Finance 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.

POSITION SUMMARY - This position is based in Arlington, VA

Conservation International’s Nature Finance Group (NFG) is a team of technical and financial experts that works to unlock nature financing at scale and close the nature funding gap. The Finance Officer is responsible for the financial management of the Conservation Finance Division within CI’s Conservation Partnerships team. The position reports to the NFG Manager of Finance and will work closely with the Senior Director of Finance & Operations. This position will work with divisions and field offices across the organization, and cross-functionally with programmatic, financial, and administrative staff to ensure the program achieves its deliverables timely, effectively, and efficiently.

The position will manage financial reporting and analysis, division and project budgets, project audits, cost proposals, bank account reconciliation, and may oversee and/or lead financial system data entry. The position will manage and report on CI’s carbon credits portfolio. It will track and report on the CI Ventures portfolio of impact investments, and support credit due diligence for loans to borrowers and other impact investments. It ensures compliance with donor and CI policies regarding the use of funds.

Conservation Finance Group (NFG) is a grantmaking and impact investment division at CI dedicated to the development and financing of pioneering solutions for lasting change in environmental conservation. NFG has a total annual budget. comprised of $3-4 million in operating costs, $1-3 million in grants to implementing partners, $9 million in direct investments and loans to businesses, and as much as $20 million in sustainable financing mechanisms such as endowments and sinking funds.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Financial Management and Analysis

• Oversee the timely, complete, and accurate recording of accounting transactions.  Request payments for vendor and contract invoices and review contract agreements.
•  Review expense reports and timesheets for the assigned cost centers.  Ensure compliance with CI policies and procedures and donor reporting requirements.
• Review Program’s detailed transaction list on a monthly basis to ensure costs charged to the Program are complete, reasonable, allowable, and allocable based on donor agreement and CI policies.
• Prepare invoices for donors and monitor the Program’s cash receipts and cash flow to ensure sufficient funds are available to meet operational and strategic needs.
• Ensure the financial management system is updated with all amendments, reporting, and important donor communication.
• Support project and/or program-specific audits and evaluations.

Budget Management

• Generate Program financial reports for internal parties, external parties, and donors from CI’s financial system, as directed.
• Modify the annual budget monthly to ensure the revenue allocations and expense budgets reflect current information and are an accurate forecast of expected project expenses.
• Manage and/or oversee cost allocations that are to be coordinated with CI finance, for example, occupancy costs.
• Develop annual budgets aligned with work plan for approval by donors, in collaboration with project managers.
• Update Project expenditure projections on a monthly basis as required throughout the period of the project.

Management and Procurement

• Coordinate or execute procurement process, including development of terms of reference, scopes of work, requests for proposals and quotes, ensuring compliance with donors and CI’s procedures for various types and thresholds.
• Liaise with the Grants & Contracts Unit on sub-grants and sub-contracts financed by program funds on issues impacting financial reporting, donor compliance, procurement methods, and issues related to adherence to donor terms and intent.
• Manage the incoming award process, ensuring all donor agreements, amendments, and other revenue sources are accurately reflected in CI's financial systems.
• Ensure institutional policies and procedures are adhered to, including but not limited to aspects listed in the Proposal and Agreement Routing Slip, award setup of the Project Master File in BusinessWorld, and review of institutional reports such as the Project One-Line Summary for accuracy.

Business Development

• Lead/support the cost proposal process for fundraising efforts, ensuring institutional policies and procedures are adhered to in the cost proposal.
• Support the development and management of multi-year budgets to inform discussions on potential shortfalls and funding gaps.
• Manage the tracking of the current and prospective funding pipeline.

Other Duties

• Advise staff on donor requirements and provide training on policies as needed to ensure compliance.
• Liaise with the Grants & Contracts Unit on sub-grants and sub-contracts financed by program funds on issues impacting financial reporting, donor compliance, procurement methods, and issues related to adherence to donor terms and intent.
• Other duties as assigned by the supervisor.

WORKING CONDITIONS

• Typical office environment with a hybrid work schedule
• Ability to work extended hours occasionally to meet deadlines.

QUALIFICATIONS

Required

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration, or a related field.
• 4 to 6 years of direct work-related experience.
• International nonprofit experience.
• Strong analytical skills.
• Highly familiar with etiquette, protocol, and employing cultural awareness and sensitivity.
• Proven team player.
• Highly organized and able to manage multiple priorities simultaneously in a dynamic environment.
• Proven track record in financial planning, reporting, budgeting, and analysis.
• Proficiency in financial software and systems.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams.

Preferred

• Experience with Business World ERP system.
• Experience in the Voluntary Carbon Markets.
• Experience in small business lending.

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

See all Conservation International Career Opportunities HERE

Conservation International is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all individuals. We believe in hiring based on merit and qualifications, ensuring a fair and inclusive hiring process for everyone.