Finance, Contracts & Grants Officer

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.

The Global Environment Facility (GEF) is providing ~US$14.8 million to the Government of Angola for the project “Strengthen Management and Climate Change Resilience in Angola's Conservation Areas for Sustainable Development”, one of fifteen Child Projects under the Global Wildlife Program (GWP) Phase II. The project is financed through the GEF Trust Fund and the Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF), and as such includes 13 outcomes related to climate change adaptation, biodiversity conservation, capacity development, and knowledge management. These outcomes will be achieved within seven years and are distributed among four project components. These are as follows: strengthening the resilience of local communities to climate change in targeted TFCAs, improving conservation area management and wildlife conservation in targeted TFCAs, enhancing the technical and institutional capacity of climate change and conservation institutions, facilitating project monitoring, knowledge management, and sharing of lessons learned.

Conservation International GEF Agency (CIGEF) is the Implementing Agency for this project, and the Government of Angola has requested CI Africa Field Division (CIAFD) to provide execution support. CIAFD is therefore recruiting suitable candidates to constitute the project management unit (PMU) for this project.

POSITION SUMMARY - This position is based in Angola

The Finance, Contracts & Grants Officer will manage procurement systems and oversee the sub-granting funds to the designated executing Partners. Reporting to the Senior Operations and Finance Manager, the Finance, Grants and Contracts Officer is responsible for managing contracts and sub-awards-related activities for the project. Working closely with the Project Lead, external partners, and CI staff, they will oversee sub-grant-making activities including planning and application activities, contracting, day-to-day administration, reporting, and close-out to ensure compliance with CI’s financial and/or donor reporting policies requirements. They are responsible for generating financial reports, data entry, and analysis and oversee the efficient management of a variety of accounting, finance, and grants-related functions as assigned.

The  Finance, Contracts & Grants Officer is a key information resource responsible for ensuring effective communications with all key stakeholders. They will compile information and respond to requests from partners and the program and HQ staff while maintaining complete, accurate, and up-to-date filing and tracking systems. 

This role does not directly manage staff. Duties are performed under the general supervision of the Sr. Operations Manager. As directed, the Officer provides ad-hoc analysis and forecasts to help management identify and secure new funding streams. They must be able to multitask, prioritize, and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Financial Reporting and Analysis:

• Prepare and generate monthly, quarterly, and periodic financial reports and review results with the project lead and Senior Management.
• Prepare donor statements and reports for management review prior to release to fund managers, external partners, key donors, and related stakeholders.
• Monitor and project cash balances.
• Manage the internal revenue allocation process, ensuring CI’s financial systems accurately reflect agreed-upon allocations.
• Ensure financial/budgetary systems are kept up to date. Generate budget vs. actual comparisons and provide trend analysis.
•  Ensure the effective and efficient stewardship of project assets and financial resources. 
• Assist in project audits.
• Assist in annual budget preparation.

Grants Award/Contract Project Support:

• Develop materials and manage announcements of contracts and sub-grant opportunities.
• Implement systems and processes for receiving, reviewing, and awarding subgrants and contracts.
• Review grantee technical and financial reports and provide related technical oversight. Coordinate site visits/desk reviews as needed.
• Manage legal/HQ review of agreements and ensure all necessary signatures are in place.
• Review and manage contract amendments and additions.
• Manage grant and contract close-out activities as directed.

Grants Administration and Monitoring:

• Ensure complete, accurate, and timely data and information is maintained in the grants system.
• Work with system administrators to resolve recording issues; recommend system improvements as appropriate.
• Manage routine and non-routine financial transactions. 
• Manage timely and accurate reporting, including budgets, actuals, and related status reports.
• Monitor existing grants for compliance with grant agreements and CI policies and procedures.
• Act as a primary information resource for all stakeholders and assist with financial, compliance, and system reporting questions.
• Track frequently asked questions and develop training and related tools to address gaps and build staff and partner capacity.
• Manage files and grants tracking systems.

WORKING CONDITIONS

• Work is performed in a typical office environment.
• Flexibility to work outside normal work hours to meet deadlines as needed.
• Occasional travel of less than 10% may be required.
• This position is based in Luanda, Angola.

QUALIFICATIONS

Required

• Bachelor’s Degree and 2 to 4 years of related work experience managing contracts and/or grants.
• Excellent technical and analytical skills.
• Excellent organization and time management skills.
• Team player and able to work effectively with diverse work groups in a multicultural environment.
• Ability to work well under pressure, multitask, set priorities, and deliver quality results.
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced environment with changing priorities and under minimal supervision.
• Excellent Portuguese and English oral and written communication skills.

Preferred

• Experience in management of operations for an international NGO.
• Experience working with restricted donors such as GEF/GCF, USAID, DFID, etc.

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

See all Conservation International Career Opportunities HERE

Conservation International is an equal opportunity, affirmative action, and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility-committed employer. We are proud to have a diverse, global workforce where employment decisions are based on qualifications, experience, position requirements, business needs, market conditions, merit, and other legitimate nondiscriminatory factors.