Job Description

About IRRI
The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) is dedicated to reducing poverty and hunger through rice science; improving the health and welfare of rice farmers and consumers; and protecting the rice-growing environment for future generations. IRRI is an independent, nonprofit, research and educational institute, founded in 1960 by the Ford and Rockefeller foundations with support from the Philippine government. The institute, headquartered in Los Banos, Philippines, has offices in 17 rice-growing countries in Asia and Africa, and over 1,000 staff.
Working with in-country partners, IRRI develops advanced rice varieties that yield more grain and better withstand pests and disease as well as flooding, drought, and other harmful effects of climate change.
Job Purpose
Under the Kerala Climate Resilient Agri-Value Chain Modernization (KERA) Project supported by the World Bank, the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) will support the Government of Kerala (GoK) in the co-development of low-emission agronomic and water management practices tailored for scalable adoption across rice-based agricultural systems in all 14 districts of Kerala. These efforts will be guided by state-of-the-art technologies and grounded in rigorous scientific evidence, aimed at supporting robust and scalable Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) systems that ensure environmental integrity while maintaining acceptable transaction costs
Under the supervision of the Country Support Service Manager/Resident Project Coordinator, the incumbent will manage and coordinate financial and administrative operations at the IRRI India Hub Office in Kerala. This position will be responsible for managing and monitoring financial transactions in accordance with organizational policies, maintaining accurate and up-to-date financial records, including ledgers, invoices, and reconciliations. The role will assist in budget preparation, expenditure tracking, and financial reporting, while coordinating with finance teams to ensure timely disbursement and compliance with donor or partner requirements. In addition, the incumbent will oversee office operations, procurement, asset management, and vendor relationships, while also managing calendars, scheduling meetings, and coordinating logistics for workshops, travel, and events. Maintaining organized filing systems for financial and administrative documentation will be a key responsibility.
The position will ensure adherence to internal controls, institutional policies, and applicable regulations, and support the preparation of reports and audits by providing necessary documentation. The role includes providing administrative and logistical support to project staff and senior management, assisting in the preparation of project-related documents, presentations, and reports, and tracking project expenditures to support budget maintenance. Furthermore, the Finance and Administration Coordinator will act as a liaison between internal departments and external stakeholders for administrative matters and facilitate effective internal communication and collaboration across teams to ensure smooth and efficient operations.
This position will be based at the IRRI India Office, Trissur, Kerala, India and may only be filled by permanent citizens of India.
Roles and Responsibilities

• Transaction processing (excluding pay roll), cash & bank management and preparing accounting sheets for entry into OCS.
• Doing day-to-day coordination of financial and administrative activities for the program, ensuring efficient utilization of cash in hand and at bank, responsible for timely fund requests from IIO, Delhi office, physical cash verification, and monthly bank reconciliations
• Responsible for the procurement of goods and services in accordance with IRRI's procurement policy and good practice
• Maintain registers for fixed assets and inventory and provide oversight of all administrative functions - facilitating workshop/ training events, hotel bookings, coordinating with travel agent, arrangements for visiting staff from Delhi & HQ
• Verification of necessary documentation and its validation.
• Drafting and preparing of necessary documents such as for purposes of administrative clearances, agreement with collaborators etc
• Work closely with key Program staff in Kerala and other offices to support efficient & effective implementation of the project;
• Communicate and work closely with Corporate Service leads at IIO, Delhi to follow correct processes and ensure adherence to IRRI financial policies and procedures.
• Liaise with banks, service providers such as hotels, travel agents, transport services, IT services, etc.
• Timely addressing of routine administrative issues and queries.
• Coordinate logistical arrangements for visits.
• Act as a focal point for visitors and direct them to the concerned stakeholder.
• Maintaining the project budget and expenses incurred in Kerala for preparing regular financial reports as required for Project management
• Organize financial and administrative matters to ensure correct processes and compliance with IRRI policies
• Oversee all transaction processing (except payroll) , responsible for cash & bank management
• Ensure maintenance of fixed assets & inventory registers, supervise overall logistics for the Odisha office, and provide information as may be required by the Delhi office
• Manage petty cash requests, disbursement and liquidation
• Plan, arrange and coordinate administration of site visits

Qualifications

• Master's in Business Administration, Finance, Accounting, Management, with more than 3 years of relevant experience
• Commerce, Accounts with 3 years of relevant work experience, or
• CA Intermediate with 3 years of relevant work experience

Skills Required
Mandatory

• Has experience working in a team
• Has worked in a (Project) Management environment
• Is customer-focused
• Has strong oral and written communication and interpersonal skills
• Has excellent organizational skills

Preferred

• Has experience working for an international organization

Allowances:

• In addition to the base salary mentioned above, IRRI also offers the following allowances:
• House-Rent Allowance: IRRI provides a house rent allowance of 40% of base pay per month.
• Transport Allowance: A monthly transport allowance of INR 4,000
• Dearness Allowance: One Hundred and Thirteen percent (113%) of employee's base pay.
• Leave Travel Allowance (LTA): One-month base pay per annum, on availing minimum 2 days of vacation leave
• Education Allowance: INR 1000/- per child per month (limited 2 children)

IRRI offers a highly extensive employee benefits package inclusive of globally-covered medical insurance, retirement plan, life and accident insurance and other allowances.
Join our team and be part of our story!
Having trouble submitting your application?
If you experience issues with the online submission, please send your CV and cover letter (combined into a single PDF file) to Ms. Maria Beverlyn Caparas at , with a copy to .
Subject line should be the Position Title as advertised plus the Job ID (e.g., Specialist - Agronomy (HQ01828)).
Due to the high volume of applications we receive, we kindly ask for your patience. Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.