IUCN North America Regional Office represents IUCN in North America, works with North American members, and provides fundraising support to IUCN Regional Country Offices. IUCN North America Office also houses staff from the IUCN Global Programs that implement an increasing number of projects and provide grants to non-profit-organizations around the world. The North America office, as part of its outposting and fundraising function, hosts the GEF GCF Portfolio Manager for Global Initiatives.

The Program and Finance Associate will support the work of the GEF GCF Portfolio Manager for Global Initiatives in providing implementation oversight for IUCN Center-led GEF- and GCF-supported projects and programs, and support the Finance and Operation Services Unit headed by the NARO Senior Finance Manager. The Finance and Operation Services Unit provides project-level support to both global and North America-based projects and is funded through direct cost recovery. This position will be working 3 days (60%) a week with the GEF GCF Portfolio Manager for Global Initiatives and 2 days (40%) a week with the Program Finance Team.
Since becoming an accredited Implementing Agency for the Global Environment Facility (GEF) in 2014 and an Accredited Entity to the Green Climate Fund (GCF) in 2016, IUCN’s portfolio of fully-developed and approved GEF- and GCF- funded work has grown considerably to include 39 projects valued at $145 million. These projects are implemented throughout the regions, countries, and offices where IUCN works and cover themes including biodiversity conservation, sustainable forest and land management, restoration, International Waters, climate adaptation, Indigenous Peoples and Local Community-led conservation, and more. Moreover, the current pipeline of GEF-supported proposals under development points to continued robust growth of the IUCN GEF and GCF project portfolio that already constitutes a substantial share of IUCN funding.
IUCN’s GEF and GCF portfolio includes projects with a national scope, led by IUCN’s regional offices, and those led by the 4 IUCN Centers (Conservation Action Center; Center for Economy and Finance; Science and Data Center; Center for Society and Governance). This position will support the GEF GCF Portfolio Manager for Global Initiatives in providing implementation oversight support for IUCN’s Center-led GEF- and GCF-supported projects and programs. Presently, this portfolio includes 10 fully developed and approved projects valued at some $50 million, and several large-scale initiatives under development.
This position will also meet the growing need of project financial services and help to provide support with drafting sub-grants and contracts, procurement, purchase orders, and project audits, among other tasks specified further below.

This position will work closely with the GEF GCF Portfolio Manager for Global Initiatives and with a team of 5 finance staff, all of whom are based at the IUCN North America Regional Office located in Washington DC. The position must be based in Washington DC with remote work options available on a 50% per bi-weekly basis.

JOB DESCRIPTION, under GEF GCF Portfolio Manager for Global Initiatives (3 days a week)

• Support monitoring, oversight, and adaptive management of Center-led GEF GCF portfolio of projects under implementation, including organization, preparation and participation in quarterly review meetings and annual supervision missions, and regular engagement and follow up as needed with project execution teams, project steering committees, and other project partners to ensure projects are on track to achieving objectives.

• Coordination with IUCN technical, finance, and Environmental and Social Monitoring (ESMS) safeguard leads supporting thematic, financial and ESMS support to ensure projects under implementation are receiving needed support, connecting with relevant and aligned IUCN initiatives including those providing co-funding support, and that projects are operating in full compliance with IUCN’s financial, environmental and social safeguards.

• Support on-time review and submission annual project implementation reports to donors, working with project execution teams and IUCN implementation support members.

• Support development and finalization of IUCN implementation agreements with external partners managing execution of donor-approved IUCN GEF and GCF projects, working with IUCN legal team and execution partners.

• Support development of communication materials on project portfolio and thematic work, working with GEF GCF Portfolio Manager for Global Initiatives.

• Support entry of project proposals and required supplementary materials into the online GEF and GCF portals

• Support and ensure regular and complete updating of information in IUCN’s online project portal.

• Support the organization of meetings, workshops, webinars, trainings and other capacity building activities.

• Support organization of monitoring missions and other travel required by the team, including facilitating logistical arrangements, processing travel requests and expenditure claims.

JOB DESCRIPTION, under Finance (2 days a week)

• Support with drafting of sub-grants and consultancy contracts along with internal sign-off sheets.

• Support with procurement processes on request basis.

• Submit and follow-up contracts in DocuSign for sign-off.

• Prepare and submit Purchase orders (PO) and Blanket purchase orders (PBO) in the ERP system.

• Review and submit consultants Invoice for payment.

• Monitor consultancy contracts (amendments, closure, etc.)

• Prepare Internal Agreement (IA’s) with regions and global programs.

• Support with project audits: provide back-up documents as requested by auditors or other units.

• Make Staff Time budget allocation in Time Management System (TMS).

• Coordination with core finance for accounts receivable (donor invoice) and accounts payable (vendor payment) as needed.

• Other duties as required by the Senior Finance Manager.

• This position will work closely with a team of 5 finance staff at the IUCN Washington DC office.