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 could be based in Bogota-Colombia, Nairobi- Kenya or Brussels-Belgium

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

The Grant and Finance Manager will review donor financial reports for accuracy and compliance with donor requirements/templates prior to donor submission and will proactively identify potential risks related to the financial management of the project. They will provide technical expertise to programs in relation to interpreting business terms and conditions, such as allowability of costs, budget flexibility, donor approval requirements, and award modifications. They will review award modification requests and award modifications received and provide guidance to programs on the implications of any revised terms and conditions. They will provide technical expertise to programs in writing or reviewing/editing donor financial reporting narratives and donor approval requests to ensure the written communications are accurate, clear, and concise. This position may also support pre-award activities, including the review of proposal budgets and funding agreements. 

RESPONSIBILITIES

General:

• Serve as the Project Finance Manager/Lead’s point of contact within the Award Management Services unit for a portfolio of projects funded by public donors.
• Coordinate with the Project Finance Lead to ensure that financial reporting requirements are scheduled in the enterprise resource planning (ERP) system and submitted to donors on time. 

Financial reporting and payment requests:

• Participate in project kick-off meetings to ensure an understanding of the donor financial reporting and approval requirements.
• Document their review and approval of donor financial reports for accuracy, reasonableness, and compliance with donor requirements using a standard checklist that can be customized to reflect specific donor requirements. Once approved, they will coordinate the signature and document donor submission.
• Proactively identify potential risks related to the financial management of the projects in her/his portfolio and will implement solutions in consultation with the Sr. Director.
• Share with AMS pre-award staff information on financial reporting challenges and make recommendations for future negotiation of award terms and conditions. 

Award management:

• 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.
• Review and approve award modification requests and award modifications received and provide guidance to programs on the implications of any revised terms and conditions.
• Consult with the General Counsel’s Office as necessary on any changes to legal terms and conditions.
• 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.
• Ensure that CI’s ERP system is updated to reflect the submission of all financial reports. 

Project Audits:

• Support the Award Management Services team as needed with donor-funded project audits. 

Training:

• Identify training needs and support the development of guidelines, tools, and templates to streamline post-award financial and contractual management and document best practices. 

Pre-award budget and agreement review:

• This position may support pre-award activities including the review of public funding proposal budgets and funding agreements. 

Other duties as assigned by supervisor.   

QUALIFICATIONS

Required

• Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field.
• 4 to 6 years of professional experience in project budgeting, financial and award management for 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 responsibilities independently under general direction, 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 

Preferred

• Previous experience with international development organizations.
• Demonstrated ability to work with international and/or remote teams.
• Strong organization and prioritization skills.
• Experience with financial reporting in currencies other than USD.

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

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
• For the health and safety of our employees, their families, and our community, all US-based Conservation International staff are required to be vaccinated against COVID-19. This mandatory vaccine requirement applies to all staff working remotely, in a hybrid work arrangement, and on-site in CI US offices. CI follows CDC recommendations for COVID-19 vaccines. Requests for reasonable accommodations or exceptions related to medical or religious reasons will be considered. Candidates are NOT required to state their COVID-19 vaccine status in their application.