Senior Finance Officer at Policy Innovation Centre (PIC)

The Policy Innovation Centre (PIC) is the first national institutionalised behavioural initiative in Africa supporting government and stakeholders to make behaviourally informed decisions and generate evidence for impact driven interventions in critical thematic areas (Governance, Health, Gender & Social Inclusion, Education, Digital & Financial Inclusion). The PIC is positioned to support the delivery of better policies and innovative solutions for high impact interventions across Africa. The PIC is an initiative of the Nigeria Economic Summit Group (NESG), a leading think tank in Africa redefining evidence based policy advocacy.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Senior Finance Officer

Location: Abuja (FCT)
Employment Type: Contract

Job Description

The PIC is seeking a Finance Officer. The officer will track the project finances, manage the budget, oversee and approves procurement, and ensures compliance with financial regulations.

Job Responsibilities

• Oversee the project’s financial operations, ensuring sound financial planning, tracking, and reporting in line with approved budgets and donor requirements.
• Prepare, review, and monitor project budgets to ensure alignment with work plans and funding allocations.
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date financial records and documentation for all project transactions.
• Track and reconcile project expenditures, ensuring all costs are allowable, allocable, and properly supported.
• Review and approve financial transactions, invoices, and reimbursements in accordance with internal and donor policies.
• Prepare monthly and quarterly financial statements, expenditure reports, and cash forecasts.
• Manage and approve procurement processes, ensuring compliance with donor regulations and organizational procurement policies.
• Oversee vendor selection, contract management, and payment processing to ensure value for money and transparency.
• Supervise general administrative functions including logistics, asset management, and office operations.
• Ensure adherence to financial regulations, donor requirements, and national accounting standards.
• Support internal and external audits by maintaining organized documentation and providing timely responses to audit queries.
• Implement audit recommendations and strengthen internal control systems to mitigate financial risks.
• Prepare and submit periodic financial reports to donors, management, and project leadership in line with reporting schedules.
• Collaborate with programme and technical teams to ensure financial data supports performance reporting.
• Serve as a liaison with donors and partners on financial and administrative compliance matters.
• Lead and supervise finance and administrative staff, ensuring effective delegation, performance monitoring, and mentoring.
• Build the capacity of project teams on financial procedures, budgeting, and compliance standards.
• Foster a culture of accountability, accuracy, and transparency across all financial and administrative processes.
• Ensure effective use of accounting systems and administrative tools for financial management and reporting.
• Contribute to the development and implementation of financial and procurement policies, and operational manuals.
• Monitor compliance with organizational policies, donor rules, and statutory requirements including tax and labour laws.
• Advise senior management on financial trends, risks, and opportunities to improve operational efficiency.
• Support strategic planning and decision-making with financial insights and scenario analyses.
• Ensure smooth coordination between the finance, procurement, and programme units for efficient project delivery.

Qualifications/Job Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting, Finance, Economics, or related field; a professional accounting qualification (e.g. ICAN) is highly required.
• Minimum of 7–10 years of progressive experience in finance, accounting, or financial management within NGOs, development organizations, or similar institutions.
• Strong knowledge of financial management principles, budgeting, and internal controls in the context of donor-funded projects.
• Proven experience in financial reporting, audits, and compliance with statutory and donor requirements.
• Proficiency in accounting software (e.g., QuickBooks, Sage, Tally, or ERP systems) and advanced Excel skills.
• Experience managing multi-donor grants, project budgets, and financial forecasting.
• Ability to develop and implement financial policies, procedures, and best practices.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills to liaise with internal teams, auditors, donors, and partners.
• High level of integrity, accountability, and commitment to ethical financial management.

Benefits

• Competitive salary and benefits package.
• Professional development opportunities.
• A supportive and collaborative working environment.

Application Closing Date
24th November, 2025.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online

Application Instructions
Please send your CV on no more than 2 A4 pages (Minimum font size 10) AND an accompanying covering letter of no more than 2 pages (Minimum font size 10) answering the following questions to:

• What is your motivation for wanting to join the PIC?
• What are the top three key attributes you would bring to the PIC?

Note

• Only qualified candidates will be contacted.
• PIC may be unable to notify every applicant of the result of their application. If you have therefore not been contacted within 8 weeks of the closing date, then you should assume that your application has been unsuccessful. However, we may retain your data and contact you for future openings that match your skills and competencies.
• Equal employment opportunity statement: PIC is an equal employment employer. We do not engage in practices that discriminate against any person employed or seeking employment based on race, colour, religion, gender, disability, national or ethnic origin, age, marital status, genetic information or any other status or characteristic protected under applicable laws.