The Afghanistan Social and Legal Organization (ASLO) is an Afghan-led, national, non-profit and non-political organization established in 2013 and registered with the Ministry of Economy of Afghanistan under registration number 2852. ASLO implements humanitarian and development programmes and works with communities, government institutions, donors, United Nations agencies and national and international partners across Afghanistan For more information about ASLO, please visit our official website: www.aslo.org.af

Position Purpose:

The Finance and Grants Manager provides organization-wide leadership for financial management, grant compliance, donor financial reporting, budgeting, treasury oversight, statutory reporting, taxation and audit coordination. The position ensures that ASLO's resources are planned, recorded, safeguarded and reported accurately and on time in accordance with donor agreements, applicable Afghan laws, ASLO policies and recognized accounting and internal-control principles. The manager also supports proposal development, fundraising, sectoral agreements and management decisions by producing reliable budgets, forecasts and financial analysis.

Key Responsibilities:

1 Financial Management and Internal Control

·   Lead ASLO's accounting and financial-management functions and ensure complete, accurate and timely recording of all transactions in QuickBooks and applicable project records.

·   Maintain and continuously strengthen financial procedures, chart of accounts, filing systems, payment controls, delegation of authority, segregation of duties and reconciliation processes.

·   Prepare and Review monthly financial reports, general ledgers, cashbooks, bank reconciliations, payroll, advances, receivables, payables and balance-sheet accounts before submission to management.

·   Ensure that every payment is supported by complete, authentic and properly approved documentation and is charged to the correct project, budget line, account code and reporting period.

·   Monitor cash flow, bank balances and project liquidity; prepare consolidated cash forecasts and advise management early about funding gaps, exchange-rate exposure and financial risks.

·   Conduct monthly financial close and ensure electronic and hard-copy records are securely maintained, backed up and readily available for review.

·   Ensure that cost savings result only from lawful efficiency, competitive procurement and prudent resource use. Never permit fictitious, altered or unsupported documentation, mischarging, concealment, or any action inconsistent with donor conditions or ASLO policies.

2 Grant and Donor Financial Management

·   Review grant agreements, donor budgets, reporting schedules, cost eligibility rules, co-financing requirements and financial clauses, and communicate key obligations to relevant staff.

·   Prepare and submit accurate donor financial reports, invoices, fund requests, cash forecasts and supporting schedules within agreed deadlines.

·   Track donor receivables and disbursements and follow up professionally on outstanding fund transfers, report approvals and financial queries.

·   Maintain a grant compliance calendar covering reports, fund requests, audits, amendments, close-outs, asset disposition and other contractual deadlines.

·   Manage each approved project budget jointly with the responsible budget holder and provide timely budget-versus-actual analysis, burn-rate reports and corrective recommendations.

·   Identify projected over- or underspending early and coordinate written budget realignment, no-cost extension or other amendment requests before commitments are made or donor deadlines expire.

·   Ensure that changes between budget lines are processed only within permitted thresholds and after obtaining all required internal and donor approvals.

·   Lead the financial component of grant start-up, implementation monitoring and close-out, including final reconciliation and retention of records.

3 Budgeting Proposals and Fundraising Support

·   Lead preparation of accurate, competitive and fully costed budgets for new concept notes, expressions of interest and technical proposals.

·   Work closely with programme, fundraising, procurement, HR, logistics, MEAL and technical teams to develop activity-based budgets, staffing plans, procurement assumptions and implementation schedules.

·   Verify unit costs, indirect costs, taxes, exchange rates, cost allocations and donor-specific budget limitations and ensure consistency between the narrative proposal, workplan, logframe, BOQ and budget.

·   Prepare budget notes, assumptions, financial risk analysis and value-for-money explanations required by donors.

·   Participate actively in fundraising and proposal-development meetings and provide timely financial inputs, revisions and clarifications.

·   Support preparation and review of budget sections in memoranda of understanding, project agreements and other formal arrangements with relevant sectoral ministries and authorities.

4 Financial Reporting and Management Analysis

·   Prepare monthly, quarterly, semi-annual and annual organizational and project financial reports in accordance with ASLO policy and donor requirements.

·   Produce concise management dashboards covering budget performance, cash position, liabilities, advances, donor receivables, reporting status, audit issues and key financial risks.

·   Review the financial components of programme and sectoral reports before submission and confirm that reported activities, expenditures, beneficiary information and budget data are consistent.

·   Provide documented feedback to finance and non-finance colleagues and follow up until corrections are completed.

·   Present reliable financial information and recommendations to the General Director and other authorized governance or management bodies.

5 Audit Risk and Compliance Coordination

·   Serve as the primary finance focal point for internal audits, external audits, donor reviews, spot checks, assessments and statutory inspections.

·   Prepare audit schedules, reconciliations, sample files, management explanations and supporting documents and ensure information is provided accurately and within agreed timelines.

·   Maintain an audit and compliance action tracker, assign responsible persons, monitor deadlines and report unresolved high-risk findings to management.

·   Coordinate closely with Internal Audit and Risk Compliance while preserving the independence of the internal-audit function.

