Finance and Operations Manager J-PAL Southeast Asia

About J-PAL Southeast Asia

The Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) is a research center headquartered in the Economics Department at MIT. J-PAL’s mission is to ensure that policy is informed by scientific evidence. J-PAL Southeast Asia (SEA), based at the Institute for Economic and Social Research in the Faculty of Economics and Business at the University of Indonesia (LPEM FEB UI) in Jakarta, is one of seven independent regional offices hosted at leading universities around the world.

At J-PAL SEA, we are committed to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in our work. We believe that diverse perspective will strengthen our research and policy outreach. We strive to create equitable and inclusive workplace where every team member feels welcomed, valued and empowered. In line with this, we offer hybrid and flexible working arrangements to promote work-life balance and support the well-being of our staff, ensuring that everyone can thrive professionally and personally.

Position Summary

J-PAL Southeast Asia seeks a qualified applicant for the position of Finance and Operations Manager. This individual will work closely with the Associate Director for Finance and Operations, the project manager from other verticals, and LPEM FEB in supervising office finances. The core role will range from planning for responsible growth, monitoring project budgets, and working with donors on general and project funding. It is expected that the Manager has experience in managing grants, finance in the non-profit sector, and surveys for research activity in Indonesia. Knowledge regarding the project’s operation, such as legal and human resource management, is a plus.

Key Responsibilities

Grants Management and Operations

• Manage multiple grant funds from various donor organizations and their compliance with J-PAL, LPEM FEB UI, Donor rules and regulations, award requirements, and Government of Indonesia laws and regulations;
• Coordinate with the project managers on grant financials, compliance, and reporting, including working with researchers and donors to reallocate funds as needed, to plug funding holes, and to negotiate with donors;
• Work with research staff to develop proposals, providing input on substantive areas of project/program operations and financial issues of staffing, budgeting, and contracting;
• Manage the timely assembly and submission of proposals that meet J-PAL SEA’s standards and donor requirements for submission.
• Manage service contracts and vendor relationships, including procurement;
• Supervise the operations team on J-PAL SEA's operations management, including HR Management and General Affair;

 Financial and Project Management

• Responsible for the overall quality of financial report and project's spending plan;
• Manage multi-year budgets for J-PAL SEA and track results within the Finance team; report regularly to the Associate Director of Finance and Operations on the financial situation; anticipate problems and develop solutions;
• Work to improve project budgeting, operational budgeting, and cost recovery;
• Maintain a system of financial control that meets University and donor requirements for transparency and responsible management of resources;
• Directly manage and develop finance and operations staff at J-PAL SEA who are responsible for grants management, office management, human resources, and financial administration;
• Collaborate with other managers to support monitoring the project spending and other project’s related activity.

Requirements

• Education: Bachelor’s or master’s degree in accounting, Finance, or a related field (advanced degree preferred).
• Experience: Minimum of 5 years of work experience, with at least 3 years managing teams.
• Strong interpersonal skills and analytical abilities; broad knowledge of the principles of financial and administrative management.
• Demonstrated leadership skills; minimum of five years of working experience with a minimum of three years of experience in managing a team; significant financial management and administrative experience.
• Ability to budget and conduct expense analysis in a non-profit setting preferred. Strong computer experience with various accounting, database, and financial packages. Experience with Odoo and Intacct is a plus.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills and proven ability to communicate with senior donor representatives.
• Should be able to take a broad view of organizational management while maintaining a strong understanding of budget, contracts, and grant details.
• Work Authorization: You must have work authorization in Indonesia (either by being an Indonesian national or otherwise).