Director of Grants Management, International Cooperation & Conservation

Are you looking to channel your skills into meaningful, energizing work that will directly contribute to protecting our natural world? Do you want to work with an exceptional group of passionate and caring colleagues?

Birds Canada is the country’s premier national organization dedicated to bird conservation. Every day, our thousands of caring donors, 80+ dedicated staff, and 70,000+ outstanding volunteers are taking action to help us better understand, appreciate, and conserve birds and their habitats. Together, we are Canada’s Voice for Birds – will you join us?

This position is all about bringing your fine attention to detail and collaborative approach to managing funding agreements so that conservation actors can effectively, efficiently and inclusively address the complex and overlapping crises that nature and communities face in Latin America today. With our partners, you will be doing something new – working at the intersection of biodiversity conservation finance, gender equality and inclusion among conservation actors and community-led sustainable economic development. Sound like a challenge you’d be up for? Keep reading…

 

POSITION OVERVIEW

The Conserva Aves project at Birds Canada is an innovative biodiversity and climate change initiative supporting locally led and gender equitable change to benefit birds, biodiversity and communities in eight countries: Peru, Mexico, Ecuador, Panama, El Salvador, Honduras, Costa Rica, and Colombia. This $15-million project (funding anticipated from April 2024 to March 2027) scales up and scales out the already proven Conserva Aves initiative operating in Colombia, Bolivia, Peru and Ecuador.

The key role of the Director of Grants Management, International Cooperation & Conservation is to support and facilitate the efforts of our multiple Conserva Aves initiative partners in South and Central America and Mexico to make sure funds disbursed are used in the most impactful manner and in line with Government of Canada terms and conditions, as well as Birds Canada and Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) requirements. Your journey will see you move in close collaboration with the International Cooperation & Conservation team and Birds Canada’s Senior Director of Finance to ensure development and monitoring of direct grant agreements, support capacity building (processes and practices) of partners in grant management and donor compliance, collaborate on budget revisions, mitigate risks along the way and ensure accountability to all stakeholders and donors (including financial reporting).  Your flyway would also see you work with other teams to develop and implement financial processes, oversee disbursements and financial reporting processes, as well as helping maximize effectiveness by promoting a results-focused culture of adaptive budget management.  While the successful candidate will be a member of the Birds Canada team, their success will emerge from their ability to collaborate with Conserva Aves counterparts in Finance and Programs teams in both Canada and Latin America.

 

EMPLOYMENT DETAILS

This full-time role reports to the Senior Director, International Cooperation & Conservation and is either fully remote (in the incumbent’s home office) or a hybrid or in-person arrangement at one of Birds Canada’s offices in Ontario, British Columbia, or New Brunswick. Offsite and in-person meeting will be required periodically. This role will also require international travel (10-15%), especially to Latin America, and could include travel to higher risk or remote locations with basic amenities only.

Anticipated start date for this role is early May 2024.

 

TOTAL COMPENSATION

Birds Canada is proud to offer an exceptional Total Compensation Package, including a competitive starting salary and 5% RRSP matching after 12 months of service.  In addition, staff enjoy a primarily employer-paid extended benefits package including health and dental coverage, Basic Group Life Insurance, Group out-of-province travel insurance, Vision, ADD&D and short- and long-term disability coverage.  We offer all staff 4 weeks’ vacation per year to start along with 12 personal health days and additional paid vacation days between Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.

STARTING SALARY: $83,846 – $92,931 commensurate with your previous experience.

 

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Serve as a trusted liaison between finance officers and other project management teams in Latin America, our partners and Birds Canada staff to ensure common understanding of compliance, good accounting practices, development of financial management tools and reporting requirements.
• Develop, implement and monitor appropriate timelines for submission of financial information and standardized approaches and supporting documents from partners in Latin America, overseeing the timely preparation and consolidation of project financial reports as well as directly supporting budget forecasts, and variance analyses.
• Support the development and monitoring of direct grant agreements, alongside the Director, International Cooperation & Conservation, and in adherence with donor requirements, internal policies, and Canadian law.
• Mitigate financial, compliance and contractual risks, collaborating closely with the Director and Senior Director, International Cooperation & Conservation to plan, monitor, risk manage and adapt project budgets to account for contextual changes and evolving burn rates.
• Collaborate closely with Birds Canada Finance team members to develop and implement financial processes, oversee disbursements and reconciliations as well as overall budget performance against organizational objectives.
• Support and participate with the Birds Canada Finance team, including the Senior Director of Finance, in linking project and organizational budgeting, reforecasting, audit prep and other organizational processes.
• Support the Senior Director and Director in the International Cooperation & Conservation team in analyzing financial flows for effectiveness and equity-focus and promoting a culture of adaptive, results-focused budget management.
• Promote and support wellness-focused leadership and collective responsibility for wellbeing and success.

 

 

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

Required:

• Significant knowledge and/or experience (5-7+ years) supporting and/or leading grant and financial management of registered charity/NGO, international cooperation or conservation programs ($5million+), especially in Latin America.
• Professional Spanish and English language fluency (spoken & written) required.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to interpret complex financial data, identify compliance issues and propose solutions.
• Strong experience supporting the use of RBM or adaptive management approaches and tools
• Strong experience building relationships with diverse colleagues and partners, especially in Latin America.
• Significant experience supporting colleagues and partners in compliance and adaptive management, including assessing needs and strengths and designing and delivering supportive capacity-building mechanisms or tools.
• Advanced knowledge of spreadsheets, accounting software, preferably Blackbaud products, databases and MS Office suite of applications.
• Strong knowledge of the policies, practices, standards and compliance requirements of Global Affairs Canada.

 

Professional Competencies:

• Commitment to working towards collective results within a healthy and psychologically safe team
• A personal commitment to creating a more sustainable and equitable world.

 

Assets:

• Knowledge and experience with other institutional donors and/or philanthropic foundations
• Additional language skills in Portuguese and/or French

 

This position is also open to those who can demonstrate a depth of experience that may not solely stem from traditional years in the field, but rather from alternative pathways or unique contexts.

 

EDUCATION and EXPERIENCE

A Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in a relevant field (eg., finance, accounting, business, etc), and/or specialized financial management training or certification (CPA designation or similar considered an asset)

And

Significant lived-experience spent in financial or grant management in conservation and community development actions in Latin America, including with women-led, Indigenous, or Afro-descendant Organizations.

 

TO APPLY

Please submit your resume along with a covering letter outlining how your professional experience makes you the perfect candidate for this role via the Birds Canada Online Hiring Portal by Friday April 12th. Note that applications will be considered as they are received and we anticipate the interview process will start before the closing date so it is in your best interest to apply ASAP.  Birds Canada will provide accommodation throughout the recruitment, selection, and/or assessment process to applicants with disabilities.

Birds Canada is committed to improving levels of diversity among its volunteers, membership, staff, and board that reflects the diversity of communities across the country. In an effort to do so, we are actively seeking to improve our ability to reach all candidates with our job postings. Applicants belonging to racialized groups, who identify as Indigenous, 2SLGBTQIA+, or who have differing abilities are therefore welcome to self-identify in their cover letter, if they feel comfortable, although this is not a requirement.