Senior Grant And Finance Manager

Senior Grant and Finance Manager

Conservation International protects nature for the benefit of humanity. Through science, policy, fieldwork, and finance, we spotlight and secure the most important places in nature for the climate, biodiversity, and for people. With offices in 30 countries and projects in more than 100 countries, Conservation International partners with governments, companies, civil society, Indigenous peoples, and local communities to help people and nature thrive together.

POSITION SUMMARY - This position is based in Arlington-VA, Belgium, or Colombia

Under the supervision of the Sr. Director for Award Management Services (AMS) in the Finance Division, this position provides valuable financial, contractual, and audit oversight for a diverse global portfolio of public funding projects from proposal development through award closeout. Projects are funded by the US government, other national governments, and multilateral donors.

The Senior Manager will provide technical expertise to programs in award management from proposal development to award closeout. The candidate will support CI's global development initiatives throughout the pre-award process by providing guidance in cost proposal development to maximize cost recovery and programmatic delivery while complying with donor requirements and organizational policies. Post-award, they will review donor financial reports and payment requests for accuracy and compliance with donor requirements and will proactively identify potential risks related to the financial performance of the project. They will provide technical expertise to programs in relation to interpreting and complying with business terms and conditions. This position works closely with the Award Management Services team on improving policies, processes, and training materials and communicating those throughout the organization.

RESPONSIBILITIES

General: They will serve as the Project Finance Manager/Lead's point of contact within the Award Management Services unit for a portfolio of proposals and projects of varying size and complexity funded by public donors.

Pre-award proposal budget and award review: This position takes a lead role in the review of proposal budgets, donor due diligence, and negotiation of funding agreements. This position will review solicitations and provide an analysis of the budget/compliance requirements, including funding constraints, applicable regulations, and unique financial and contractual requirements. They will review proposal budgets, including partner/subgrantee budgets, ensuring accuracy, completeness, compliance with donor requirements and CI guidelines, feasibility given the project timeline/funding, and consistency with the technical proposal. The position will Identify financial risks and collaborate with programs to develop mitigation measures and/or escalate internally. They Review new awards from bilateral and multilateral funders prior to signing and provide support to program staff responsible for negotiating awards to ensure that the best available terms are included, and risk is mitigated to the extent possible. Complete the award summary template and present at project kick-off to ensure a full understanding of the donor requirements by implementing program(s).

Financial reporting and payment requests: They will clearly document their review and approval of donor financial reports for accuracy and compliance with donor requirements using a standard checklist that can be customized to reflect specific donor requirements. Once approved, They will coordinate signature and document donor submission. They will proactively identify potential risks related to the financial performance of the projects in their portfolio and will implement solutions in consultation with the Sr. Director and Finance staff.

Award management: This position will provide technical expertise to programs in relation to interpreting business terms and conditions, such as allowability of costs, budget flexibility, donor approval requirements, award modifications, and close-out. They will review and approve award modification requests and award modifications received and provide guidance to programs on the implications of any revised terms and conditions. They will consult with the General Counsel's Office as necessary on any changes to legal terms and conditions. This position will provide technical expertise to programs by reviewing/editing donor financial reporting narratives and donor approval requests to ensure the written communications are accurate, clear, and concise.

Other duties as assigned by supervisor.

WORKING CONDITIONS

• Normal office environment

• Some international travel may be required, with an average of 1 to 2 trips per year.

• This position may be required to work alternative hours to support global time zones.

• Guidance on flexible work arrangements will be shared during the interview process.

• For European candidates: "Candidates should be EU nationals or have a valid work permit for Belgium".

QUALIFICATIONS

Required

• Bachelor's degree in accounting, finance, or related field.

• 5 to 7 years of professional experience in project budgeting, financial and award management for the US government, other bilateral governments, and multilateral funding sources.

• Demonstrated ability to learn and interpret donor regulations pertaining to funding from the US Government, other bilateral governments, and multilateral agencies.

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills used within the organization and externally with donors.

• Advanced skills using Excel to review and analyze project financial data.

• Ability to manage a diversified set of responsibilities independently, exercise sound judgment, and work as a collaborative team member in a global environment.

• Attention to detail in reviewing financial data and narrative information.

• Strong problem-solving skills and initiative in recommending solutions to achieve work results.

• Ability to apply critical thinking skills to non-routine issues encountered throughout the lifecycle of the project.

Preferred

• Previous experience with international development organizations.

• Previous experience with European bilateral and multilateral donors.

• Demonstrated ability to work with international and/or remote teams.

• Strong organization and prioritization skills.

• Experience with project budgeting and financial reporting in currencies other than USD.

• Experience with project audits.

To apply for this position please submit a resume and cover letter.

See all Conservation International Career Opportunities HERE

Conservation International is an equal opportunity, affirmative action, and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility-committed employer. We are proud to have a diverse, global workforce where employment decisions are based on qualifications, experience, position requirements, business needs, market conditions, merit, and other legitimate nondiscriminatory factors.

As a science-based organization, CI follows CDC recommendations for COVID-19 and other vaccines. Accordingly, for the health and safety of our employees, their families, and our community, subject to applicable local law, all Conservation International staff are expected to be vaccinated against COVID-19. However, vaccination is no longer a mandate or condition of employment and employees are not required to provide proof of vaccination. This means we will not require an individual to be vaccinated to enter a CI office, attend CI events or travel on CI-related trips. This applies for our community partners as well. This vaccine expectation applies to all team members working remotely, in a hybrid work arrangement, and on-site. Job applicants are NOT required to state their COVID-19 vaccine status in their application.