Job Title:  Senior Consultant | Social | Gandhinagar | Operations, Industry & Domain Solutions | GPS Industry So

Job Description

Finance & Procurement Expert

1. Position Overview

The Finance & Procurement Expert will be responsible for providing technical and strategic support to the Project Management Unit (PMU) in the areas of financial management, procurement planning, tendering, contract management, financial monitoring, compliance and reporting.

The Expert will support the PMU/Department in ensuring that procurement and financial processes are undertaken in a transparent, competitive, efficient and compliant manner, in accordance with applicable Government of India/State Government rules, guidelines, financial procedures and project-specific requirements.

2. Key Responsibilities

A. Procurement Management

• Develop and maintain the overall procurement plan, procurement schedules and procurement trackers for the project.
• Support the PMU/Department in identification of procurement requirements, appropriate procurement methods and timelines.
• Prepare/review EOIs, RFPs, RFQs, tender documents, bid evaluation criteria, ToRs, BOQs and other procurement-related documents.
• Provide technical support during the entire procurement cycle, including:
• Procurement planning
• Bid/tender preparation
• Pre-bid meetings and clarifications
• Bid opening and evaluation
• Preparation of evaluation reports
• Negotiations, wherever applicable
• Selection and award recommendations
• Contract execution
• Ensure that procurement processes are aligned with applicable GFR, State Financial Rules, procurement manuals, departmental guidelines and donor/project-specific requirements, as applicable.
• Support constitution and functioning of technical/financial evaluation committees and provide procurement-related inputs.
• Review bids and proposals from a procurement and commercial perspective and identify deviations, risks and compliance issues.
• Maintain complete and auditable procurement documentation and records.

B. Contract Management

• Support the PMU/Department in drafting, reviewing and finalising contracts, work orders, purchase orders and service agreements.
• Monitor contract milestones, deliverables, payment terms, performance securities, guarantees and other contractual obligations.
• Track contract extensions, amendments, variations, penalties/liquidated damages and closure requirements.
• Establish and maintain a contract management tracker covering key dates, deliverables, payments, renewals and contractual obligations.
• Support resolution of contractual and commercial issues arising during implementation.

C. Financial Management

• Support preparation and monitoring of project budgets, financial plans and expenditure forecasts.
• Monitor budget utilisation against approved allocations and identify variances and potential financial risks.
• Review invoices, bills, claims and supporting documents prior to processing/payment.
• Support financial reconciliation and maintenance of project-level financial records.
• Prepare periodic financial statements, expenditure reports and management dashboards.
• Monitor commitments, liabilities, advances and outstanding payments.
• Support preparation of financial projections and cash-flow requirements.
• Ensure appropriate financial documentation and audit trails are maintained.

D. Financial & Procurement Compliance

• Ensure adherence to applicable financial and procurement rules, delegated financial powers and approved project procedures.
• Identify potential financial, procurement and contractual risks and recommend mitigation measures.
• Support internal, statutory, external and project-specific audits.
• Coordinate responses to audit observations and ensure timely closure of audit/action points.
• Review procurement and financial processes periodically and recommend improvements to strengthen governance and controls.

E. MIS, Reporting & Advisory Support

• Develop and maintain procurement and financial MIS/dashboard for review by senior management.
• Provide periodic updates on:
• Procurement progress
• Tender status
• Contract awards
• Financial commitments
• Expenditure and utilisation
• Pending payments
• Contract milestones
• Key risks and bottlenecks
• Prepare briefing notes, analytical reports and presentations for senior officials and review meetings.
• Provide expert advice to the PMU and Department on procurement and financial matters.
• Support preparation of documents and information required for departmental, inter-departmental and stakeholder meetings.

3. Key Deliverables

The Expert will be expected to deliver, inter alia:

1. Annual/periodic Procurement Plan and Procurement Tracker.
2. Procurement and tendering documents, including RFPs/EOIs/RFQs and evaluation documentation.
3. Contract management and milestone tracker.
4. Project budget and financial monitoring framework.
5. Periodic expenditure and financial utilisation reports.
6. Invoice/payment review and financial reconciliation reports.
7. Procurement and financial MIS/dashboard.
8. Audit support documentation and timely closure of audit observations.
9. Risk and compliance reports.
10. Periodic management reports and presentations for senior management.
11. Any other financial or procurement-related outputs required by the PMU/Department.

4. Educational Qualification

• Essential: Graduate degree in Finance, Commerce, Economics, Business Administration, Engineering or a related discipline from a recognised university/institution.
• Desirable: Postgraduate degree/MBA in Finance, M.Com, CA/ICWA/CMA, or qualification in procurement/supply chain management.
• Professional certification in procurement, contract management or public financial management will be an added advantage.

5. Professional Experience

• Minimum 8–10 years of relevant professional experience in finance, procurement, contracts and/or financial management.
• Demonstrated experience in public procurement, government projects, PMUs, infrastructure/development projects, consulting assignments or externally aided projects will be preferred.
• Experience in preparation and evaluation of RFPs, tenders, financial bids and commercial proposals.
• Experience in contract management, vendor management and financial monitoring.
• Experience of working with Central/State Government departments, PSUs, autonomous bodies, multilateral/bilateral agencies or large consulting organisations will be an advantage.
• Candidates with experience in handling high-value procurement and multi-stakeholder projects will be preferred.

6. Desired Competencies

• Strong understanding of public procurement and financial management processes.
• Knowledge of GFR, procurement guidelines and government financial procedures.
• Strong analytical and financial assessment skills.
• Good understanding of tendering, bid evaluation and contract management.
• Ability to identify commercial, financial and contractual risks.
• Strong documentation and report-writing skills.
• Proficiency in MS Excel, PowerPoint and other MIS/reporting tools.
• Ability to coordinate effectively with Government departments, vendors, consultants and other stakeholders.
• Strong communication, stakeholder management and negotiation skills.
• Ability to work independently and manage multiple procurement/financial workstreams simultaneously.