Finance and Operations Manager at World Resource Institute: (Deadline 13 February 2025)

Job Description

Position Title: Finance and Operations Manager

Office: Kigali- Rwanda (Hybrid)

Grade: 6

Department: Operations

Hiring Manager: Director of Finance and Operations, WRI Africa

This is a hybrid full-time position which requires 8 days per month in the office. You will be based in our WRI Africa office in Kigali. 

Existing work authorization is required at the time of application submission as WRI is unable to sponsor any visa work sponsorship for this position.

About the Program:

WRI has been working in Africa for more than 30 years, supporting local partners and Africa governments to advance forest protection, landscape restoration and sustainable cities. Our vision for Africa is an inclusive transformation so Africa’s people and landscapes flourish. WRI Africa generates actionable knowledge across four strategic pillars: vital landscapes, thriving and resilient cities, and institutional and economic transformation and Energy. WRI Operations team supports the crucial front-line work of the organization, they directly interact and work with Donors, Partners, Government agencies, Statutory bodies, Trustees, Vendors, and Consultants providing support in different operational areas and solving problems so that WRI programs can be implemented without any hurdles and the program staff and researchers can develop high quality research documents, plans and implement the programs at the field level. WRI Operations team strives for operational excellence across all functions starting with the recruitment, retention and management of WRI’s staff, our most important asset. We manage our endowment, the contributions entrusted to us, and our facilities in ways that are in line with our values and advance our mission. We maintain strict budgetary planning and financial controls to ensure that all contributions are managed in compliance with donors’ regulations.

Job Highlight:

You will be based in Rwanda and reporting to the WRI Africa Director of Finance & Operations and Rwanda Country representative, you will be responsible for accounting, financial management and operational for Rwanda Country office. You will handle the day-to-day activities of these three main areas of work by closely working with program staff and project embedded finance and operations staff in Rwanda and other countries in Africa. This role is also responsible for procurement, logistics and financial support to ensure strict adherence to internal controls, donor guidelines, mandated laws, proper record keeping, and efficient administration. You will also work with the program team, coordinating with them to ensure the smooth running of operations and coherence of procedures and systems.

What will you do:

Accounting (40%):

• Ensure accounting and financial transactions are well supported before being processed in the Costpoint accounting system
• Prepare monthly reconciliations for bank accounts and other GL accounts for the Rwanda office
• Review and post financial transactions in Costpoint. Work closely with programs staff, operations staff and accounting team from the global office to ensure transactions have the right charge and accounting codes
• Prepare the necessary JEs to make corrections to wrongly coded expenses
• Ensure timely and accurate monthly close
• Manage advances and receivables from staff
• Manage credit cards issued to staff ensuring that expenses are reported on time and reconciliations are prepared
• Support the updating of current financial policies and procedures and implementation of new financial policies and procedures
• Responsible for donor compliance, managing awards and grants, including preparation of financial reports and documentation required for donor reporting

Operations (30%):

• Review all payment requests for completeness before approval by the Country representative
• Support payments processing to vendors in Rwanda
• Support in processing staff advances for seamless projects implementation
• Support advance payments and reimbursements to Sub grantees
• Work closely with the program staff on processing of mobile money to participants
• Responsible for reconciliation of mobile money GL account
• Ensure teams are using standard approaches, tools, templates, and trainings as provided by WRI
• Lead on any Rwanda institutional audit and support project audits
• Preparation of financial reports and documentation required for audit
• Ensure asset register is up to date and physical verification, reconciliation and reporting are done in a timely manner
• Maintain electronic and manual filing systems

Budgeting and Financial Management (20%):

• Work with the programs and business development team to prepare assigned budgets for new proposals
• Review proposal budgets ensuring that proposals have accurate provisions for institutional costs and are in line with donor rules
• Prepare Quarterly Funds Request
• Update budgets and forecasts in the system for assigned projects, core bilateral and indirect funds
• Prepare monthly reports to track expenditure against budget for each project and pillar
• Analyze underspending and overspending trends across pillars and projects in Rwanda
• Lead monthly country calls to review budget variances and forecasts
• Responsible for monthly, quarterly, and annual financial analysis to determine the financial health of the projects, core bilateral funding and indirect spending in Rwanda
• Provide a wide range of financial and budgetary analysis including creation of Dashboards as requested by the Director of Finance & Operations
• Work with the project team to ensure budgets are reflective of planned activities, are feasible to implement, planned costs in compliance with donor regulations, and value for money
• Support the development of annual and interim financial reports to funders as needed, including providing guidance to grants & finance specialists and resolving issues on more complicated financial reports

Payroll Management (10%):

• Work with HR Manager to ensure monthly payroll is prepared accurately and timely
• Ensure the statutory deductions and related returns are calculated accurately and submitted on time to the various statutory bodies
• Work with program and core staff to ensure timesheets are submitted timely
• Responsible for reviewing monthly labor reports, providing timesheet guidance and making the necessary adjustments.

