Back Finance and Operation Specialist, Congo Basin

This position is office-based in Yaounde, Cameroon. 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 World Resources Institute (WRI) programme in Cameroon focuses on forest protection, transparency in land-use decision-making, due diligence in the international timber trade and support for the restoration of degraded forest landscapes. The institute works with institutional partners and key stakeholders to develop information systems on land use, forests and natural resources in order to guide development policies and programmes. WRI Africa's strategy also integrates the interests of Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples (LCIPs). It aims to understand the links between the dynamics of changes in forest cover and agricultural land, associated social practices and food sovereignty issues.

Job Highlight:

You will provide financial and budgetary support including, maintaining the petty cash of the office, executing payments, preparing bank reconciliations, liaising with individual project managers to develop, managing and monitoring grants and contracts. Developing budgets for new proposals, tracking expenditures, preparing financial regular reports, and discussing them with the respective project managers. Processing invoices, managing, and monitoring sub-awards, participating in audits, preparing invoices and donor accountability for all financial aspects of the projects.

Other duties may include supporting program administrative tasks and events coordination. You will work with the Cameroon office team and the Central Africa regional office operations team based in the DRC to ensure the smooth execution of the financial, administrative, and other operations of the Cameroon office in particular and the Congo Basin in general. You will be office-based.

You will work with Global and Regional Operations support teams in Washington, DC, Addis Ababa, Nairobi and Kinshasa to enable the proper functioning of all basic functions of the WRI office in the Congo Basin, with an insight to the Cameroon Programme Office.

You will report to the Senior Regional Finance and Operation Manager with a dotted line to the Cameroon National Coordinator.

What will you do:

Accounting Management (25%):

• Maintain the petty cash of the office by ensuring the proper recording of transactions carried out and their reconciliation in the cashbook
• Codify, check, and control the requisitions of payments \"request payments\" transmitted by the project team
• Check the conformity of the supporting documents of the activities carried out and record them in accordance with the WRI procedures
• Monitor and analyze all balance sheet accounts monthly
• Execute bank payments by check, OP (payment order) and online while respecting WRI policies
• Produce monthly reconciliations of bank and cash transactions of the WRI Cameroon office
• Ensure the archiving of accounting documents both hard and digital and publish them for the attention of the Africa Office

  Financial Management (25%):

  • Coordinate with and advise project leads on budget management, including use of budgeting software, monthly financial tracking, and supporting project managers in expense forecasting and revenue analysis
  • Develop project budgets, notes and narratives for funding proposals on a need-by-need basis following different donor requirements while adhering to WRI cost and pricing rules and regulations
  • Perform periodic financial analysis on all projects to detect and resolve problems.
  • Regularly review, update, and monitor all transactions, invoices, commitments, and revenue prospects
  • Follow WRI’s internal processes and deadlines related to funding, including quarterly reviews, financial reporting, monthly & annual closeouts, and future fiscal year annual budget submission
  • Prepare and analyze project financial reports and ensure they are submitted to INTEL HR and donors on time
  • Prepare quarterly cash flow and planning for all the Cameroon projects to ensure all activities are funded based on the approved work-plan
  • Prepare a timely call for funds for all WRI Cameroon projects

    Grant and Sub Agreement Management (30%):

    • Process and execute new sub grants, contracts, and amendments as needed
    • Monitor program/project performance against grant and contract requirements and deliverables and ensure compliance with the terms and conditions of grants and contracts
    • Ensure financial contract requirements are understood and met by all partners/sub grantees
    • Process invoices and payments for projects in compliance with WRI’s policies.
    • Monitor partners to ensure the timely and accurate submission of progress and financial reports
    • Work directly with funders to request and submit Prime award amendments, payment request, and other funder related needs

      Program Administration and Operations (20%):

      • Monitor compliance with and advise teams on institutional policies, such as WRI’s travel and expense policy, pocurement manual
      • Support miscellaneous project operation’s needs, including personnel processes, labor forecasting, guidance processes, and IT
      • Advise team on budget management and address any financial issues in coordination with the Sr Regional Finance & Operation Manager
      • Track program funding opportunities and record information in on-line tracking systems
      • Support the team on Program administrative tasks, events coordination and other appropriate duties.

        What will you need:

        • Education: You have a completed Bachelor’s degree in finance, business or public administration, non-profit management, or similar.
        • Experience: You have 3+ years of full-time relevant work experience in accounting, operations, grant administration, budgeting, or financial management.
        • Experience with expense forecasting, grant compliance, and monitoring sub-grants and contracts
        • Experience working with minimal supervision and interacting with multiple stakeholders and cross-collaboration with teams
        • Experience with financial software such as Costpoint, TM1 and Cognos and CRM software such as Salesforce considered a plus
        • Languages: You have verbal and written proficiency in English and French
        • Requirements: Existing work authorization is required where this position. WRI is unable to authorize visa work authorization.