Finance and Compliance Officer

Create Foundation Incorporated; Quezon City; Remote; PHP 469,000 - 692,000; Full time

Job summary

Create Foundation Incorporated in Manila is seeking a finance and compliance professional to lead adaptable financial systems for a growing non-profit startup. You will drive robust bookkeeping, payroll, and donor accounting while ensuring strict regulatory adherence.

The role requires managing monthly close, financial reporting, and tax/compliance tasks in a remote-first, collaborative environment with a strong focus on accountability and donor transparency.

Qualifications

• Education: Finance/Accounting degree or development-related course.
• Experience: 1 year in finance/compliance is desirable.
• Remote-work capability with reliable output delivery.

Responsibilities

• Adapt agile financial processes for a nonprofit startup.
• Bookkeeping, GL maintenance, and monthly bank reconciliations.
• Prepare monthly, quarterly, and annual financial statements and reports.
• Process payroll and oversee petty cash and disbursements.
• Maintain banking relationships and project ledgers.
• Support budgeting and regulatory compliance activities.

Skills

Agile mindset

English proficiency

Discretion & ethics

Collaboration

Education

Finance or accounting degree or development-related course

Tools

QuickBooks

Xero

Excel

Google Sheets

Job description

Key Responsibilities

Adaptability & Agile Operations

• Shift away from overly rigid, bureaucratic, and dogmatic corporate practices in favor of agile, lightweight, and practical financial systems being developed for a non-profit startup.

• Apply rigor while maintaining flexibility to accommodate customized strategies tailored to unique realities and emerging opportunities.

• Continuously refine workflows to make financial transactions efficient and frictionless.

• Develop a strong understanding of the foundation’s development models to ensure financial and compliance alignment.

Financial Management & Program Management Support

• Manage routine bookkeeping, general ledger maintenance, and timely monthly bank reconciliations.

• Prepare accurate monthly, quarterly, and annual financial statements and internal management reports.

• Process payroll accurately and maintain tight oversight over petty cash and disbursement workflows.

• Maintain banking systems and serve as the primary focal point for all banking communications.

• Maintain up-to-date, accurate project and program ledgers at all times.

• Support the Executive Director in formulating annual organizational budgets, overseeing budget version controls, and consolidating all program financial plans.

Donations Accounting

• Maintain up-to-date records of all incoming donations, ensuring accurate categorization.

• Issue official donation receipts, invoices, and donor acknowledgment letters in compliance with local tax and audit standards.

• Reconcile donation logs monthly against bank accounts, payment gateways, and accounting ledgers to ensure zero variance.

• Track grant utilization and donor-specific financial milestones to support the preparation of accurate, transparent financial updates for funding partners.

Statutory & Regulatory Compliance

• Take the lead in securing and maintaining strategic non‑profit accreditations (e.g., PCNC, DSWD) and memberships with reputable NGO networks and umbrella organizations to strengthen the foundation’s governance, credibility, and donor confidence.

• Oversee the timely renewal and filing of all annual local government permits and operating requirements.

• Ensure strict adherence to Philippine regulatory standards, leading timely and accurate filings with the BIR, SEC, SSS, PhilHealth, and Pag‑IBIG.

• Maintain complete, audit‑ready physical and digital compliance archives, coordinating directly with external auditors, tax consultants, and regulatory inspectors.

• Continuously monitor changes in local and national statutory requirements to update organizational policies and safeguard the non‑profit’s legal standing.

Technical Skills & Knowledge

• Hands‑on proficiency with cloud accounting software (e.g., QuickBooks, Xero) and advanced skills in Microsoft Excel / Google Sheets.

• Practical understanding of BIR tax compliance, SEC annual reporting, and government payroll contributions in the Philippines.

Soft Skills & Mindset

• Strong commitment to working in a fast‑paced non‑profit start‑up environment, with a deep personal resonance for the development advocacies and core values of Create Foundation.

• Willingness to shed rigid corporate paradigms and apply creative, out‑of‑the‑box thinking to customize lean, innovative financial systems that fit the unique operational realities of a growing non‑profit.

• Exceptional accuracy in record‑keeping combined with comfort wearing multiple operational hats in a remote‑first setup.

• Superior command of written and verbal English, with the ability to explain complex financial rules empathetically, constructively, and clearly without acting as an operational bottleneck.

• A collaborative mindset that fosters team unity, bridges finance with program operations, and builds cohesive working relationships across a hybrid, multi‑disciplinary team.

• Absolute discretion and ethical standards when handling sensitive financial data.

Qualifications & Requirements

• Education: Graduate of any finance/accounting course or a development-related course with strong potential to thrive in a finance and compliance role.
• Experience: Preferably, with at least one (1) year of relevant work experience. Prior experience with both government and non‑profit compliance is highly desirable.
• Remote Work Capability: Demonstrated work-from-home reliability, discipline, and output delivery.