Aiming Change for Tomorrow (ACT) International is a humanitarian and development organization dedicated to improving the lives of vulnerable and marginalized communities through sustainable development, emergency response, and social protection programmes. ACT works closely with institutional donors, government authorities, and corporate partners to deliver transparent, accountable, and high-impact interventions across Pakistan.

Project Background

ACT International, with the support of the Donor Funded Project, is implementing a multi-district project aimed at strengthening Disaster Risk Management (DRM), Anticipatory Action (AA), and shock-responsive social protection systems in climate-vulnerable districts of southern Punjab, including Rahim Yar Khan, Dera Ghazi Khan and Rajanpur.

Southern Punjab hosts over 23 million people and is among Pakistan’s most climate-exposed regions, facing recurrent riverine floods, flash floods from hill torrents, droughts, and extreme heat. The districts lie along the Indus River system, River Chenab, River Sutlej, and the foothills of the Sulaiman Range, making them highly vulnerable to hydro-meteorological hazards. Recurrent shocks in 2022, 2024, and 2025 have repeatedly damaged crops, housing, irrigation systems, and livelihoods, disproportionately affecting women, smallholder farmers, landless laborers, and marginalized groups.

Despite the availability of early warning information at national and provincial levels, forecast-based decision-making, trigger definition, and last-mile early action remain weakly institutionalized, particularly at district level. District Disaster Management Authorities (DDMAs) face persistent capacity constraints, fragmented coordination with social protection systems (BISP, Social Welfare, Bait-ul-Mal), and limited use of hydro-meteorological and GIS-based risk analysis to guide anticipatory actions.

ACT International has successfully operationalized Anticipatory Action in District Khairpur (Sindh), where forecast-based triggers enabled anticipatory cash transfers to 2,200 households 35-40 hours before flooding during 2025, significantly reducing losses and enabling timely evacuation and food access. Building on this experience, and aligned with WFP’s Anticipatory Action Framework, ACT aims to institutionalize forecast-based, gender-responsive anticipatory action mechanisms in southern Punjab, closely linked with social protection and food security systems.

To address these gaps, Outputs 1 and 2 of the ACT donor funded project focus on institutionalising anticipatory action within provincial and district systems by strengthening PDMA and DDMA capacities, developing flood Anticipatory Action (AA) protocols and SOPs, and embedding disaster‑risk layers and forecast‑based triggers into social protection design and delivery. Under Output 1, the project will train key government stakeholders on AA, lead DDMA‑driven risk analyses and trigger development, formalise DRM–social protection coordination mechanisms, and co‑create risk‑tagged budget templates to enable forecast‑based financing for AA activation. Building directly on these foundations, Output 2 will review and revise existing District Disaster Management Plans so they incorporate the new triggers, funding pathways and pre‑agreed action menus, resulting in endorsed, operational DMPs that can guide timely, predictable and gender‑responsive anticipatory responses before floods and other hazards strike

Purpose

Ensure transparent, timely and compliant financial management of all activities under Outputs 1 and 2, including support to risk-tagged budgeting and forecast-based financing arrangements.

Key responsibilities

• Maintain project books of accounts, ledgers and supporting documentation in line with ACT and WFP financial policies and audit requirements.
• Prepare monthly cash forecasts, fund requests, bank reconciliations and petty-cash management for Lahore and field offices.
• Process payments for HR, trainings, workshops, consultancies and operational costs linked to Output 1 and 2 activities (AA trainings, risk analysis, workshops, DDMP reviews, etc.).
• Support development and use of risk-tagged budget templates and coding of expenditure by activity, output and cost category (CS, CP Direct Support, etc.).
• Ensure correct charging of staff costs by activity according to staff breakdown sheet and allocation rules.
• Prepare periodic financial reports for WFP and ACT management, reconciling budget vs. actuals for Outputs 1–2.
• Facilitate internal and external audits; maintain orderly filing of vouchers, contracts and procurement records.
• Support compliance on taxes, statutory deductions and adherence to ACT’s financial SOPs and donor rules.

Qualifications and experience

• Master’s or Bachelor’s in Finance, Accounting, Commerce or related field.
• At least 3–5 years’ experience in NGO/INGO grants and project finance; familiarity with UN/WFP financial rules is an asset.
• Strong skills in Excel and accounting software, budgeting and financial analysis.
• Knowledge of PKR-based budgeting and reporting; experience with multi-district projects preferred.

Key competencies

• Integrity, attention to detail and accuracy.
• Strong coordination and communication skills with program, admin and field teams.
• Ability to work under tight deadlines and manage multiple cost centres.

Core Values & Safeguarding

ACT International is committed to integrity, accountability, inclusion, and safeguarding. The post holder is expected to uphold ACT’s Code of Conduct, Safeguarding Policy, and ethical standards at all times.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled.The position will be based in Lahore and will require frequent travel to Field.