in experience to reach master’s level.
- Experience: Minimum 10 years' relevant experience in which at least 6 years in supervision/coordination roles.
- Skills:
- Strong business partnering expertise
- Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities
- Experience working in the public and private sector is highly desirable
- International NGO or matrix organization experience
Critical Skills
- Strong business partnering expertise with experience working with senior leaders and negotiating with both internal and external stakeholders in a global matrix, multi-cultural environment.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.
- Capable of managing projects and contributing to larger initiatives. Able to manage portfolio independently, prioritize competing demands, and make sound decisions with limited supervision.
- Highly autonomous while enjoying teamwork. Demonstrates expertise in their field and in managing people and projects.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills; able to simplify complex financial concepts for non-finance colleagues. Good communicator and trainer.
- A strong team player with the ability to document, plan, organize, monitor, schedule, coordinate, and manage relationships. Thrives in a collaborative, multicultural, and matrix environment, bringing people together to solve problems and improve ways of working.
- Curious about AI and automation. Interest in emerging technologies (including AI) and willingness to explore their practical application within finance.
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Technical Skills
- Strong donor finance knowledge, grant lifecycle management, and financial compliance.
- Financial planning and analysis experience. Comfortable with ERP (BC), EPM (Tagetik), Power BI, Excel, and new digital tools.
- Solid understanding of accounting principles and financial processes.
- Data analysis and financial modelling. Able to transform financial data into meaningful insights and dashboards that support decision-making.
- Good understanding of audit processes.
- Fluency in English.
- Proficiency in French and local languages desirable.
- Excellent knowledge of Microsoft Suite.
Diversity and Inclusion
DNDi is committed to building a diverse, equitable, and truly inclusive organization. Our success and global reach are dependent upon our ability to encourage diversity and draw on the skills, understanding, and experience of all our people. We particularly welcome applications from those who are underrepresented in at DNDi and across the sector, especially women, and including, but not limited to, black and minority ethnic candidates, and those with other protected characteristics.
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