How to apply for Senior Manager, Program Finance

About Evidence Action

Evidence Action runs large-scale global health programs based on academic research, including work from Nobel-winning economists. It operates in 11 countries with over 900 staff and has reached more than 500 million people. The Deworm the World program alone has delivered over 2 billion treatments.

About the role

This role leads program finance for Evidence Action's global health programs, likely overseeing budgets, financial reporting, and compliance across multiple countries. The job is remote in the US and supports programs like Deworm the World and Safe Water Now, which have measurable health and productivity outcomes. The finance work directly enables cost-effective interventions at scale.

A typical day

A typical day might involve reviewing budget vs. actuals for a program in multiple countries, meeting with program managers to adjust forecasts, and preparing financial reports for donors. You would also coordinate with country finance staff on compliance issues and ensure data is accurate for decision-making.

Who Evidence Action is looking for

• Experience managing multi-country program budgets, preferably in global health or international development.
• Strong financial reporting and compliance skills, with familiarity with donor requirements and grant management.
• Ability to work with program teams to translate operational plans into budgets and forecasts.
• Comfort with remote work and collaboration across time zones with teams in Africa and Asia.

Tips for this application

• Quantify your experience with program budgets: size, number of countries, and donor types (e.g., bilateral, philanthropic).
• Reference Evidence Action's specific programs (Deworm the World, Safe Water Now) in your materials to show you understand their model.
• Highlight any experience with cost-effectiveness analysis or scaling interventions, since Evidence Action emphasizes measurable impact.
• Address remote work explicitly: describe how you manage financial processes across distributed teams.
• If you have worked with government partners or in low-resource settings, include that, as Evidence Action works closely with governments.

What to cover in your cover letter

['Your track record managing program finance for multi-country health or development programs.', 'How you ensure compliance and accurate reporting while supporting program delivery.', 'Experience collaborating with program teams to build budgets and forecasts.', "Why Evidence Action's evidence-based, scaled approach appeals to you, using specific examples from their work."]

Research before applying

• Read Evidence Action's website, especially the Deworm the World and Safe Water Now program pages, to understand their interventions and scale.
• Look up their annual reports or financial statements to see how they structure program finance and donor funding.
• Research the countries where they operate (11 countries in Africa and Asia) to understand the financial and regulatory environments.
• Find any public information on their funding sources, such as GiveWell or other donors, to understand reporting requirements.

Likely interview topics

Based on the job description, expect questions about:

• How you have managed financial reporting across multiple countries and currencies.
• Your approach to budgeting for programs that scale rapidly, like Deworm the World.
• How you handle donor compliance and audits in international settings.
• A time you identified a financial risk in a program and how you addressed it.
• How you work with non-finance program staff to ensure financial data is accurate and useful.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Focusing only on general finance skills without linking them to program delivery and impact.
• Ignoring the global health context and not showing familiarity with Evidence Action's specific programs.
• Assuming a purely remote role means limited collaboration; emphasize your ability to work with teams across time zones.