Reports to: Director of Program Operations, Africa Program
Location: Bronx Zoo, New York City, New York
Country Program/Sector: Global Conservation Program
Position Type: Fulltime
Expected travel: Approximately 25% to Africa and to donor/technical meetings as needed
African Program Overview:
The WCS Africa Program covers areas of exceptional biodiversity and conservation importance, harboring vast contiguous forests blocks with intact assemblages of large charismatic mammals, significant marine mammal and turtle nesting and feeding grounds, and globally significant biodiversity hotspots. The WCS Africa Program has spearheaded a number of pioneering conservation initiatives and management models over the last decades.
WCS's Africa Program is led, managed, and administered by a small team in New York that supports Regional and Country Directors in the field. This team works closely with Regional and Country Program field staff and with other WCS departments in New York and around the world.
Job Summary
The primary function of the Budget & Operations Manager is to assist with the budgetary, financial, contractual and general grants management of the Africa Program, working under the guidance of the Director of Program Operations and closely with the Program Managers in NY, programmatic and financial staff in Africa. The Budget & Operations Manager plays a hands-on role within the management team for the Africa Program, WCS’s largest field program with an annual budget of just under $50 million. Tasks include:
- Support program staff in the preparation and review of budgets for proposal submissions, ensuring compliance with donor and WCS internal requirements and policies.
- Ensure compliance with internal requirements and best practices in regards to negotiating and executing contracts such as donor agreements, subgrant awards and vendor service agreements, including maintenance and distribution of required forms and templates.
- Assist program in all areas related to procurement of field supplies, equipment and the like.
- Ensure quality control of revenue and expense bookings through regular analysis and review of accounts.
- Support the Africa program in preparing and managing the Program’s annual budget, including tracking and making timely budget adjustments.
Major Responsibilities
- Proposal Development. Support the proposal process with the development and review of grant proposal budgets prepared by regional and country office teams and assess implications on overall programmatic budgetary management. Ensure that proposal budgets are developed in compliance with the WCS accounting policies and structure and Africa program budgeting guidance.
- Field Procurement: Work with field teams to understand procurement needs and ensure compliance with donor requirements and WCS policy. Work closely with NY Procurement team on procurement orders placed from the U.S. and assist with those sourced from abroad.
- Financial oversight and verification of accounts. Support the Director of Program Operations in preparing regular reviews of revenue versus budget & expense reports and assist in reconciling and ensuring quality control of financial transactions.
- Budget preparation and management. Coordinate with Africa program staff in NY and the regional and country program offices to assist in the development of the annual budget for the Africa Program. Duties include: distribution of budget guidance materials, backstop on preparation of field budgets as needed, assist with review of budgets submitted by field programs to the regional teams as needed, flag issues, and manage the budget cycle.
- Grant Management & Reporting. Work with Africa NY, regional and country program staff and WCS’s Accounts Receivable unit, to ensure timely and accurate financial reporting and compliance with donor guidelines. Work with the regional and country program staff to prepare grant modification requests and obtain approval from the Accounts Receivable unit.
- People Management. Work closely with the Director of Program Operations to coordinate and plan trainings and workshops for regional and country finance staff. Provide regular feedback on finance staff performance.
- Administration and Other Duties. Coordinate with other WCS departments including Accounting, Program Development, Global Resources, Procurement and Office of General Counsel for proposals, grants and contract review. Assist with review of legal documents and contracts as needed. Maintain a repository of internal templates for service agreements, subgrant agreements, proposal budgeting and the like.
Minimum Requirements
- Bachelor degree in Non-profit Management, Finance, Business, or related field. Course work in or exposure to Conservation Management a plus.
- Minimum of 5 years work experience in financial management, including budget development, tracking, and reporting.
- Meticulous attention to detail and commitment to quality required.
- Excellent organizational skills, including ability to set and follow priorities, take initiative, work on multiple projects simultaneously, and meet deadlines.
- Excellent interpersonal and communications skills, including writing and editing.
- Computer literacy in Microsoft Word and advanced skills in Microsoft Excel required, coupled with a proven ability to learn other systems. Experience working with SAP preferred.
- Comfortable operating in a dynamic, international environment and responding quickly to sudden needs and opportunities.
- Spoken and written fluency in English required; proficiency in French a plus.
- Sincere interest in Africa and conservation issues necessary and experience working with international colleagues desired.
Application Process:
Interested candidates, who meet the above qualifications should apply by emailing an application letter and CV together with salary requirements and the names and contact information of three references to: africaapplications@wcs.org by the May 31, 2019 deadline. Please include “Budget and Operations Manager” in the subject line of your email.
In addition, please note that all candidates must also apply online via the WCS career portal at: http://www.wcs.org/about-us/careers
WCS is an equal opportunity employer and the organization complies with all employment and labor laws and regulations that prohibit discrimination in hiring and ensures that candidates from all backgrounds are fairly and consistently considered during the recruitment process. We are dedicated to hiring and supporting a diverse workforce. We are committed to cultivating an inclusive work environment and look for future team members who share that same value
The organization provides equal employment opportunities for all qualified candidates. The organization does not discriminate for employment based on age, color, disability, gender identify, national origin, race, religion, sexual orientation, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by laws and regulations
Please note that only short listed candidates will be contacted for interview.
