Project Management and Finance Specialist, Cities Program

This position is remote-eligible and only for consideration within the United States where WRI is state registered. Existing work authorization is required at the time of application submission. WRI is unable to sponsor any visa work sponsorship for this position. 

About the Program:

The WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities (Cities Program) helps to transform cities into compact, connected and resilient spaces that provide healthy, accessible, and prosperous living environments for their residents. We coordinate the Cities Program’s extensive technical and practical expertise through eight integrated solution areas: Integrated Transport Systems, Vision Zero, Zero Carbon Buildings, Livable Neighborhoods, Electric Mobility, Water/Heat Resilience, Air Quality and Inclusive Climate & Energy Action Planning. Data and Urban Finance are cross-cutting themes that inform all of our solution offerings. We implement our solutions by working deeply with multiple stakeholders over long periods of time to demonstrate possibilities in rapidly transforming cities. We expand our impact to other cities by leveraging these demonstrated possibilities to convene multiple cross-sectoral stakeholders and partnering with city networks. Our research and projects in cities and in national policies connect environmental sustainability, health, safety, equity, and quality of life. The Cities Data Initiative is focused on leveraging new and emerging streams of data to enable more informed, integrated, strategic, and collaborative urban planning. We help focus data innovators toward meeting the needs of city decisionmakers and we build tools and local capacity to generate actionable insights from data innovations. https://wrirosscities.org/

Job Highlight:

In this role, you will work with our Data & Tools team at the Ross Center for Sustainable Cities to provide grants and finance management, and project management support. You will work on complex, multi-year, multi-faceted international grants - developing and updating work plans and budgets, tracking, and monitoring deliverables and expenditures, preparing progress and financial reports, and working with project managers, partner organizations, and international offices to maintain healthy project collaboration and financial systems. Your responsibilities will be split 50% project management and 50% financial management. 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 for Data and Tools within the Ross Center for Sustainable Cities.

What will you do: 

Project Management (50%):

• Facilitate team meetings and supports in the development of agendas and content for project presentations, workshops, conferences, research seminars, Executive Team and other high-level meetings; prepare invitations and takes minutes, tracking follow-up
• With project leadership, supports annual and multi-year project planning efforts, including developing workplans, ensuring allocation of resources to the different projects
• With the project manager and project team, you will develop and tracks progress toward the project’s theory of change
• Serve as project monitoring, evaluation and learning (PMEL) liaison for the team, providing guidance and ensuring compliance with WRI institutional monitoring and evaluation tracking and reporting systems
• Support the project manager in collecting inputs from WRI International Offices and partners, analyzing data and reports, and compiling reports for WRI Global institutional reporting and sharing with global external partners
• Manage organization of and collaboration using internal and externally shared documents and productivity software (Microsoft Office 365, Google Workspace, Asana) concerning project documents and deliverables

Financial Management (25%):

• Updates and maintains project funding and allocations with workstream director and project managers utilizing WRI's budgeting and forecasting software (TM1)
• Process invoices and payments for projects in compliance with WRI's policies (subgrants, consultancies, work orders, etc.)
• Assist the project team in the project closeout process, including turnover documentation and financial reconciliation and manages financial reporting to donors
• Coordinate and advise team monthly on budget management and prepare financial review template for review with workstream director and operations staff
• Develop fiscal year budget forecasts on a yearly basis with operations and your workstream director; develop proposals budgets for new opportunities
• Provide timesheet guidance to the Data & Tools Cities team members on a bi-weekly basis

Grant Management (20%): 

• Monitor program or project performance against contract requirements and deliverables
• Guide partner organizations and consultants to help them understand and comply with subgrant and contract requirements following funder policies
• Process documentation for project commitments (i.e., agreements, contracts, work authorizations, and purchase orders)
• Support reporting on grants, including gathering information on accomplishments, activities, and challenges for funders
• Supports donor and grants management by keeping database software (Salesforce) up to date

What will you need:

• Education: You have a bachelor’s degree in finance, economics, accounting, business, public policy, political science, non-profit management, international affairs, or similar subject
• 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 experience organizing and managing detailed and complex budgeting structures, donor reporting and/or grant or financial management
• You have experience supporting the operations or management of complex, multi-year, multi-partner projects
• You have experience 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 desirable.
• You have experience handling multiple projects with varying deadlines as well as rapidly changing priorities
• You have a interest in the mission and work of the WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities
• Languages: In addition to proficiency in written and spoken English, additional language skills are a plus
• Requirements: Existing work authorization is required where this position is based. WRI is unable to authorize visa work authorization.

Potential Salary: 

The salary range is: 69,000 to 78,000 USD. WRI offers a great compensation and benefits package.   

How to Apply

Please submit a resume with cover letter by the date of May 1, 2023. You must apply through the WRI Careers portal to be considered.  

What We Offer

• A great compensation package
• Access to the WRI global network with the opportunity to exchange with and learn from passionate colleagues working at the modern 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.
• Long-term commitment to hybrid working model with flexible working hours.
• Generous leave days that increase with tenure. 

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, 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.  

Click here to apply