Finance & Operations Associate

About Current AI Founded at the AI Action Summit in Paris in February 2025, Current AI is a global, first-of-its-kind partnership of governments, philanthropists, researchers, grassroots builders, and industry leaders. Together we're catalyzing the movement for public-interest AI. Most of the AI systems are controlled by a handful of private companies, leaving governments worried about AI sovereignty and millions of dependent users vulnerable to one policy change or geopolitical shift. We believe the solution is to build open and public technology infrastructure that serves people over profit. Across the world, brilliant people are building AI that serves the public interest, but the work is fragmented. What's missing is strategic coordination at scale. Technology companies operate with a unified roadmap and resources, giving them an advantage. Current AI exists to give public-interest technologists the same advantage by investing in the connective tissue among people and projects so that every effort is coordinated and amplified. Role Overview Current AI is a small team building its operational systems from the ground up. This role sits at the centre of that effort: you will make sure money moves correctly, contracts are in order, records are accurate, and the team has - and uses - the right tools to work efficiently. You will report to the Finance & Operations Manager and work closely with colleagues in grants and people operations. There is a lot of variety in this role. It suits someone who wants breadth rather than a narrow finance specialism, and who enjoys putting order into things that do not yet have any. What you'll do Your responsibilities will span the following areas: Invoices and payments Manage the full invoice lifecycle, including recording, coding, verifying expenses against contracts, and tracking payments against contract limits. Handle payment processing and reconciliation, including executing supplier payments, issuing grantee disbursements, and reviewing corporate credit card expense claims. Accounting and audit Work with our external accountants each month, supplying the documents they need and answering their questions. Prepare the monthly budget-versus-actuals pack. Perform monthly bank reconciliations. Support the annual audit process Partnerships and donor reporting Prepare financial reporting packs for each funder in the format they require. Support donor and partner relationship management Contracts and vendors Support supplier sourcing and negotiation Prepare contracts and route them for signature, with support from legal counsel. Manage contracts in compliance with our procurement policy Tools, systems and automation Manage our tools, subscriptions, licences and team access. Support colleagues across our other pillars (BUILD, FUND and BRIDGE) to build and run efficient operations. Run and monitor the automated workflows we build, flag and fix issues when something breaks. Compliance Screen vendors against sanctions and prohibited-party lists. Keep our data protection records current as our tools change. Support grantee financial due diligence What we're looking for Essential Qualifications 2 to 5 years of experience, ideally starting in audit or consulting, or in an in-house finance and operations role. Bachelor or equivalent in Finance, Accounting or similar field Careful with detail and critical thinking: you notice when a number does not match An interest in using automation and AI tools to remove repetitive work. Strong Excel skills. Fluent English and French, written and spoken. High discretion - you will handle confidential funder, grantee and staff information. Comfortable in an organisation that is still building its processes, where the answer is sometimes that there is no process yet. Nice-to-haves Experience in a nonprofit, foundation or grant-funded organisation. Experience in a fast-paced startup environment. Experience with institutional or government funders and their reporting requirements. Character traits We're looking for people who: Put the mission before personal credit and work well in low-ego, highly collaborative teams. Exercise good judgment and integrity, including knowing when to push back or say no. Enjoy building from scratch and making progress with imperfect information. Have a bias to action - shipping useful things and helping others do the same. Are comfortable moving between strategy and hands-on execution as needed. Work effectively across cultures, time zones and disciplines. Believe AI can serve the public interest, and are willing to do the practical, unglamorous work to make that true. How to apply Please upload your CV and attach a covering note answering the following question in no more than 500 words in total: This role sits at the intersection of a startup pace, public/philanthropic funding constraints, and a growing product. What about this combination excites you, and what do you think will be the biggest adjustment?