| Description |
The Brazil Country Director will lead the day-to-day management and administration of Panthera's Brazil Program, including the legal entity in Brazil, program staff and financial operations, as well as relationships with local partners and program donors. He/She supports the Regional Director and the Director of Operations in the Latin America Hub in planning and monitoring progress, and provides guidance to Project Managers and field teams to advance Panthera’s programmatic and institutional objectives. He/She is a member of the Management Team and reports to the Regional Director, based at the regional office in Costa Rica.
Duties and Responsibilities
Program
- Consolidate and grow Panthera Brazil's country program according to Panthera's Regional and Species Conservation Strategies, also taking into account potential new conservation opportunities and needs;
- Coordinate Panthera’s contribution to and participation in the Pantanal-related collaborative effort aimed at improving the status of protected area coverage and management, with a particular focus on the northern Pantanal (Cuiabá River Complex area) in Mato Grosso state;
- Design program logframe and strategic plan in coordination with Regional Director;
- Maintain close relationships with Panthera's principal partners in Brazil, including the government, other NGOs and funding bodies, and foster new relationships with any such potential partners;
- Represent Panthera Brazil in an official capacity, including towards all partners at the national and international level;
- Along with the Regional Director and individual Project Managers, plan specific projects to achieve concrete objectives from start to completion, involving deadlines, milestones and processes;
- Oversee and support the overall project implementation, according to well-defined annual work plans;
- Along with Project Managers, track and/or update the various stages of project implementation and work with project teams to ensure project implementation is on time, target, and budget;
- Provide regular and timely updates on program progress and challenges to the Regional Director;
- Organize project kick-off and close-out meetings and regular project review and coordination meetings with project teams;
- When needed, assist in the development (or prolongation) of MOUs between Panthera and local government or NGO partners in Brazil.
- Lead and coordinate the implementation of the Panthera Brazil Conservation Area Business Plan for the Fazenda Jofre Velho & Alan Rabinowitz Jaguar Research and Education Center and associated landscape.
Administration and Financial
- Assist with developing and tracking of program activities, budgets, and deadlines;
- Oversee general budget development and management;
- Oversee and control the financial management of the legal entity and of individual projects and staff members;
- Conduct detailed budgeting and forecasting for the country in collaboration with the Regional Director;
- Prepare and maintain monthly cashflow reporting and request subsidiary advances;
- Prepare monthly reports on actual vs budget;
- Monitor fixed assets and ensure integrity of the asset register for the country;
- Monitor and record incoming funds and reconcile these accounts against expenditure in the accounting system;
- Coordinate with accounting firm the cash advance balances and processing of cash advance reports in the financial ledger, the payments and cash advances for all approved requests, and the maintaining petty cash and all bank transactions in a manner consistent with Panthera requirements;
- Provide support for internal and external audits;
- Manage grant contracts, keeping a record of ongoing partner agreements and follow up on implementation, reporting, and payment schedules. Support relationships with partners where needed;
- Support Project Managers with HR activities including recruitment, compliance to local labor legislation and payroll;
- Participate in the recruitment of field-based technical and administration staff to further develop capacity and personnel in-country;
- Help develop performance management and growth opportunities for national employees;
- Ensure staff awareness of, and compliance with, standard policies and procedures, including national safety guidelines;
- Liaise with Panthera support functions (Finance and HR) with regards to regional financial and staff management;
- Liaise with the Panthera Executive Team and Board where needed.
Development
- Support proposal development, including by helping to develop and review initial budgets;
- Identify and develop revenue streams to support implementation of core and external projects, including service contracts and grants, government funding opportunities, private grants, and individual donors;
- Develop and implement a fundraising plan at a country level, in coordination with the development team.
- Develop and maintain relationships with high-level government, business, education, and community leaders of importance to Panthera and its programs.
- Liaise with donors, where appropriate, and work closely with Project Managers and partners on project updates, site visits, and general communication;
- Monitor donor reporting requirements and proactively address inquiries to maintain positive relationships with donors and effectively manage expectations;
- Assist Project Managers with the timely processing of donor financial reports.
- Represent the organization or coordinate with Brazil´s Project Coordinator to serve as a contact with the government, scientific community, NGO partners, donors, media, etc., as well as at private and public events at a national and regional level.
Qualifications
Education and degree
- Degree in business administration, economic, or administrative sciences
- Master’s degree (or similar) in business administration or project management (or similar field);
Skills & abilities
- Experienced business administrator with a good working knowledge of conservation issues;
- Dedication to the mission of Panthera (www.panthera.org);
- Strong organizational and time management skills;
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills in Portuguese and English; Spanish written and verbal communications skills are desirable;
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, including outstanding public and academic presentation skills.
- Discretion and confidentiality;
- Highly organized and self-motivated with the ability to self-manage;
- Demonstrated high level of attention to detail and the ability to multi-task across activities, geographies and projects;
- Ability to take initiative, work well under pressure, and meet deadlines;
- Competent in assuming delegated duties;
- Strong team leading skills;
- Readiness to assume responsibility and ambition to grow Panthera’s program in Brazil;
- Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and juggle multiple priorities;
- Ability to work in a small team (similar to a start-up) and assume various roles and responsibilities;
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, Excel, and Teams);
- Strong capacity for effective teamwork, supervision, and team leadership.
- Strong and current network of contacts in business, government, media, civil society, and academia.
- Ability to work with people at all levels: on the ground and high-level government circles.
- Ability to accommodate a heavy travel schedule, organize complex logistics, and work under pressure.
- Ability to represent Panthera to external constituencies, including board members, VIPs, government officials, local communities, and donors.
- International experience and perspective.
Experience
Experience required:
- 10+ years of relevant professional experience (preferably in the NGO, humanitarian, or development sector);
- Proven experience in working directly with the government sector and multi-lateral organizations;
- Minimum 5 years’ experience leading teams;
- Experience representing a large and leading organization to donors, external partners, and authorities;
- Experience managing budgets and reporting to local or international donors, local authorities, national authorities, and/or external parties;
- Experience with networking, advocacy, and coordination, including donor contact, fundraising, and networking;
- Experience in managing and supporting staff in hardship locations;
- Proven commitment to accountability practices and knowledge of quality assurance systems.
Experience preferred:
- Experience working in conservation or similar areas
Working Conditions and Physical Requirements:
- This position is home-based in Brazil (preferably Brasilia, DF, or São Paulo, SP) with travels to other states and the Pantanal region as needed.
- Availability to travel around Brazil and internationally.
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