This is a hybrid position which requires 8 days per month in the office. You can be based in our office in Washington DC; WRI Global Office (US). Existing work authorization is required at the time of application submission as WRI is unable to sponsor any visa work sponsorship for this position. To be eligible for this position, you must be a resident of DC, Maryland or Virginia at the start of employment.

About the Program:

WRI’s Finance department strives to increase operational and financial management capacity across all WRI offices to ensure stewardship of donor funds and low-risk operations. This will be done through establishing mutually agreed upon standards of performance, measuring the efficiency and effectiveness for WRI’s global network.

Job Highlight:

Reporting to the Director of Financial Planning and Analysis, you will lead efforts to strengthen institutional financial management across WRI’s offices. You will contribute to decision support through financial analysis, and provide operational insight across Programs, Centres and International offices. You will head efforts on internal Quarterly Financial and Risk Reviews; support board reporting; work with other core functions to establish and maintain synergy cross functional projects. You will support growth at WRI by identifying current gaps and future strategic and operational needs and issues and work across the network to pilot and implement long term solutions. You will be supported by the Financial Planning and Analysis (FP&A) team.

What will you do:

Financial Planning, Analysis and Modelling – Decision Support (55%):

• Conduct comprehensive financial analysis and modeling to support WRI’s Future Operating Model refresh, ensuring strategic alignment to WRI’s 5-year programmatic strategy
• Support the annual budgeting and planning process, review budgets and monitor progress and change throughout the year
• Lead the quarterly financial review process with programs, centers and international offices, analyzing budget performance and forecasting, provide insight on trends, highlighting achievement and risk, disseminating results and coordinating needed follow-up
• Update, analyze and present financial dashboards monthly in an accurate and timely manner to senior management
• Provide high quality of customer service to program and operational staff in response to financial data inquiries or financial management assistance and ensure staff know how to access and read relevant financial reports
• Support the FP&A Director to develop financial reports and presentations on WRI’s finances for WRI’s Global Board, associated committees and senior management on a quarterly basis or as needed
• Help define and report on key organizational performance metrics; determine data clean-up or process enhancements necessary, including to quarterly review process, to improve the quality of the metrics for decision making
• Facilitate quantitative decisions with clear, visual, easy to interpret analysis for resource allocation across the network
• Assist with the management of the direct and indirect cost allocations and recovery processes to ensure maximum cost recovery while maintaining consistency and accuracy to avoid over or under recovery

Operations Policies and Procedures (15%):

• Identify process gaps and operational issues by working closely with program teams and core functions across offices to find and implement solutions that enable sustainable growth
• Coordinate efforts across all core functions to ensure streamlined development, consultation and coordinated roll out and enforcement of new financial processes or operational initiatives
• Assist in the implementation of a comprehensive risk framework for WRI for both operational and financial risks

Financial Operations Coordination, Communication, and Training (30%):

• Provide support in coordination with all WRI Global Operations teams, on a range of issues (e.g. benchmarking performance, space required by location, optimal sub-grant ratios, project funding constraints, growth trajectories and short and long-term impact on our financial model, international office and WRI-wide overhead rates, capital spending, uses of unrestricted/resources, etc.)
• Lead coordination efforts with every office to identify and develop financial management capacity for both institutional finances and project financial management
• Support each office in their efforts to improve internal process, and build capacity to manage and implement grants of progressively larger sizes
• Coordinate with the Operations Training Manager to modernize trainings available for operations staff in the institute
• Develop and implement finance related career development learning sessions for both Program and Operations staff; to facilitate WRI’s decentralized organizational structure while mitigating risks across the organization
• Through close coordination with Cost & Pricing and the development team, lead efforts to track and report revenue allocated to WRI’s work in different countries, including but not limited to countries where WRI has an established presence
• Support as needed with the implementation and roll-out of financial systems and data repositories (Project Unify)

What will you need:

• Education: You have completed a master’s degree 
• Experience: You have a minimum of 10 years of relevant, full-time work experience in financial and operations management. Mention prior experience in technical areas or in previous industries/sectors
• Languages: Verbal and written English proficiency required. Spanish, Portuguese, French, Hindi, or Bahasa proficiency would be a plus.
• Requirements: Existing work authorization is required where this position is based. WRI is unable to authorize visa work authorization

Potential Salary: US salary range is between 116,000 and 139,000 USD. Salary is commensurate with experience and other compensable factors.

How to Apply: Please submit a resume with a required cover letter by the date of July 22, 2024. We are unable to consider your application without a cover letter.

You must apply through the WRI Careers portal to be considered.

What we offer:

• Access to the WRI global network with the opportunity to exchange with and learn from passionate colleagues working at the cutting edge of their fields across Asia, Africa, Europe, Latin America and the US
• The chance to have an impact and to develop your career within a mission driven organization with access to varied learning and training opportunities. 
• A workplace that strives to put diversity and inclusion at the heart of our work
• The opportunity to join and get involved in different working groups and affinity groups to shape the future of WRI
• Commitment to hybrid working model with flexible working hours
• Generous leave days that increase with tenure
• Medical Coverage, Dental Coverage, Vision Coverage, retirement plan access and employer contribution, Paid Time Off

About Us:

Founded in 1982, World Resources Institute (WRI) is an independent, nonprofit global research organization that turns big ideas into action at the nexus of environment, economic opportunity, and human well-being. We are working to address seven critical challenges that the world must overcome this decade to secure a sustainable future for people and the planet: climate change, energy, food, forests, water, sustainable cities, and the ocean. WRI has a global staff of over 1,800 people with work spanning 60 countries. We have offices in Africa, Brazil, China, Europe, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Colombia and the United States, as well as a growing presence in other countries and regions.

The foundation of our work is delivering high-quality research, data, maps, and analysis to solve the world’s greatest environment and international development challenges and improve people’s lives. We work with leaders in government, business, and civil society to drive ambitious action and create change on the ground. Equally important, we bring together partners to develop breakthrough ideas and scale-up solutions for far-reaching, enduring impact.

Our mission and values:

WRI’s mission is to move human society to live in ways that protect Earth’s environment and its capacity to provide for the needs and aspirations of current and future generations.

Our values are shared ideals that bind us together: Integrity, Innovation, Urgency, Independence and Respect.

Our culture:

WRI is committed to advancing gender and social equity for human well-being in our mission and applies this principle to our organizational and programmatic practices. We are committed to providing equal opportunities in employment; we embrace all diversity and encourage women, the LGBTQ+ community, persons with disabilities, Afro-descendants, and Indigenous people to apply. Recognizing our strong commitment to gender equality, WRI has also been awarded EDGE certification.

Our team in Human Resources carefully reviews all applications.