Grants and Finance Specialist II, Urban Resilience

Job Summary:
In this role, you will be an integral part of this core program team that aims to scale action areas noted below to build a cross-programmatic urban resilience practice at WRI. Your key responsibilities will be to support project management, budgeting and financial management, communications, event organizing and other operational tasks for the workstream.

This position is remote due to Covid-19, but you will be based in Washington, DC once restrictions have lifted.

Job Responsibilities:
Financial Management (50% time)

Regularly reviews, updates, and monitors all transactions, commitments, and revenue prospects for all team projects

Update and maintain project budgets utilizing WRI’s budgeting and forecasting software (TM1)

Update and maintain project funding and allocations in coordination with workstream director(s) and project managers

Coordinates and advises team monthly on budget management and supplies financial review template(s) for review with workstream director(s) and operations staff

Develop fiscal year budget forecasts on a yearly basis in coordination with operations and your workstream director

Follows WRI’s internal processes and deadlines related to funding, including quarterly reviews, monthly & annual closeouts, and future fiscal year annual budget submission

Processes invoices and pay applications for projects in compliance with established governance

Prepares and supports financial reports to donors, under supervision

Project & Grant Management (40% time)

Processes documentation for project commitments (i.e. agreements, contracts, work authorizations, and purchase orders)

Monitors program/project performance against contract requirements and deliverables

Drafts grant proposal budgets and assists in the collection and submission of formal proposals for team fundraising efforts

Supports donor and grants management by keeping database software (Salesforce) up-to-date

Supports preparation of detailed proposal budgets and institutional knowledge management for all grants and proposals

Provides guidance to partner organizations and consultants to ensure their compliance with funder policies, while proactively and professionally communicating with partners and consultants

Supports reporting on grants including gathering information on accomplishments, activities and challenges for funders

Administration (10% time)

Update and maintain new hire staffing information with operations

Provide timesheet guidance to team members on a bi-weekly basis

Manage various program, department, and organizational trackers

Job Qualifications:
Bachelor’s degree in finance, economics, accounting, business, public policy, political science, non-profit management, international affairs, or similar subject

Minimum of 1 year of relevant, full-time work experience, preferably in financial management, budgeting, administration, or nonprofit operations

Proven experience managing budgeting structures;

Budgeting experience with Excel, or other budgeting software is highly desirable

Keen interest in the mission and work of the WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities

Detail-oriented, highly organized with experience and interest in program management, financial management, budgeting, and writing

Adaptable to rapidly changing priorities and ability manage multiple projects with varying deadlines

Strong process orientation with sensitivity to quality, timelines, and organizational systems

Ability to work independently with minimal supervision

Strong writing, database management, and proofreading skills

Excellent computer skills in Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook), especially Excel

Excellent written and oral communication skills, including the ability to work well in a team and with international colleagues

In addition to excellent written and spoken English, additional language skills are a plus, especially in Spanish, Portuguese, Turkish, Chinese, French, Hindi

US work authorization is required for this position.

Potential Salary:
$53,000 – $68,900 if based in United States. Salary is commensurate with experience and other compensable factors.

How to Apply:
Applicants must apply through the WRI Careers portal to be considered. Please include a cover letter and your resume.

Program Overview:
Urban Resilience Program Overview Over the last decade, more countries, cities, and communities have sought to protect economic growth and reduce extreme poverty by better managing the impacts of climate change. With the signing of the Paris Agreement, 192 governments agreed to a global goal on adaptation. Current mitigation commitments have reduced the trajectory of emissions to give us a chance to keep global temperature increase to 2.7 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. Risks associated with this temperature scenario could threaten our ability to reduce poverty, develop sustainably, and achieve well-being and security for all. The decisions we make today could lead us toward a more climate resilient future, or they could undermine food, water, and energy security for decades to come. Cities are increasingly integrating climate adaptation priorities into development policies and plans.

However, there remains a gap in understanding how incremental urban adaptation solutions can lead to more transformative change over the long term. Transformative adaptation reorients urban climate actions around addressing entrenched equity and climate justice challenges. It focuses on systemic changes to development processes that improve people’s quality of life, enhance the social and economic vibrancy of cities, and ensure sustainable, resilient, and inclusive urban futures. WRIs Urban Resilience Program has identified three priority areas to help cities advance transformative urban adaptation: advancing holistic urban water resilience in cities; scaling nature-based solutions to address heat and water risks; partnering with vulnerable and informal groups to build their resilience. With support from the Global Commission on Adaptation WRI has advanced a number of cross-programmatic initiatives between the cities, water and the Cities4Forest program to advance action on these three priority areas.

The WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities (Cities Program) helps to transform cities into compact, connected and resilient spaces that provide healthy, accessible and prosperous living environments for their residents. We coordinate the Cities Program’s extensive technical and practical expertise through eight integrated solution areas: Integrated Transport Systems, Vision Zero, Zero Carbon Buildings, Livable Neighborhoods, E-Mobility, Water/Heat Resilience, Air Quality and Inclusive Climate & Energy Action Planning. Data and Urban Finance are cross-cutting themes that inform all of our solution offerings. We implement our solutions by working deeply with multiple stakeholders over long periods of time in large to demonstrate possibilities in rapidly transforming cities. We expand our impact to other cities by leveraging these demonstrated possibilities to convene multiple cross-sectoral stakeholders and partnering with city networks. Our research and projects in cities and in national policies connect environmental sustainability, health, safety, equity and quality of life.

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.

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