World Wildlife Fund (WWF), one of the world’s leading conservation organizations, seeks a Senior Assistant, Durable Conservation and Finance

Major Function

The Senior Assistant, Durable Conservation and Finance is part of a team that collaborates across WWF-US to catalyze efforts to maximize conservation and climate impact for nature and nature’s benefits to people through protected and conserved areas. The team brings expertise in inclusive conservation, strategic planning, area-based conservation finance, bioeconomy, structuring transactions, and closing (Project Finance for Permanence) PFPs in support of WWF US’s place-based Integrated Programs. These Programs coordinate work in the Arctic, Amazon, Congo Basic, Eastern Himalayas, Eastern Tropical Pacific, Greater Mekong, Northern Great Plains, Southern Africa, Southwest Indian Ocean, and Western Tropical Pacific

The major function of the Senior Assistant is to Provide overall administrative support to reinforce the smooth functioning of the Earth for Life (EFL) team including related to PFP, bioeconomy, and cross-cutting protected and conserved area interventions. They perform a variety of both standard and complex administrative duties and accounting tasks and provide support to special projects and general office needs using administrative skills, organizational skills, and detailed knowledge of the organization and its programs and policies.

Salary: The expected compensation range for this position is $45,600 to $57,100

• Communication – Responds to and schedules meeting requests for supervisor(s) and staff with internal and external individuals. Answers and routes phone calls, greets visitors, and replies to complex inquiries requiring detailed knowledge of departmental procedures.
• General office duties – Manages schedules and makes travel arrangements on behalf of supervisor(s) and team staff. Performs miscellaneous office tasks. May assign work and coordinate projects performed by part-time and temporary staff.
• Grant and Contract Coordination – Oversees drafting of grant agreement and contracts with consultants and other country offices. Inputs information into the WWF agreement portal and collaborates with technical staff to ensure that necessary information is provided and agreements are progressing. Once agreements are signed, ensures that subgrants to country offices and others are completed in a timely fashion. Tracks incoming financial and technical reports and/or deliverables through the grant and contract cycle.
• Financial support – Reviews and processes payments for credit cards transactions, out of pocket expenses, and invoices. Inputs proper coding into the financial system, prepares check and/or wire requests, manages re-classes and serves as the liaison with accounting to track payments. Compiles and reviews financial reports submitted by others. Assists supervisor with developing preliminary data and background information for the programmatic budget preparation process. Processes, organizes, and prepares expense reports for input into the financial systems, Workday and Smart Simple software. May monitor expense reports against budget, seeking explanations for significant variations.
• Document review and preparation – Regularly composes correspondence and program materials including complex documents such as presentations using PowerPoint, ensuring accuracy of content. May help prepare proposals and contracts.
• Recordkeeping – Collects programmatic information and maintains records in accordance with policies and procedures, using Microsoft Word, Excel, or specialized databases such as SharePoint and customer relationship management (CRM) software. Reviews, validates, and inputs data collected or provided by others.
• Meetings/conferences/special events – Arranges meetings including attendee coordination, space and equipment rental, AV needs, catering, and material preparation. Registers supervisor(s) and staff for conferences, workshops, and events.
• Report preparation – Prepares reports for internal staff, as well as members, donors, and government staff by creating tables and charts, calculating statistics, interpreting data, and assisting with drafting results summaries. May assist with compiling input for proposals and preparing for presentations.
• Performs other duties as assigned.
• Identifies and aligns with WWF’s core values:
  • COURAGE – We demonstrate courage through our actions, we work for change where it’s needed, and we inspire people and institutions to tackle the greatest threats to nature and the future of the planet, which is our home.
  • INTEGRITY – We live the principles we call on others to meet. We act with integrity, accountability and transparency, and we rely on facts and science to guide us and to ensure that we learn and evolve.
  • RESPECT – We honor the voices and knowledge of people and communities that we serve, and we work to secure their rights to a sustainable future.
  • COLLABORATION – We deliver impact at the scale of the challenges we face through the power of collective action and innovation.

Key Competencies

1. Technology: Proficiency in MS Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and video-conferencing platforms (i.e., Zoom, Teams, etc.)
2. Calendar Management: Responsible for maintaining schedules for specific members of the Forest Leadership Team and the broader Forest Team by organizing meetings and appointments, team meetings and presentation series, annual retreats, special events, participant coordination, space and equipment rental, AV needs, catering, and material preparation.
3. Financial/Agreement Support: The SA will review and process payments for credit cards transactions, invoices, and reimbursements; determine the proper coding into financial system through coordination and consulting with Program Operations & Accounting staff. In addition to reclassing and tracking payments using the WorkDay system, the SA will serve as a “team expert” for the initiation and creation of new consultancy, travel, and/or grant agreements using the SmartSimple system. This entails verification of bank details with new vendors and consultants; liaising with Program Operations for status updates on payments, financial, and technical deliverables, and serving as a point person for the technical officer for internal and external related inquiries.
4. Travel Coordination: The SA will coordinate and make travel arrangements for senior leaders ensuring visa requirements and preparations are complete. In coordination with ALTOUR, review and propose flight recommendations, produce travel itinerary, compilation of travel materials and other supporting travel documents, as necessary.
5. General Administrative Duties: In addition to the responsibilities referenced above, the SA will order office supplies, coordinate mailings, the production and distribution of documents, greet visitors, provide basic IT support, and manage a variety of internal and external requests.
6. Other duties as assigned: The SA will also perform other tasks or projects assigned by the manager.

• A high school diploma or equivalent required. Five years of demonstrated and progressively responsible experience in an administrative assistant or secretarial position is preferred. A Bachelor’s degree may be substituted for two years of experience.
• Demonstrated ability to use Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and specialized databases to create documents, reports, and logs.
• Good organizational and analytical skills needed to proof and edit documents.
• Effective writing ability necessary to prepare correspondence and reports.
• Interpersonal skills requiring courtesy, tact, and diplomacy necessary to effectively communicate with staff, and visitors.
• Ability to take initiative, prioritize, complete work with minimal supervision and meet deadlines.
• Committed to building and strengthening a culture of inclusion within and across teams.
• Identifies and aligns with WWF’s core values: Courage, Integrity, Respect, and Collaboration:
  • Demonstrates courage by speaking up even when it is difficult, or unpopular.
  • Builds trust with colleagues by acting with integrity, owning mistakes, and holding oneself accountable.
  • Welcomes other points of view and ideas, recognizing and embracing different and contrary perspectives with kindness, curiosity, and encouragement.
  • Makes conscious efforts to promote cooperative practices, behaviors, and ways of working across many groups and individuals.

Important Notes:

• This position is a 2-year limited term position and is highly anticipated for extension with continued funding.
• This position is not eligible for employment visa or work authorization sponsorship.
• This is a Hybrid position with a minimum of 2 days in the Washington DC HQ office.

WWF is committed to maintaining a safe and healthy workplace and requires all US-based staff to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19. WWF will consider requests for accommodation from the vaccine requirement based on disability, medical contraindication, sincerely held religious belief, or any other category protected by federal, state, or local law.

To Apply:

• Submit cover letter and resume through our Careers Page, Requisition #25007
• Due to the high volume of applications we are not able to respond to inquiries via phone

As an EOE/AA employer, WWF will not discriminate in its employment practices due to an applicant’s race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, disability, or protected Veteran status. WWF values diversity and inclusion and welcomes diverse candidates to apply.