Manager – Financial Vetting, Governance & Compliance

NSDC, as a Section 8 Government Company under the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), operates a large network of Training Partners, Assessment & Accreditation (A&A) Agencies, Sector Skill Councils (SSCs), and Assessment Agencies, with recurring financial disbursements tied to physical and outcome-based deliverables. The VP – Operations (Government Programs) is accountable to MSDE and other ministries for the integrity and defensibility of all payment approvals routed through Operations, spanning Training, Accreditation & Affiliation, Monitoring & Evaluation, and Assessment verticals.

This position is created to embed a qualified, independent financial vetting resource within the Operations function — someone who can pre-validate, reconcile, and certify financial transactions and payment proposals before they reach the VP for approval, ensuring due process, transparency, and compliance with Government Financial Rules (GFR), General Terms & Conditions of Contracts, CVC guidelines, and NSDC's internal Delegation of Financial Powers (DOFP), while liaising closely with the Finance Department (which retains custody and control of actual fund disbursement).

The role is designed as a bridge function — protecting the VP's financial accountability to MSDE/ministries by ensuring every transaction routed for approval is vetted, documented, and audit-ready, while maintaining constructive coordination with Finance, which continues to independently process and discharge payments.

•     Chartered Accountant (CA) — mandatory, member of ICAI, qualified and currently holding a valid Certificate of Practice or eligible to work in industry.

•     Additional qualifications preferred (not mandatory): DISA/CISA, Certificate Course on GFR/Public Financial Management, CPFA, or exposure to Government Accounting Standards.

•     Minimum 5–8 years post-qualification experience, with at least 3 years in one of the following:

•     Government/PSU/autonomous body financial operations, or

•     Internal audit / statutory audit of government-funded programs, or

•     Grant/fund management in a donor-funded, CSR, or government scheme environment.

•     Demonstrated working knowledge of GFR 2017, CVC guidelines, GeM procurement, and government contract/payment terms.

•     Prior exposure to the skill development ecosystem, education/training sector payments, or output-linked disbursement models is highly desirable.

•     Experience reconciling large volumes of vendor/partner payments against physical and financial progress (milestones, batches, certifications) is a strong plus.

•     Strong command over financial vetting, reconciliation, and variance analysis.

•     Working knowledge of accounting standards, TDS/GST implications on partner payments, and government audit requirements (CAG, statutory, internal).

•     High personal integrity and ability to work independently, since the role involves flagging discrepancies even under approval pressure.

•     Strong stakeholder coordination skills — this role succeeds only through sustained coordination with the Finance Department, which retains process ownership.

•     Ability to synthesize complex, multi-vertical financial data (Training, A&A, M&E, Assessment) into clear, decision-ready notes for the VP.

•     Proficiency in MS Excel (Advanced Level) and Data Management — including pivot tables, advanced formulas/lookups, data validation, and large-dataset reconciliation across multiple stakeholder categories.

•     Exposure to ERP/financial systems used in government bodies is an advantage.

•     Independently vet every financial transaction/payment proposal originating from Operations verticals (Training, Accreditation & Affiliation, M&E, Assessment) before it is placed for the VP's approval.

•     Verify computations of payments due to Training Partners, A&A Agencies, SSCs, and Assessment Agencies against approved rate cards, MoUs/agreements, and achieved milestones.

•     Cross-check supporting documents (utilization certificates, batch/candidate data, physical progress reports, third-party verification/inspection reports) for completeness before recommending a case for approval.

•     Prepare a vetting note/checklist for each transaction, flagging deviations, missing documentation, or process gaps for the VP's attention.

•     Ensure every payment routed through Operations follows due process under GFR, NSDC's Delegation of Financial Powers, and applicable scheme guidelines/MSDE directives.

•     Maintain a standard Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) and checklist for each category of stakeholder payment (Training Partner, A&A Agency, SSC, Assessment Agency), and ensure consistent application across verticals.

•     Track and highlight recurring compliance gaps or process risks to the VP, with corrective recommendations.

•     Serve as the primary coordination point between Operations and the Finance Department for all payment-related matters — since Finance independently controls and discharges actual disbursement.

•     Proactively follow up with Finance on transaction status, queries, and clarifications, minimizing delays caused by fragmented communication.

•     Reconcile Operations' records (approvals, commitments, milestones) with Finance's disbursement data periodically to identify mismatches early.

•     Build a professional, non-adversarial working relationship with Finance to enable smoother information flow, recognizing Finance's independent custodianship of financial data.

•     Maintain a running MIS/dashboard of all payment proposals vetted, approved, pending, and disbursed — vertical-wise and stakeholder-category-wise.

•     Support the VP in responding to queries from MSDE, other ministries, CAG audit, internal audit, and statutory auditors on financial matters pertaining to Operations.

•     Maintain complete, audit-ready documentation trails for every transaction vetted, to protect the defensibility of approvals.

•     Assist in periodic reconciliation and closure of accounts pertaining to stakeholder payments (Training Partners, A&A Agencies, SSCs, Assessment Agencies).

•     Advise the VP on financial risk, exceptions, and process deviations before approval, functioning as an internal financial check-and-balance.

•     Support preparation of financial briefs/notes for MSDE and ministry-level reviews, presentations, and audits.

•     Recommend process improvements to strengthen transparency and reduce turnaround time for stakeholder payments.

Area

KPI

Vetting Turnaround

% of payment proposals vetted within defined SLA (e.g., 2–3 working days of receipt)

Accuracy

Number/value of computation or documentation errors caught before VP approval vs. errors detected post-approval

Compliance

Zero/minimal audit objections (CAG, internal, statutory) attributable to Operations-routed payments

Documentation

% of vetted transactions with complete, audit-ready documentation on file

Coordination Efficiency

Average turnaround time for Finance queries/clarifications resolved; reduction in payment delays attributable to Operations-Finance coordination gaps

Reconciliation

Timeliness and accuracy of periodic reconciliation between Operations approvals and Finance disbursements

Process Adherence

% of transactions processed through the defined SOP/checklist without deviation

Stakeholder Payment Cycle

Reduction in average payment cycle time to Training Partners, A&A Agencies, SSCs, and Assessment Agencies

Reporting

Timeliness and quality of MIS/dashboards and audit-response support provided to VP