Grant and Finance Specialist

The WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities helps to transform cities into compact, connected and resilient spaces that provide healthy, accessible and prosperous living environments for their residents. We provide 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 our solution offerings. Our research and projects in cities and in national policies connect environmental sustainability, health, safety, equity, and quality of life. The Urban Mobility program, which includes the solution areas of Integrated Transport, Health and Road Safety, and Electric Mobility helps cities shift to more efficient, safer, and cleaner transport modes.

Job Highlight:

You will be responsible for integrating equity into your work. You will work with our teams at the Ross Center for Sustainable Cities to provide grants and finance management, and program administration support. You will work on complex, multi-year, multi-faceted international grants – developing and updating budgets, tracking, and monitoring expenditures, preparing financial reports, and working with project managers, partner organizations, and international offices to maintain a healthy financial system.

You will be supported by a team of project managers and finance specialists within the WRI Ross Center. You will work with our central finance teams including the cost and pricing team, grants and contracts team, and accounting team. You will report to the Senior manager of operations and finance.

What will you do:

Financial Management: 

• Update and maintain multiple project budgets utilizing WRI’s budgeting and forecasting software (TM1)
• Develop proposal budgets and coordinate the collection and submission of formal proposals for team fundraising efforts
• Supports and advises project teams in preparations for and guides the implementation of the annual Cost-Planning process
• Responsible for multiple funding sources and a complicated donor; possible hedging and cap gaps. Prepares and coordinates on financial reports to donors independently
• Regularly reviews, updates, monitors, and supervises all transactions, commitments, and revenue prospects for designated team projects including monthly-close, revenue allocations, partner/grant invoices, subgrant reporting and request for payments. Tracks multiple revenue commitments independently
• Coordinates and advises teams monthly on budget management and supplies financial review template(s) for review with workstream director(s) and operations staff, independently
• Follows WRI’s internal processes and deadlines related to funding and expenses, including preparations for quarterly reviews, monthly & annual closeouts, and fiscal year forecasting
• Update and maintain multiple project budget trackers based on project line items using Asana and Google Sheets

Grant Management: 

• Coordinates and processes documentation for project commitments (agreements, contracts, work authorizations, and purchase orders), independently
• Coordinates with the project management team on guidance for partner organizations and consultants to advise them on how to comply with subgrant and contract requirements in accordance with funder policies for progress and financial reports
• Supports donor and grants management by keeping database software (Salesforce) and SharePoint folders up to date, including proposal fundraising opportunities
• Supports project managers to understand deliverables and reporting requirements required by donors

Operations:

• Update and maintain new hire staffing information with operations
• Provide timesheet guidance to team members on a bi-weekly basis
• Support teams with financial management for conference and event logistics as needed with project managers, including participant travel. Financial management includes processing invoices and event contracts through ECM system
• Coordinate recruitment and support onboarding of new financial staff members as needed
• Develop and complete various program, department, and organizational trackers to provide monthly updates for review with Program Directors and operations staff
• Assist project teams in project closeout process including turnover documentation and financial reconciliation

What will you need:

Education:

• You have a completed a bachelor’s degree such as environmental studies, economics, policy, sustainability, or engineering or a related field. Relevant work experience in lieu of degree is accepted

Experience:

• You have a minimum of 3 years full-time relevant work experience in financial management, budgeting, administration, nonprofit operations or a related, relevant field
• You have proven experience organizing and managing detailed and complex budgeting structures, donor reporting and/or grant or financial management
• You have experience with oral and written communication, working with international teams or projects
• You have experience using Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook), especially Excel along with writing, database management, and proofreading. Budgeting experience with Excel, or other budgeting software is highly desirable
• You have experience handling multiple projects with varying deadlines as well as rapidly changing priorities
• You have an interest in the mission and work of the WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities

Languages:

• Verbal and written proficiency in English required.

Source: https://jobs.jobvite.com/wri/job/oWajvfwE