What will you need:

• Education:You have completed a master’s degree in Business Administration, Finance or Accounting. Having a CPA/ACCA certification will be an added advantage.
• Experience: You have 7+ years of professional experience, including within the finance department of an international NGO
• Experience working with donor funded projects
• Experience in payroll and tax compliance, financial budgeting/analysis and forecasting.
• A deep understanding of Rwanda tax laws and compliance requirements
• Strong experience and collaboration with various Rwanda statutory authorities and other relevant government institutions
• Proficient in Microsoft Office and accounting software such as SAP, Deltek, Sage, Costpoint
• Experience preparing dashboards will be an added advantage
• Languages:Proficiency in both verbal and written English is required. Proficiency in French is an added advantage.
• Requirements:Existing work authorization is required where this position is based. WRI is unable to authorize visa work authorization.

Potential Salary: 

Salary is commensurate with experience and other compensable factors.

How to Apply:

Please submit a resume with a required cover letter by February 13, 2025. We are unable to consider your application without a cover letter.

You 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
• Commitment to hybrid working model with flexible working hours
• Generous leave days that increase with tenure

About Us:

Founded in 1982, World Resources Institute(WRI) is an independent, nonprofit global research organization that turns big ideas into action at the nexus of environment, economic opportunity, and human well-being. We are working to address seven critical challenges that the world must overcome this decade to secure a sustainable future for people and the planet: climate change, energy, food, forests, water, sustainable cities, and the ocean. WRI has a global staff of over 1,800 people with work spanning 60 countries. We have offices in Africa, Brazil, China, Europe, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Colombia and the United States, as well as a growing presence in other countries and regions.

The foundation of our work is delivering high-quality research, data, maps, and analysis to solve the world’s greatest environment and international development challenges and improve people’s lives. We work with leaders in government, business, and civil society to drive ambitious action and create change on the ground. Equally important, we bring together partners to develop breakthrough ideas and scale-up solutions for far-reaching, enduring impact.

Our mission and values:

WRI’s mission is to move human society to live in ways that protect Earth’s environment and its capacity to provide for the needs and aspirations of current and future generations.

Our values are shared ideals that bind us together: Integrity, Innovation, Urgency, Independence and Respect.

Our culture:

WRI has a diverse workforce of people who share common values and goals, have a deep understanding of the technical aspects of the issues on which the organization works, and a keen appreciation of the political and cultural contexts that determine how decisions are made. In each of WRI’s programs and in all the countries where it works, WRI’s people forge partnerships with diverse stakeholders to advance shared goals. Because the fight against climate change and racial injustice are inseparable, WRI recognizes the need to engage with people from all races and ethnicities, cultures, socio-economic statuses, neurodivergences, gender identities, and other identities to realize WRI’s vision.

The World Resources Institute is an environmental and development research and policy organization that creates solutions to protect the Earth and improve people’s lives. As an Equal Opportunity Employer, it is WRI’s policy to recruit, hire, and provide opportunities for advancement in all job classifications without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, citizenship, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, parental status, protected veteran status, or disability. WRI’s global agenda requires a staff that is diverse – with respect to race, gender, cultural, and international background. Diverse perspectives and experience enhance the way WRI selects and approaches issues, as well as the creativity and applicability of WRI’s policy research and analysis. WRI, therefore, encourages applications from minorities, persons from other countries (especially developing nations), and from women of all backgrounds.

As an Equal Opportunity Employer, it is WRI’s policy to recruit, hire, and provide opportunities for advancement in all job classifications without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, citizenship, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, parental status, protected veteran status, or disability. WRI’s global agenda requires a staff that is diverse – with respect to race, gender, cultural, and international background. Diverse perspectives and experience enhance the way WRI selects and approaches issues, as well as the creativity and applicability of WRI’s policy research and analysis.