International Development jobs in United Kingdom

Finance and Grant Controller

Contract: Permanent, Full Time, 35 hours per week.

Location: London, United Kingdom

UK hybrid working – a minimum of 40% of working time is spent face‑to‑face (London office, external meetings or travel).

60/40 hybrid working at WaterAid means roughly three days wherever you work best and two days together in person.

Salary: £48,867- £51,439 per year with excellent benefits

Change starts with water. Change starts with you.

Every day, millions of people live without clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene. WaterAid exists to change that – for everyone, everywhere. Join us, and your energy will help unlock people’s potential and create a fairer future.

About WaterAid:

We’re a global federation driven by one vision: a world where everyone, everywhere has clean water, sanitation and hygiene by 2030. Powered by our values of Respect, Accountability, Courage, Collaboration, Integrity and Innovation, we work alongside communities, partners and supporters to make change happen.

About the team:

The Finance and Grant Controller role is part of the central finance team and sits within the Management Accounting function which provides our country programmes and the region offices with professional and technical finance leadership for WaterAid UK’s international work. The role will work closely with the Project Delivery Lead and the Monitoring and Learning Coordinator for the Multi-country Urban Water Project.

About the role:

The Finance and Grant Controller will manage all financial aspects of WaterAid’s Multi-country Urban Water Project, ensuring rigorous financial oversight, compliance with donor requirements, and alignment with organisational financial policies. This is a bold initiative aiming to raise $40 million and reach two million people with clean water in urban areas across six anchor countries: Colombia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Mozambique, Bangladesh, and Cambodia.

In this role, you will:

1. Financial Monitoring and Reporting

• Prepare and review all financial reports in line with specific contract requirements and deadlines
• Monitor project budgets, tracking actual expenditures against budget allocations and flagging variances to the project team
• Monitor movement in exchange rates and local currency budget variations

2. Budget and Forecasting Development & Grant Support

• Assist program staff in preparing detailed budgets in each country project
• Deliver regular reforecasts, ensuring realistic timing of spend
• Conduct cost allocations and ensure appropriate coding of expenses

3. Compliance and Controls

• Review contracts and grant agreements to identify financial requirements, restrictions, and deliverables

• Ensure financial activities comply with contractual terms, organisational policies, and legal and regulatory requirements, including guiding eligible costs, procurement, and financial compliance to programme teams
• Support related audits, ensuring all necessary documentation is available and compliant

4. Finance Business Partner

• Collaborate closely with programme lead, providing consolidated financial reporting, financial insights and supporting decision-making.
• Coordinate timely reporting to cross-federation leadership teams from multiple country programmes
• Advise on reallocation of budget if required to meet programme delivery targets

To be successful, you will need:

Technical Qualifications and Skills

• Professional accounting qualification (ACA, ACCA, CIMA, CIPFA)
• Experience in the use of SUN, or a similar multi-dimensional accounting system.
• Experience in managing programme or project finance funded by institutional donors ( e.g. USAID, FCDO or other reputable organisation)
• Excellent Microsoft Excel skill
• Working knowledge of Business Intelligence tools such as Power BI
• Knowledge and experience of donor fund management in an international context
• Experience of financial planning, budgeting, and forecasting of projects
• Ability to analyse financial data and provide insightful narrative for range of audiences
• Finance Business Partnering experience with senior stakeholders

Desirable skills

• Proven ability to work effectively with staff at different levels and from different cultural backgrounds including experience of coaching or training
• Knowledge of development issues and the sector, preferably gained in an International Development Organisation
• Knowledge of French or Portuguese will be an advantage

View the full job description here

Closing date:Applications close12:00 PM UKtime on 11th August 2025.

How to apply:Click Apply to complete the pre-screening questions and upload your CV and cover letter.

Can I use Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology in my application?

At WaterAid, we strongly advise against using AI technology at any stage of the recruitment process. Our goal is to ensure a fair and transparent process that provides every applicant with an equal opportunity to succeed. We value hearing about your unique experiences and perspectives in your application, and, if shortlisted, during the interview as well.

Pre‑employment screening

To apply for this role, you must be able to demonstrate your eligibility to work in the respective country. All pre-employment checks will be carried out according to local law and WaterAid’s Safer Recruitment policy. All UK based roles require a basic Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.

• 36days’ holiday (including 8 Bank Holidays)
• Option to buy an extra 5days’ annual leave
• Employer pension contribution up to 10%
• Flexible and hybrid working arrangements
• Season ticket loan
• Free annual eye tests
• ‘Give as you Earn’ charitable giving scheme
• Enhanced parental leave (maternity, adoption/surrogacy, shared parental and paternity)
• Sabbaticals
• One paid volunteer day each year

Our Global Commitment:

Our people promise

We will work with passion and focus to make sure everyone everywhere has clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene. WaterAid is a place of purpose – where people have a real commitment and shared responsibility for the impact we have. We are a global community with diverse backgrounds and perspectives, motivated by inspiring, stimulating work. We are determined to be a place where people feel safe and able to contribute their voice and truly live our values.

Equal Opportunities

We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, beliefs, customs, traditions, ways of life and status. This includes, but is not limited to, race, ethnicity, caste, colour, gender, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth, disability status, neurodiversity, age, marital and family status, sexual orientation and gender identity, health status, place of residence, economic and social situation.

Safeguarding

We are committed to protecting everyone we come into contact with. We have a zero- tolerance approach to abuse of power, privilege or trust across our global work, and to any form of inappropriate behaviour, discrimination, abuse, bullying, harassment, or exploitation. Safeguarding the people and communities we work with, our staff, volunteers and anyone working on our behalf is our top priority, and we take our responsibilities extremely seriously. All offers of employment are subject to satisfactory references and appropriate screening checks (which can include counterterrorism, safeguarding and criminal records checks).

Together, we’ll change the world through water.

Join us and be part of the change !