Sr. Specialist, Grants Compliance and Donor Reporting – 26045

World Wildlife Fund (WWF), one of the world’s leading conservation organizations, seeks a Sr. Specialist, Grants Compliance and Donor Reporting.

Responsible for comprehensive oversight of financial reporting requirements and receivables management across a diverse portfolio of grants, ensuring stringent compliance with financial regulations and donor expectations to demonstrate WWF’s adeptness in managing complex donor funding. Maintains expert knowledge of financial reporting policies and procedures within the assigned portfolio, providing pivotal guidance to operational teams both at headquarters and in the country offices in rigorous compliance standards. Diligently monitors and reconciles revenue and accounts receivable balances within the assigned portfolio. Leads preparation of supporting documentation for donor required project audit requests as they arise.

Salary Range: $80,600 – $100,800

Please note: Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the U.S. This position is not eligible for employment visa sponsorship. In compliance with federal law, all persons hired willbe required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification form upon hire.

Financial Reporting and Compliance: Responsible for timely financial reporting compliance for all assigned donor agreements, focusing on bilateral, multilateral, WWF Network, and other publicly funded agreements. Analyzes complex financial data to prepare detailed, donor-compliant reports, reviews allowable costs, and optimizes cost recovery.

• Receivables Management: Manages invoicing and funding requests for the assigned portfolio, ensuring accurate and timely crediting of incoming funds to internal grant codes. On behalf of the Donor Reporting Team, leads the preparation of the monthly entry to record incoming funds from WWF global network offices. Maintains robust communication with funders to swiftly resolve discrepancies in invoicing or receipts.

• Revenue and Accounts Receivables Oversight: Manages revenue and accounts receivable (AR) for the assigned portfolio, conducting ongoing monitoring, analysis, and reconciliation of revenue, AR balances, and fund balances. Prepares and presents comprehensive reconciliation of AR accounts on at least a quarterly basis, coordinating with the Accounting team to address complex issues. Serves as expert on financial reporting and AR management for foreign currency denominated awards, ensuring that gains and losses on receivables are booked correctly and that AR accounts are reconciled timely. Provides support as needed to Program Administrators to ensure correct budgeting of these complex agreements.

• Financial Reporting Guidance: Provides continuous guidance on financial reporting to project financial and technical leads on large projects within their portfolios, enhancing project execution and audit readiness.

• Systems Expertise: Reviews WWF US’s Grants Management System, SmartSimple, to ensure alignment of financial deliverables with donor requirements. Ensures approvals and proper filing of financial deliverables in accordance with WWF policy and acceptance of reports in accordance with funder policies for the assigned portfolio. Masters the usage of external grant management and reporting platforms required by funders within the portfolio.

• Agreement Compliance Assessment: Reviews the financial reporting components of incoming agreements within the assigned portfolio, verifying reasonableness and feasibility of compliance with financial terms and conditions.

• Audit Process Leadership: In collaboration with the department director, leads required donor-funded project audits in collaboration with WWF’s country offices, Grants Administration and Compliance team, Controller, and external auditors. Ensures that follow-up actions are taken to meet donor requirements, including audit submissions, notification of unallowable costs write-offs, unspent funds refunds, and proper archiving of all audit documentation.

• Performs other duties as assigned.

Key Competencies

• Independence and Initiative: Ability to manage one’s own tasks, make sound decisions and provide clear guidance, and solve problems with minimal supervision.

• Attention to Detail and Accuracy: Ensures completeness and correctness in financial transactions, record keeping, and donor compliance.

• Organization and Multitasking: Efficiently manages multiple deadlines and priorities. Plans and prioritizes tasks and time effectively to meet deadlines, maintain quality, and ensure accurate output in a dynamic environment.

• Collaboration and Communication: Works effectively and respectfully across teams, departments, and diverse backgrounds to achieve shared goals. Communicates clearly, concisely, and professionally with internal stakeholders and external donors.

• Adaptability and Prioritization: Excels at managing evolving priorities and competing deadlines and maintains high efficiency and effectiveness during high-volume periods.

• An advanced degree in Accounting or Business Administration or equivalent experience. Will require a minimum of 6 years of experience in the financial management of publicly funded grant agreements. USG, United Nations, and European funder experience is preferred.

• Excellent financial and accounting skills. Demonstrated experience in grant accounting, with particular emphasis on balance sheet management. Must have a strong understanding of the management of conditional and unconditional funding as well as foreign currency denominated grant agreements.

• Excellent interpersonal communication skills, tact, and diplomacy.

• Initiative, strong organizational skills, flexibility, writing abilities, and absolute attention to detail.

• Ability to coordinate efforts of a team, work independently, and maintain flexibility.

• Advanced capabilities in word processing, databases, and spreadsheets (e.g., Word, Excel, OfficeConnect). Experience with grants management and accounting systems (SmartSimple, Adaptive, and Workday) preferred.

• High aptitude for learning new systems. Experience in using external donor reporting platforms is preferred.

• Strong verbal and written communication skills in English.

• Committed to building and strengthening a culture of inclusion within and across teams.

• 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.

To Apply:

• Submit cover letter and resume through our Careers Page, Requisition #26045

• Due to the high volume of applications, we are not able to respond to inquiries via phone

World Wildlife Fund (WWF) promotes equal employment opportunities for all qualified individuals regardless of age, race, color, sex, religion, national origin, disability, or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected under applicable law.