Job Description

Title: Budget and Grants Manager Position type: Full-time Salary range: $65,000 to $75,000 Location: WCS Canada headquarters in Toronto Reports to: Director of Finance and Operations Application deadline: Application closing date: 17 January 2023 Position Start Date: mid to late February, 2023
Position Summary Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) Canada (www.wcscanada.org) is a non-government organization with a mission to save wildlife and wild places in Canada through science, conservation action, and by inspiring people to value nature. We are seeking a talented Budget and Grants Manager to join our Finance and Operations Team located at our headquarters in Toronto. The primary responsibilities of this position will be to manage WCS Canada\xe2\x80\x99s annual operating budget and provide full life-cycle grants management support. To be successful, the Budget and Grants Manager will develop a detailed knowledge of the organization\xe2\x80\x99s operating budget, revenue sources and funder requirements. This will require working closely with WCS Canada\xe2\x80\x99s conservation program leads and with our Fundraising Team. The Budget and Grants Manager will also assist with long-term business planning and other areas of financial management and support as needed.
The WCS Canada Budget and Grants Manager will join a global network of WCS Business, Budget, and Grant Managers supporting affiliated WCS\xe2\x80\x99s conservation programs with activities in more than 60 countries around the world.
This position will best suit an individual that is looking to expand their skills with a growing mission-driven organization. This new position will have the opportunity to contribute to the development of internal budget and grant management systems, tools, policies, and practices, building on existing WCS best practices.
Position Objectives:

• To support the effective financial management and compliance of WCS Canada
• To develop and actively manage WCS Canada\xe2\x80\x99s annual operating budget
• To provide effective budget and grant management support
• To support long-term financial planning and other financial activities
  

Principal Responsibilities:
Budget Management

• Lead the development, management, and maintenance of a comprehensive annual operating budget in accordance with internal guidelines and budget calendar using a robust multicurrency accounting system.
• Work with WCS Canada program leads to understand and budget full program costs, and to develop budget scenarios based on fundraising projections.
• Actively update and monitor the annual operating budget in response to program and revenue changes, including the ongoing assessment of risk to core operations and revenue status.
• Ensure restricted funds are allocated and budgeted in compliance with grant agreements and that multiyear grants are allocated correctly to the operating budget for each fiscal year.
• Assist with prioritizing the allocation of unrestricted funds to meet core operating needs and program priorities.
• Meet regularly with conservation program leads to review budget to actual financial reports.
• Assist the Director of Finance and Operations with conducting financial and budget analyses, and preparing budget and finance reports and presentations for the Board of Directors, Audit and Finance Committee, and affiliated WCS Global Conservation Program.
• Conduct budget and other financial analyses as needed, including creating and preparing reports.

Grants Management

• Develop, review, and approve budgets for government agencies, foundations, and private donor proposals, in coordination with program staff, based on a full understanding of the overall program budget and priorities and ensuring full cost recovery.
• Manage, review, and help prepare financial expenditure reports to government agencies, foundations, and private donors, in coordination with program staff and the Finance and Fundraising Teams, and ensure compliance with grant agreement requirements. Ensure payment requests and invoices are submitted as needed.
• Lead the review of grant and contract agreements, including amendments, in coordination with program leads, the Director of Finance and Operations, and the WCS legal department (as needed).
• Support programs with grant management processes, systems, tools and donor compliance requirements.
• Contribute to maintaining accurate files and databases, including grants, contracts, proposals, and financial records in partnership with the Fundraising Team.
• Engage with the WCS Global Conservation Program grants management team, including business managers and grants managers from other WCS global conservation regions, sharing and drawing from lessons learned.

