[Hiring] Project Finance Officer @GIST Research

Role Description

Gist is seeking a Project Finance Officer, on a contract and part time basis, to support budgeting and financial tracking for implementation projects and to provide general grants and program finance and administrative support across Sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East, and Central Asia. The role ensures rigorous financial oversight, timely reporting, and effective coordination across delivery teams, commercial officers, and internal operations. It enables grants and program teams to deliver efficiently while maintaining compliance with donor and internal requirements.

Please note: this is a fully remote, part-time opportunity (10 hours per week), offered on a contract of up to 12 months, subject to business needs.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage and maintain detailed activity-based project budgets, ensuring alignment with workplans and delivery milestones.
• Track project expenditure against budgets monthly and flag variances, risks, and forecast adjustments.
• Coordinate closely with Project Managers, Program Director, and the Financial Manager to consolidate financial inputs.
• Liaise with client grant and commercial officers (including US government counterparts etc.) on financial submissions, invoicing schedules, and contract compliance.
• Prepare regular financial reports, burn rate updates, and dashboards for internal decision-making.
• Ensure adherence to donor financial regulations (US government, DOS, DOJ, etc.).
• Support operational planning, procurement coordination, and compliance with internal Business Ops processes.
• Ensure documentation, invoices, receipts, and financial records are properly maintained and audit-ready.
• Contribute to improving financial tools, budget templates, and delivery workflows.
• Provide surge support to other implementation projects as needed across Eastern Africa and the Middle East.

Qualifications

• Strong financial analysis skills, including understanding of cost structures and budgeting.
• High proficiency in Excel, including formulas, pivot tables, and financial modelling basics.
• Experience in project coordination within multi-stakeholder or remote teams.
• Prior experience working with USG programming (financial management, reporting, delivery processes).
• Strong communication and collaboration skills across delivery, finance, and operations functions.
• Ability to work independently, manage deadlines, and handle multiple concurrent tasks.

Desirable Skills & Experience

• Experience with US Government-funded grants and programs.
• Experience working on implementation projects in East Africa or the Middle East.
• Familiarity with donor compliance frameworks and financial audit requirements.

Core Competencies

• Analytical Thinking & Problem Solving
• Financial Acumen
• Planning & Organisation
• Communication & Stakeholder Engagement
• Delivery Excellence & Accountability