Finance & Administration Senior Manager

TITLE: Finance & Administration Senior Manager

LOCATION: NY office, NY office-Hybrid; US-based remote. 

WORK SCHEDULE: Full-time

EMPLOYMENT/JOB TYPE: Regular; exempt employee

START DATE: preferred October, 2024

DEPARTMENT: Finance & Administration 

SUPERVISOR: Executive Director

DIRECT REPORTS: Accounts Payable Specialist, Grants Accountant, Operations Manager, and Program Administrator Coordinator

About Rainforest Foundation US

For over 30 years, Rainforest Foundation US (RFUS) has worked to address climate change and safeguard biodiversity by promoting the rights of indigenous peoples and local communities and supporting their efforts to protect and defend their rainforests. Science shows that forests managed by indigenous peoples are healthier, suffer less deforestation, capture more carbon, and contain more biodiversity than forests managed by private or public entities--including nationally protected areas. What’s more, scientists tell us that protecting forests is as important as reducing greenhouse emissions if we hope to stem the tide of ecological collapse.

RFUS works in partnership with indigenous and local communities and their representative organizations to protect tropical rainforests by supporting their efforts to secure rights to their lands, strengthen monitoring and land security, influence laws and policies that protect their resources, and build strong and sustainable community leadership. By investing directly in indigenous and local communities, RFUS connects the people rooted in the land with the tools, training, and resources to be effective advocates and protectors of the forests they call home. RFUS currently operates four country programs in Brazil, Guyana, Panama, and Peru, and hosts a number of regional partnerships in Central America, the Amazon Basin, and across the tropical belt.

About the Position

The Finance and Administration Senior Manager is a new position meant to support the organization’s growing needs as we aim to significantly scale up our organization’s impact under a new 2030 strategy. The Finance & Administration Senior Manager will own the accountability for the annual and long-term performance of the organization’s Finance and Administration teams, ensuring they are aligned with the organization’s strategic priorities. They will lead the finance and administrative teams and be responsible for ensuring that the organization has the internal financial and administrative systems, policies, processes, and resources in place to best support its teams. They will ensure the integrity of accounting systems, and promote the financial health and optimal operations of Rainforest Foundation US.

Main responsibilities include but are not limited to:

Department Leadership and Management

• Serve as a member of the Senior Management Team
• Oversee finance and administration strategy development and implementation, ensuring that annual work planning, budgeting, monitoring, and evaluation meet the financial and operational needs of the organization and its long-term goals
• Advise and support fellow senior leadership in the finance and administration of their work and implementation of organizational strategy
• Provide finance and administration to the Board of Directors, senior leadership, and all staff as needed; Liaise with the Board of Directors on finance and administration activities
• Lead, motivate, and manage the team responsible for the organization’s finance, grants compliance, and overall administration
• Engage in effective and timely internal communications with staff at all levels throughout the organization 
• Provide training, support, and guidance to ensure that all staff have the knowledge required to comply with financial policies and procedures 
• Create and promote a positive and supportive work environment

Budget 

• Lead organization-wide budget, planning, analysis, review, and forecasting process
• Improve budget tools and processes, working with department heads
• Prepare, analyze, and present monthly and quarterly budget variance and rolling forecast reports
• Meet regularly with department heads and the Executive Director to discuss budget variances and other needs
• Lead ongoing efforts to increase financial literacy across the organization to promote effective budget management and develop internal leadership

Finance

• Direct the development and implementation of short-term and long-term fiscal planning including annual budgeting and multi-year forecasting, ensuring the highest levels of fiscal responsibility.
• Optimize finance and compliance systems and implement policies and systems that model best practices in each of these areas
• Support review and approval of payments, credit card, and expense reports
• Co-lead organizational month-end close with Grants Accountant
• Reconcile all bank, asset, and liability accounts
• Create, analyze, and present monthly and quarterly organization-wide financial reports and performance analyses
• Lead financial management reporting, including KPIs, dashboards, performance trends, and performance vs. plan analyses
• Create analyses, commentary, and presentation materials for Board meetings
• Coordinate and lead the annual audit process, liaise with external auditors; assess any changes necessary
• Manage organizational cash flow and forecasting
• Develop, revise, and ensure compliance with financial policies and procedures, implement internal control reviews and improvements
• Effectively communicate and present critical financial matters to the Executive Director and board of directors
• Support proposal and budget development for government awards and oversee compliance processes, including Federal Financial Reports (FFRs)
• Maintain restricted asset and cash schedules 

 Operations & Administration 

• Supervise Operations Manager's work and lead annual operations work planning in coordination with department heads to ensure administrative and operational needs are met across the organization
• Oversee administrative functions as well as facilities to ensure efficient and consistent operations as the organization scales
• Work closely and transparently with all external partners including third-party vendors and consultants; manage relevant vendors and contractors
• Develop organizational policy and procedures, including procedures for procurement and inventory control
• Oversee compliance with city, state, and federal regulations as related to organizational operations and reporting requirements
• Manage all organizational subcontract and consultant agreements, maintaining and improving templates and supporting all teams with review and guidance. 

And any other duties needed to help drive to our Vision, fulfill our Mission, and abide by our Organization's Values.

Requirements

• Fluency in Spanish (required)
• Strong demonstrated finance experience in complex non-profit organizations.  
• BA in Finance, Business Administration, or another relevant education
• Strong operations and administration management experience 
• Ability to translate financial concepts to – and to effectively collaborate with -- programmatic and fundraising colleagues who do not necessarily have finance backgrounds
• Experience with having final responsibility for the quality and content of all financial data, reporting, and audit coordination for either a division or significant program area
• Technology savvy with experience selecting and overseeing software installations and managing relationships with software vendors; knowledge of accounting and reporting software
• A successful track record in setting priorities. Keen analytic, organization, and problem-solving skills, which support and enable sound decision-making
• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills with an ability to prioritize, negotiate, and work with a variety of internal and external stakeholders
• A multitasker with the ability to wear many hats and to be efficient and responsive in a fast-paced environment
• Personal qualities of integrity, credibility, and dedication to the organization’s mission

Application instructions

• Interested applicants are encouraged to apply early and advised to carefully study the job description to ensure they meet the requirements and skills we are looking for.
• Applications will not be considered without the submission of a resume and cover letter.
• Please note that the position will be listed as open until filled. Only those candidates that are short-listed for interviews will be contacted.
• The candidate must possess the legal requirements to work in the United States; Rainforest Foundation US will not sponsor visas for international candidates.
• To apply, visit Rainforest Foundation US Career Section or visit the posting directly.