This position will be based in WRI Office in Washington DC. 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 Research, Data and Impact (RDI) core function at WRI is responsible for maintaining WRI’s rigorous standards for research and data related knowledge products across programs and international offices. The RDI core function includes the Research Integrity and WRI Library, Data Lab and Managing for Results (MFR) teams: - The Research Integrity team oversees a rigorous quality assurance process for all knowledge products bearing the WRI logo and supports over 1,800 staff across the Institute in their research projects. WRI research publications go through a rigorous, centralized peer review process to help ensure quality, accuracy, institutional coherence, and a lack of bias. - The Data Lab is WRI’s core data innovation and delivery unit comprised of over 35 engineers, product managers, and data scientists with deep experience in data strategy, quantitative research, and building data tools and products. Data of all kinds sits at the heart of how WRI achieves impact in the world, and our world-class research is used by governments, policymakers, NGOs and local communities around the world to improve lives, protect nature, and ensure just transitions. - Managing for Results (MfR) ensures WRI is equipped to understand if its work is contributing to the longer-term positive changes WRI intends to make in the world and fosters a culture of learning and accountability. The MfR team is an institutional resource, ensuring that WRI’s programmatic teams are meeting internal and external standards for good practices in planning, monitoring, evaluation, and learning. This position is remote due to Covid-19, but you will be based in Washington, DC once restrictions have been lifted.
Job Highlight:
You will report to the team’s Senior Operations Manager in providing daily operational and administrative support for the team’s suite of projects. You will support the efforts of each RDI core functions team by assisting in the management of project and travel budgets, payment processing, data collection and tracking for monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) and operations processes and systems. The Operations Assistant supports RDI teams assisting in the management of budgets, vendor contract payments and international training workshops funded by a growing portfolio of grants and partnerships.
The RDI Operations Assistant position is important for ensuring RDI is equipped to understand if and how: 1) its work is contributing to the longer-term impacts of the Institute and 2) it is delivering the outcomes to which we committed for external donors supporting our core functions work. You will be supported by a matrixed team of project coordinators and senior operations staff.
What will you do:
Operations and Finance Support (60%):
· Support RDI teams with budget management for conference and event logistics, including participant travel
· Support RDI team leaders with corporate credit card and travel expense reports in Concur
· Provide operations and finance support specifically for the Data Lab’s cloud service providers (e.g., Carto, Google Cloud Platform, Mapbox, and Amazon Web Services)
· Coordinate the submission of invoices from project and contract deliverables to ensure they are processed consistent with WRI’s internal policies and accounting standards
· Track operations related tasking and annual planning in Asana (project management software)
· Create Asana templates for operations related requests from team leaders (new contracts, amendments, work orders, expense forecasting, etc)
· Monitor subagreement deliverables and payment schedules and alert the Operations Manager when vendor contract budgets need additional funds
· Identify problems or delays and escalate to manager for guidance
Operations Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) (40%):
· Support RDI team leaders in prioritizing outcomes indicators for tracking in DevResults and using the impact data in future outputs (funding proposals and institutional reporting)
· Maintain outcomes indicators with quarterly and annual data entry in DevResults for RDI’s core functions teams (Data Lab, Managing for Results and Research Integrity + Library)
· Assist the Senior Operations Manager in collecting and submitting data for the annual WRI Building Blocks capacity building assessment for the WRI country offices
· Assist the senior Operations Manager in completing an operations support analysis, identifying areas for improvement and maintaining a culture of excellence
What will you need:
· Education: Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field (e.g., business administration, economics, public or nonprofit administration, international development, etc.)
· Experience: Minimum of 2+ years relevant professional experience in project management, financial management, business administration and other related fields
· The position requires a detail-oriented, organized person with experience and interest in program operations, grants compliance, financial management, and budgeting
· Strong process orientation with sensitivity to quality
· Strong writing, database management, and proofreading skills
· Ability to manage an influx of information and a capacity to track details and pay attention to details
· Demonstrated ability to express concepts concisely and clearly across formats (e.g. PowerPoint, Word documents, emails, videos, etc.)
· Ability to work collaboratively synchronously or asynchronously whether it is in Miro, Asana, virtual meetings or in-person workshops, etc
· Fluency in Microsoft Word, Outlook, Excel and PowerPoint is required
· Familiarity with DevResults, VISIO, MIRO, PowerBI, Asana, Concur and Sharepoint is preferred but not required
· Languages: Fluency in oral and written English is required. Knowledge of Portuguese, French, Spanish, Bahasa Indonesian, Chinese or Turkish is a plus
· US work authorization is required for all WRI US opportunities
Potential Salary: Salary range is between 57,000 USD to 62,000 USD. Salary is commensurate with experience and other compensable factors.
How to Apply: Please submit a resume and cover letter by November 24, 2023. Applicants 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.