·   Identify potentially ineligible, unsupported or questioned costs promptly, prevent recurrence and escalate material concerns through approved reporting channels.

·   Support fraud-risk assessment, sanctions screening, conflict-of-interest controls, whistleblowing, safeguarding-related financial controls and investigations authorized by management.

·   Do not approve or process any transaction that violates law, donor rules or ASLO policy; document and escalate improper instructions without retaliation.

6 Government Reporting and Tax Compliance

·   Prepare, review and coordinate ASLO's six-month and annual financial reports required by the Ministry of Economy and ensure consistency with approved project agreements and organizational accounts.

·   Maintain a complete schedule of statutory and regulatory reporting deadlines and coordinate submissions with authorized ASLO representatives.

·   Calculate, reconcile, declare and process applicable payroll, rental, contractor, supplier and other taxes in accordance with the laws and procedures of Afghanistan.

·   Lead the annual tax-account calculation and clearance process with the Ministry of Finance and maintain tax returns, payment receipts, clearance documents and related correspondence.

·   Reconcile Ministry of Economy and Ministry of Finance submissions with ASLO's accounting records and investigate and correct discrepancies before filing.

·   Monitor changes in relevant financial, tax and NGO regulatory requirements and advise management on required action.

7 Donor Communication Representation and Coordination

·   Maintain timely, professional and transparent communication with donors and partners on budgets, financial reports, fund requests, audits and compliance matters.

·   Participate in donor, consortium, government and partner meetings and communicate confidently in spoken and written English.

·   Prepare professional responses to donor financial questions and coordinate internally to ensure that technical and financial explanations are accurate and consistent.

·   Represent ASLO's financial position responsibly, protect confidential information and avoid commitments beyond delegated authority.

·   Build constructive working relationships with banks, auditors, government finance offices, donors and partner finance teams.

8 Team Leadership and Capacity Strengthening

·   Plan, assign, supervise and review the work of finance staff and ensure clear deadlines, accountability and adequate backup coverage for critical functions.

·   Provide regular, documented technical feedback and coaching to finance colleagues and relevant budget holders.

·   Conduct orientation for project managers and non-finance staff on budget management, supporting documentation, cost eligibility, fraud prevention and donor compliance.

·   Promote a professional, respectful and solutions-focused working environment and address performance issues through ASLO's established management and HR procedures.

·   Ensure a complete, documented handover of responsibilities during staff transitions and maintain business continuity for all essential finance functions.

·   Perform other finance- and grants-related duties assigned by the General Director that are lawful, reasonable and consistent with the purpose of the position.

Core Competencies

·    Integrity, reliability and accountability

·    Accuracy and attention to detail

·    Planning, organization and deadline management

·    Analytical thinking and systematic problem-solving

·    Professional communication and service orientation

·    Teamwork and respectful coordination

·    Confidentiality and sound judgment

·    Resilience and accuracy under pressure

Authority and Limitations

The post holder processes transactions only within written delegated authority. The officer may not approve their own payments; independently create or approve suppliers; change verified bank details without independent confirmation; authorize expenditure; sign bank instruments unless formally appointed; share passwords, safe keys or credentials; retain blank signed cheques; provide personal loans from organizational funds; divide transactions to avoid thresholds; or process unsupported or non-compliant payments.

Safeguarding and Code of Conduct

The post holder must comply with ASLO's Code of Conduct, Finance Manual, HR Manual, Procurement Policy, safeguarding and PSEA requirements, anti-fraud and anti-corruption controls, conflict-of-interest rules, whistleblowing and complaints procedures, data-protection requirements, security procedures and applicable donor conditions. Safeguarding, fraud, corruption, retaliation and serious compliance concerns must be reported through authorized channels.

·   Bachelor's degree in finance, accounting, business administration, economics or a closely related field; a master's degree or recognized professional accounting qualification is an advantage.

·   At least seven years of progressively responsible experience in financial and grants management, including at least three years in a managerial or supervisory role with an NGO, INGO or United Nations-funded programme.

·   Demonstrated experience managing multiple donor grants, preparing donor financial reports and fund requests, and leading project and organizational audits.

·   Strong practical knowledge of budgeting, cash-flow management, accounting, financial analysis, internal controls, cost allocation, grant compliance and project close-out.

·   Demonstrated experience with Afghanistan NGO financial reporting, Ministry of Economy reporting and Ministry of Finance tax calculation and clearance procedures.

·   Advanced working ability in QuickBooks and Microsoft Excel; experience with other accounting or grant-management systems is an advantage.

·   Strong written and spoken English and fluency in Dari and/or Pashto; ability to participate effectively in donor meetings and prepare professional correspondence.

·   Proven ability to manage deadlines, work under professional pressure, resolve complex financial issues and maintain accuracy and confidentiality.

Selection will be based on a competitive process that may include CV screening, a written technical test, practical budgeting or accounting exercises, an interview, reference checks, verification of education and employment history, and other due-diligence measures permitted by ASLO policy and applicable law. ASLO is an equal-opportunity employer and does not charge applicants any fee at any stage of recruitment.