Finance Business Partner (External)

Role Overview

As a member of relevant technical working group(s), the Finance Business Partner (External) provides technical leadership and support to ensure the quality, compliance, and effective management of financial resources across assigned ActionAid programmes and projects. The role ensures that all financial activities are implemented in accordance with ActionAid’s policies, procedures, and approved budgets.

The Finance Business Partner (External) also offers financial advice and technical assistance to other departments, staff, and project teams under their portfolio, promoting sound financial practices and accountability.

This position is authorised to review and, when necessary, reject payments or expenditures that do not comply with ActionAid’s financial policies or approved project budgets.

Key Accountabilities/ Responsibilities:

• Participate in the budgeting and planning processes for new projects and ActionAid’s overall programmes, ensuring accuracy, compliance, efficient resource use, and alignment with organisational priorities.

• Ensure all financial transactions, records, and reports for assigned programmes and projects comply with ActionAid’s financial policies, donor requirements, and Vietnamese laws and regulations.

• Review and verify financial documents and expenditures, ensuring accuracy, eligibility, and alignment with approved budgets.

• Exercise authority to withhold or reject payments that do not comply with financial procedures or approved budget.

• Support the preparation, review, and consolidation of project budgets and financial reports, ensuring timeliness and accuracy.

• Conduct regular financial analysis of assigned programmes and projects to monitor budget utilisation, identify variances, and recommend corrective measures.

• Provide periodic financial updates, forecasts, and insights to project/program team, budget holders, and the Head of Finance.

• Contribute to organisational financial planning and performance reviews through data-driven financial assessments.

• Support partner organisations in strengthening their financial management capacity through training, mentoring, and regular compliance monitoring.

• Review and validate partners’ financial reports and supporting documents to ensure consistency with ActionAid’s financial policies, contractual agreements (MoUs, service contract), and donor requirements.

• Coordinate and liaise with external auditors, partners, and project/programme teams during audits, financial reviews, and monitoring visits.

• Collaborate with programme, M&E, and operations teams to integrate financial considerations into planning, implementation, and reporting.

• Advise and support programme and project staff in financial planning, procurement, and compliance matters.

• Participate in relevant technical working groups and contribute to organisational learning on financial governance and accountability.

• Identify and report emerging financial risks in assigned projects and propose preventive or corrective actions.

• Ensure timely follow-up and resolution of audit findings related to projects under responsibility.

• Contribute to improving financial policy, system, tools, and processes for greater efficiency and transparency.

• Other tasks assigned by the Line Manager.

Education & Certifications

• Bachelor’s degree in finance, accounting, or a related field.

Experience

• At least 3 years of working in the similar position or relevant fields.

• NGO/project working experience is preferable

Essential knowledge and skills

• International accounting, particularly charity accounting

• Accounting software

• Accounting document reviews skills

• Program activities

• Expertise in Financial reports and financial monitoring skills

• Intermediate level of English