Job Description

The Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) is a research center headquartered in the Economics Department at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, MA. J-PAL’s mission is to ensure that policy is informed by scientific evidence. J-PAL Southeast Asia (SEA), based at the Institute for Economic and Social Research in the Faculty of Economics and Business at the University of Indonesia (LPEM FEB UI) in Jakarta, is one of six independent regional offices hosted at leading universities around the world. J-PAL’s regional offices are at the center of our policy outreach and capacity-building activities.

J-PAL Southeast Asia seeks a qualified applicant for the position of Finance and Operations Associate (Grant) to provide significant support to the Finance Operations function in streamlining current practices and identifying innovative solutions to the Grant and Finance requirements of J-PAL Southeast Asia in Indonesia. This individual will be expected to manage the routine processes to ensure the effectiveness of Grant Management at a high level of internal and external engagement and attention to detail. The duties will include navigating communications and coordination, reviewing internal business processes, being the point of contact for grant management-related work, and other appropriate duties as assigned.

The Finance and Operations Associate (Grants) will be supervised by the Finance and Operations Manager and work closely with other verticals at J-PAL Southeast Asia, Research, Policy, Communications and Training, Finance and Operations vertical, and the Finance and Operations team at J-PAL Global at MIT. 

The responsibilities include (but are not limited to):

Fundraising and Grants Management

1. Updating the funding opportunity database, shortlisting relevant opportunities, and circulating relevant opportunities to the J-PAL SEA network;
2. Assisting the project team in the proposal development process (general content, and overall review of draft budgets, ensuring adherence to donor requirements and J-PAL SEA’s internal requirements), leading the internal coordination, communications, and proposal submission and follow-up process;
3. Leading the contracting process with the donor, including liaison for communication with the donor team, as well as with the project team, to ensure the obligations stated in the contract are achievable and aligned with the project objectives;
4. Leading donors and subcontractors due diligence check to align with donor policies;
5. Managing communications with donors regarding invoice submission and payments against deliverables submitted; and other donor queries;
6. Managing the reporting to donors, requests for extensions, and modifications.  Provide early warning to PIs on financial issues;
7. Streamlining the system of the grant database, tracking deliverables, and the reminder system for the related stakeholders to ensure compliance and timely submission; 
8. Updating and aligning requests for funding, funding application trackers, and initiative data in Salesforce;
9. Improve the data management for contract and legal documentation, including building a single source of directory for the due diligence process, and contracting with donors, vendors, and partners, government, and related parties.

Finance and Operations

1. Actively support the Finance and Operations verticals in managing internal standards;
2. Assisting the finance team to review transactions, and to track requests for payment or billing to donors including identifying incoming funds from donors; 
3. Supporting the initiative manager to review and track the sub-grantee proposal and deliverables;
4. Conducting a regular check-up on the completeness of J-PAL SEA due diligence protocol, and leading and coordinating the development of any protocols;
5. Conducting financial training for the project manager, helps them understand and meet the grant requirement;
6. Improving the financial monitoring system (related to contract deliverables, invoice trackers, and related financial data) using AI tools 

Job Requirements

• Education: A bachelor’s or master’s degree in a related field. Backgrounds in accounting or finance, public administration, international development, law or communications are all relevant.
• Experience: Up to two years of working experience. 
• Experience in grants management and donor relationship management is an advantage.
• Experience in planning and budgeting process is preferable;
• Strong interpersonal skills and analytical abilities; a detail-oriented and highly organized individual with experience and interest in program operations, compliance, and financial management. 
• Demonstrated leadership skills; Be adaptable to rapidly changing priorities and have the ability to manage multiple projects with varying deadlines;
• Excellent communication skills, including the ability to work well in a team. 
• Should be able to take a broad view of organizational management while maintaining a strong understanding of budget, agreements, and grant details.
• Familiarity with working inside or alongside a university or public-sector institution’s financial and legal governance is an advantage
• Work Authorization: You must have work authorization in Indonesia (either by being an Indonesian national or otherwise). 

How to Apply

This position is not eligible for any type of visa sponsorship.

Please fill in the application form (https://forms.gle/3kZioRTG2iuNrvm58) by 30 september 2026 at the latest by attaching PDF copies of your CV, academic transcripts, and a cover letter no longer than 500 words. The cover letter should discuss how you meet the aforementioned position requirements, emphasizing relevant skills and experience, as well as why you are interested in working with J-PAL SEA

Incomplete applications will not be reviewed.  Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Interested candidates are advised to apply at the earliest. Only short-listed candidates will be contacted for interviews.

Personal data submitted as part of your application is processed solely for recruitment purposes in accordance with Indonesia’s Personal Data Protection Law (UU 27/2022), retained for the duration of the recruitment cycle, and not shared outside the hiring panel. Offers are subject to reference checks.

J-PAL Southeast Asia is an equal opportunity employer where an applicant’s qualifications are considered without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other basis prohibited by law.

We are committed to an accessible recruitment process. If you require any accommodation to participate, please indicate this in your email, and we will make arrangements in confidence.