Grants and Finance Specialist
Job Summary:
As a Grants and Finance Specialist II, you will be responsible for overseeing budgets, contracts and sub-contracts for the various projects within WRI’s Global Restoration Initiative under the Forest Program. You will develop budgets for new proposals, track and update current project budgets, prepare grant financial reports, prepare and manage invoices, contracts and sub-contracts. In this position, you will work closely with WRI’s grants and contracts team, project managers within Global Forest Watch and as a part of a growing team of Grants and Finance Coordinators within the Food, Forests, Water and Oceans Program. You will also work closely with teams operating under USAID standards and practices.
This position is remote due to Covid-19. You can be based at WRI’s office in Washington, DC once restrictions have lifted, or there is a possibility to be continued as remote within the US.
Job Responsibilities:
- Work with the GFW’s Operations Manager, operational staff at WRI China and the WRI Global office, and project managers in ensuring compliance with the terms and conditions of grants and contracts, particularly detailed government grant requirements
- Work with project managers, the WRI Forest Director, and the GFW Operations Manager with creating annual budgets, updating budgets quarterly, and creating budgets for upcoming proposals consistent with WRI’s requirements for budgeting costs
- Work with GFW and Forest Department staff to instruct and guide on proper execution of expenses reports, payment processing, work orders and other internal processes to ensure they are consistent with WRI’s internal policies
- Monitor life of grant reporting requirements and ensure that progress reports are submitted in a timely manner
- Prepare detailed financial reports to funders as needed and gather transaction receipts
- Prepare and maintain subgrant and contract agreements with partners and contractors
- Track contract deliverables to ensure that they are submitted within the period of performance and coordinate the submission of invoices
- Review on a quarterly basis the transactions and finances of the GFW project portfolio
- Submit and track requests for payment in a timely manner and ensure that payments processed are consistent with WRI’s internal policies and grant requirements
- Work with partners to help them understand and meet subgrant and contract requirements
- Monitor partners to ensure the timely and accurate submission of progress and financial reports
- Additional administrative duties as needed.
Job Qualifications:
- Two+ years previous work experience in financial management and administration, preferably in a nonprofit setting
- Bachelor’s degree in relevant field or relevant work experience in lieu of degree is accepted
- Detail-oriented, highly organized with experience and interest in program operations, grant compliance, financial management, and budgeting
- Adaptable to rapidly changing priorities and have the ability to manage multiple projects with varying deadlines
- Attention to deadlines, particularly with regard to grant compliance and monitoring subgrantees and contractors
- Patience and perseverance in understanding and explaining issues to partners and contractors
- Strong process orientation with sensitivity to quality
- Ability to work independently with minimal supervision, and demonstrated strong work ethic
- Strong writing, database management, and proofreading skills
- Excellent communication and collaboration skills
- Experience with USAID and United States government funding highly preferred
- US work authorization is required. WRI cannot provide visa sponsorship for this role.
Potential Salary:
$53,000 - $68,000. Salary is commensurate with experience and other compensable factors.
How to Apply:
Please submit a resume with cover letter. Applicants must apply through the WRI Careers portal to be considered.
Program Overview:
The World Resources Institute’s Food, Forest, Water and Ocean Program (FFWO) is seeking a full-time, independent, well-organized, and detail-oriented Grants and Finance Coordinator to provide support to the Forest Program. This is an excellent position for someone seeking to work in financial and project/ program management.
Global Forest Watch’s (GFW) mission is to make high-quality information about forests universally accessible and useful for people worldwide, so as to empower them to manage forest landscapes sustainably and improve the livelihoods of local people. The GFW platform unites satellite technology, open data, and human networks to provide free access to the most timely, reliable, and actionable information about the world’s forests. The GFW initiative supports governments, civil society organizations (CSOs), and the private sector to apply this information to solve critical forest monitoring and management challenges.
WRI Overview:
World Resources Institute (WRI) is an independent, nonprofit global research organization that turns big ideas into action at the nexus of environment, economic opportunity, and human well-being. We are working to address seven critical challenges that the world must overcome this decade in order to secure a sustainable future for people and the planet: climate change, energy, food, forests, water, sustainable cities, and the ocean.
We are passionate. We value our diversity of interests, skills and backgrounds. We have a flexible work environment. And we share a common goal to catalyze change that will improve the lives of people. Our shared ideals are at the core of our approach. They include: integrity, innovation, urgency, independence and respect.
The foundation of our work is delivering high-quality research, data, maps and analysis to solve the world’s greatest environment and international development challenges and improve people’s lives. We work with leaders in government, business, and civil society to drive ambitious action and create change on the ground. Equally important, we bring together partners to develop breakthrough ideas and scale-up solutions for far-reaching, enduring impact.
We have been growing rapidly: our staff has doubled in size over the past 5 years and our operating budget is now $150 million. Founded in 1982, WRI has a global staff of 1,000+ people with work spanning 60 countries. We have offices in Africa, Brazil, China, Europe, India, Indonesia, Mexico, and the United States as well as a growing presence in other countries and regions.
WRI is committed to advancing gender and social equity for human well-being in our mission and applies this principle to our organizational and programmatic practices.