Senior Operations Manager, FOLU
About the Program:
The Food and Land Use Coalition (FOLU) is a self-governed coalition of organisations and individuals working collaboratively to achieve a shared objective: the urgent transformation of food and land use systems to deliver a better future for people, nature and climate. FOLU supports science-based solutions and helps to build a shared understanding of the challenges and opportunities to unlock collective action. FOLU’s Growing Better report recommends an integrated reform agenda along ten important transitions to deliver positive outcomes for environment, health, inclusive development and food security, ensuring food and land use systems support delivery of globally agreed sustainable development, climate and biodiversity goals. FOLU’s light-touch governance and management have enabled the FOLU community to grow and evolve since FOLU’s launch in 2017.
The Coalition’s collective leadership is provided by a Core Partners Group comprised of: The Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), EAT, the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), Systemiq, World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), World Farmers’ Organization (WFO), and the World Resources Institute (WRI). Through the Food, Agriculture, Biodiversity, Land Use, and Energy (FABLE) Consortium, FOLU has expert teams and networks in 18 countries, including the European Union. FABLE is a knowledge network that supports countries develop data and modelling infrastructure to promote integrated strategies towards sustainable land use and food systems. FOLU country platforms are operating in China, Colombia, India, Indonesia, Ethiopia and Colombia, with partner networks in Australia, the UK and the Nordic region. Its Global Secretariat housed at WRI’s London office coordinates FOLU. Other FOLU partners provide human resources that contribute to the Secretariat, including Systemiq and the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network.
Job Highlight:
In this role, you will report to Global Operations Director of the Food, Land and Water Program and be a main member of FOLU’s Leadership team. You will provide strategic leadership on operational issues, supporting FOLU’s growing body of work in China, Indonesia, India, Kenya, Ethiopia, Brazil and Colombia along with managing the operational aspects of FOLU’s Grants& Contracts team Working across multiple international offices, projects and lines of work, you will ensure teams have all the resources, tools, information and training they need to accomplish their work. You will be responsible for overseeing all FOLU budgets and grants, lead FOLU’s finance operations and provide strategic direction and oversight for FOLU’s finance operational processes globally, with excellent customer care standards and a strong financial control environment. Key areas of focus include anticipating potential performance gaps by analyzing budgets and spending trends, evaluating potential revenue cliffs, assessing operational/support staff needs, guiding staff through complex contract and financial negotiations with external donors, problem solving delivery challenges, overseeing risk management and ensuring strong people management across your globally integrated team.
What will you do:
Financial Management (30%):
- Create and share analysis and dashboards to evaluate program budget performance against defined strategy and targeted goals, showing the link between investment and maturation of different lines of work
- Work with programmatic teams to make sure planned activities and budgets are aligned and ensure accurate narrative progress reports submissions linked to financial expenditure reports
- Provide guidance to FOLU staff on proper financial and project management, share knowledge and lessons learned
- Lead the quarterly and annual budgeting and planning processes, ensuring all FOLU budgets are realistic and in line with available funding
- Analyze spending and revenue needs for FOLU projects and grants across multiple office locations. Flagging potential funding issues and revenue shortfalls to senior management as needed
- Ensure proper proposal budgeting and financial reporting to reduce the FOLU’s financial risk, including the potential for under-recovery of overhead costs with funders that have restrictive overhead policies
- Provide guidance to teams as they negotiate funding agreements and communicate directly with external funding partners on issues related to FOLU’s fiduciary (WRI) financial policies, processes, and budgets, including communicating directly on issues related to overhead and indirect costs
- Work with project teams and external partners during project and sub-grant audits and share audit findings and lessons as needed with FOLU staff
Contracts Management (25%):
- Oversee the contracting and procurement processes within FOLU. This includes ensuring compliance with WRI processes across the coalition
- Ensure that grants and contracts are issued in a timely and efficient manner. This includes procurement pipeline management and the rapid identification of the right contracting modalities depending on donor and partner
- Provide partners with the flexibility needed to deliver in difficult contexts, while still ensuring clear accountability for delivering contractual requirements and on donor expectations
- Identify a long-term framework for FOLU contracting that balances value for money, efficiency and robustness. This includes engaging in the FOLU 2030 strategy process
Leadership (25%):
- Manage a team of 4 and provide guidance and mentorship for a group of Program Coordinators and Grants and Finance Specialists in FOLU’s country platforms
- Contribute to the FOLU’s overall leadership by participating in the leadership team and providing strategic input across the coalition on issues related to operations
Program management (20%):
- Communicate relevant operational policies to senior management, staff and management team members – including managing and budgeting processes, human resources policies and processes, facilities policies, etc.
- Contribute to the annual work planning process. Help in work plans by supporting the process. Work with programmatic teams and International Offices to identify problems in planning, propose solutions and help implement them
- Work with WRI’s main functions (Accounting, Grants and Contracts and HR) and the Food, Land and Water Programme Operations Team to improve operational policies and systems
What will you need:
- Education: You have completed a Master’s degree in business administration, finance, management or similar discipline related to the job description
- Experience: Minimum of 10 years of relevant experience in nonprofit business management and operations with an international and environmental organization.
- Ability to work independently within a matrixed structure and evolving team, including working with international colleagues from diverse cultures and across multiple time zones.
- Capacity to take initiative and set priorities, handle multiple projects and respond effectively to complex situations involving numerous and sometimes competing organizational constituencies.
- Financial skills, with solid experience in financial planning, budget oversight, grants management, and oversight of sub-grants and contracts.
- Experience building and monitoring budgets and financial awards in multiple currencies.
- Experience driving operational improvements, developing procedures, communication and training plans and management information systems
- Prior experience in managing staff with demonstrated experience in mentoring staff to help them grow and succeed in their careers
- Languages: Verbal and written English proficiency. Other language skills desirable
- Requirements: Existing work authorization is required where this position. WRI is unable to authorize visa work authorization
How to Apply:Please submit a resume with cover letterby 27 November2023.You must apply through the WRI Careers portal to be considered.
What we offer:
- A competitive salary
- 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
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.