Project Administrator, M-REDD -- Climate Program
The Rainforest Alliance is an international nonprofit organization that works to conserve biodiversity and ensure sustainable livelihoods by transforming land-use practices, business practices and consumer behavior. Based in New York City, with offices throughout the United States and worldwide, the Rainforest Alliance works with people whose livelihoods depend on the land, helping them transform the way they grow food, harvest wood and host travelers.
The Rainforest Alliance’s Climate Program works to conserve biodiversity and enhance livelihoods by supporting sustainable land management practices that allow communities to mitigate and adapt to climate change. The climate program is cross-cutting, involving the sustainable forestry, agriculture and tourism programs of the Rainforest Alliance. The principal goals of the climate program are to: build capacity for REDD+ implementation through project facilitation and by developing/deploying training and guidance materials; contribute to REDD-readiness initiatives at a national level in target tropical countries; innovate and implement projects leveraging carbon finance as tool for landscape-level conservation; shape forest carbon standards and REDD+ policy at the national and international level and among key climate investment funds; develop and scale adaptation-oriented tools and initiatives; and build demand and capacity for forest carbon validation, verification and methodology services in priority tropical regions, among others. The climate program works with a wide range of stakeholders, from small producers to large corporations and governments.
The Project Administrator will support the Rainforest Alliance M-REDD Project by managing budgeting, along with financial and contracting processes. S/he will be responsible for meeting performance measures and for complying with finance, contract and administrative requirements in accordance with Rainforest Alliance policies and procedures. S/he will liaise with Rainforest Alliance regional and headquarters staff regarding budget codes, timesheets and expense reports, donor reporting requirements and tracking and reporting overall financial performance in accordance with approved budgets and workplans. S/he will conduct training for, and guide TREES and Climate Program staff on good practice in project budgeting and on-going management of M-REDD project budgets.
Mexico’s Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation (M-REDD) Project, is a 5-year initiative funded by the United States Agency for International Development that will support Mexico’s REDD-readiness process by establishing and/or strengthening policy, institutional and technical capacity building, financing and other core aspects required to ensure the successful implementation of REDD+ in Mexico. Under this project, the Rainforest Alliance’s Climate, TREES, Communications, and Evaluation and Research programs will coordinate to support Mexico’s design and implementation of REDD+.
Annual Planning and Budgeting
- Manage the M-REDD budgeting and planning process (annual, mid-year and quarterly);
- Collect, review and maintain all budget information;
- Produce program financial performance reports and review financial reports submitted to donors on behalf of the M-REDD project;
- Coordinate with Project Administrator, Mexico – TREES Program in the other projects, regarding annual planning and budgeting;
Expense Monitoring
- Monitor expenses and revenues according to approved budgets and donor requirements for the M-REDD project;
- Ensure financial reports, consultants’ invoices and subcontractors or recipients of sub-agreements are reviewed for accuracy and documentation, and that payment is properly processed;
Contracts and Agreements
- Ensure that contractual agreements are created according to approved templates and policies and donor requirements;
- Coordinate negotiation of agreements with program staff, Finance, Legal and/or other Rainforest Alliance departments as required and necessary according to established policies;
Reporting
- Assist with the monitoring, tracking and reporting of contract and agreement deliverables for the M-REDD project;
Human Resources
- Approve all new hire requests submitted by the program in accordance with approved budget;
Training
- Provide training and guidance to M-REDD staff on budget formulation, tracking and adjustments, expense accounting, financial analysis and reporting and contract management;
- Identify training needs and facilitate contract orientation and training for newly hired program staff;
- Provide guidance, coaching and oversight to staff serving in a management role especially for large government and multi-lateral funded projects; and
- Other duties as assigned.
- Bachelor’s degree in business, public administration, or related field required; graduate degree in finance or business administration preferred;
- 5 - 7 years of proven substantial and successful project management experience overseeing financial and administrative activities;
- Demonstrated success managing administrative/financial functions for a program under rapid growth;
- Experience managing government grants with sub-recipient grant programs preferred;
- Experience working in an international non-government organization preferred;
- Written and spoken fluency in English and Spanish required;
- Excellent organizational skills with emphasis on project and financial management;
- Outstanding communication skills;
- Ability to operate with considerable independence and discretion, show good judgment, and take initiative;
- Ability to work effectively as a member of a team;
- Excellent computer skills (MS Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and Internet); and
- Willingness and ability to travel up to 20 percent, nationally and internationally.
Commensurate with experience.
Only candidates authorized to work in Mexico will be considered.
Send resume, cover letter and salary history to mxpersonnel@ra.org. If emailing, use the following format in the subject line: first name and last name, job title of position you are applying for.
The Rainforest Alliance is an equal opportunity employer.