Additional Responsibilities

• Assist with the development and maintenance of a rolling 5-year business plan.
• Assist with the annual audit and provide financial support as needed.
• Contribute to creating a diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace that promotes engagement and belonging.
• Other duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications/Skills/Experience:

• Bachelor\xe2\x80\x99s degree in business, economics, accounting, finance, or in a relevant subject field, or an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience.
• Proven budget and financial management experience in a charitable organization (4+ years) including systems / process development experience.
• Excellent computer and systems skills required with respect to MS Office applications (advanced skills in MS Excel required) and major financial accounting and reporting software.
• Experience with grants management, budgeting, and grant reporting in a multi-funder environment and involving a large funding portfolio (i.e., experience with Canadian government funding, private foundations, etc.).
• Effective \xe2\x80\x9croll up the sleeves\xe2\x80\x9d work ethic. Demonstrated ability to work with diverse teams. Must be solutions-oriented, have strong problem solving and analytical skills, and have the ability to creatively contribute to thinking on national issues.
• Able to exhibit superb professional judgment in a sometimes-ambiguous environment.
• Ability to work on multiple tasks at multiple levels in a fast-paced environment is a necessity.
• Excellent leadership, interpersonal and time management skills.
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Excellent communication skills, both oral and written.

Other Desirable Qualifications/Skills/Experience:

• Experience working with fundraising databases such as Raiser\xe2\x80\x99s Edge.
• Experience working with document management databases and systems.
• A passion for the conservation of nature and wildlife.

COVID-19 Vaccination: WCS Canada is committed to providing and maintaining a safe environment for our employees, contractors, and partners. As part of this unwavering commitment to safety, it is a condition of employment that all WCS Canada employees be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 with a COVID-19 vaccine series approved by Health Canada or the World Health Organization. This condition is subject to the requirements of applicable human rights legislation.
How to apply: Please submit your CV with cover letter explaining your interest in this position and relevant skills and experience.
For questions regarding the position, please contact Gillian Woolmer at gwoolmer@wcs.org For questions regarding the application process, please contact Okechukwu Ezibe at oezibe@wcs.org.
WCS Canada is committed to creating an accessible and inclusive organization. We are committed to providing barrier-free and accessible employment practices. Applicants with a disability or any special needs may make a request for accommodation at any stage of the recruitment process, and we will work with you to meet your needs. Such requests should be communicated to Okechukwu Ezibe (oezibe@wcs.org) or by phone 437-770-2776.
About WCS Canada WCS Canada (www.wcscanada.org) was established as a Canadian conservation organization in July 2004. We are committed to championing accessibility, diversity, and equal opportunity. Our mission is to save wildlife and wild places by improving our understanding of and seeking solutions to critical problems that threaten key species and large wild ecosystems throughout Canada. We implement and support comprehensive field studies that gather information on wildlife needs and then seek to resolve key conservation problems by working with a broad array of actors. WCS Canada has a track record of our science being recognized as relevant, credible and legitimate by researchers, NGOs and agencies. WCS Canada is independently registered and managed, while retaining a strong collaborative working relationship with sister Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) programs in more than 60 countries.
Diversity and inclusion are core WCS Canada values. We value the diversity of the people we employ and work with and we strive to provide an inclusive and equitable workplace in which we recognize the unique characteristics, skills and experiences of all employees. We are committed to engaging our employees in our diversity, equity and inclusion work and together we aim to create a workplace where all staff feel they belong and can grow.
WCS Canada\xe2\x80\x99s programs occur on the homelands of Indigenous Peoples whose relationships various governments are described in historic (numbered) Treaties, modern land claim agreements, and negotiations around unceded lands. We recognize and support the international ecological and social commitments and responsibilities to Indigenous Peoples that Canada has signed, including the Convention on Biological Diversity, Convention on the Trade in Endangered Species, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and the recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Our commitment to engagement with Indigenous Peoples ranges from notification of research to the provision of scientific advice, to co-creation of research. We respect Indigenous knowledge systems and include this knowledge in our research and conservation programs where possible. We engage in land use planning and impact assessment processes that affect Indigenous Peoples, seeking ways to advance conservation as well as opportunities to sustain the livelihoods and cultures of Indigenous communities. We seek to motivate positive conservation outcomes by supporting effective governance and decision-making processes by Indigenous communities, particularly by supporting Indigenous and Community Conserved Areas.
WCS Canada is committed to contributing to the field of conservation science and the professional development of its employees. Employees are encouraged to participate in professional societies and present their research at conferences and meetings, as well as participate in relevant workshops and training opportunities. Employees are likewise encouraged to mentor graduate students, participate in relevant graduate student committees, and pursue adjunct status with universities as appropriate.