Senior Coordinator – Programmes Finance At Rainforest Foundation UK

The Rainforest Foundation UK:

Founded in 1989, the mission of the Rainforest Foundation UK (RFUK) is to support indigenous peoples and traditional populations of the world’s rainforest to:

• Secure and control the natural resources necessary for their long-term wellbeing and managing these resources in ways which do not harm their environment, violate their culture or compromise their future.
• Develop means to protect their individual and collective rights and to obtain, shape and control basic services from the state.

Our approach differs from that of other organisations in that we are committed to both human rights and environmental protection. We firmly believe that the best way to protect the rainforest is through empowering indigenous peoples and local communities to defend their ancestral lands. We promote the establishment of community rights to rainforest lands, tackling the root problems causing deforestation, and paving the way for local people to benefit fairly from the use and protection of forest resources.

RFUK is now recognised as a leading force in the protection of tropical forests and their inhabitants. As well as delivering high quality on-the-ground practical projects, often in difficult conditions, the organisation is also known for its strong policy and advocacy work in promoting forest peoples’ rights.

RFUK is part of a network of sister organisations including Rainforest Foundations US and Norway that has protected more than 84 million hectares of tropical rainforest, an area larger than France and England combined. Today, RFUK works with ove 15 indigenous and NGO partners in the Peruvian Amazon, the Congo Basin and other parts of Africa.

The Programmes Team

This role sits within the Programmes Team that is responsible for the implementation of our projects. Our work is split into the following thematic areas:

• Land and livelihoods: participatory mapping, land-use planning, community forests, indigenous livelihoods and tenure reform.
• Countering threats to forests: Real-time forest monitoring, research on deforestation drivers, advocacy on logging, extractive industries, agribusiness and infrastructure development.
• Sustainableconservation and human rights: Research and advocacy on militarised nature protection, forest offset schemes and aid effectiveness.

RFUK’s programmes work constitutes the majority of the organisation’s income and expenditure and is supported by a range of institutional donors (most recently, USAID, Norad and FCDO) and trusts and foundations with variable procedures and fiduciary requirements.

THE ROLE

As the Senior Coordinator – Programmes Finance, you will play a central role in ensuring the efficient and correct management of Programme funds. You will lead on the constant improvement of existing systems and development of new ones and support colleagues to follow them and comply with donor requirements. You will oversee and support the successful management of a variety of grants of different scale, duration and cash flow cycles, including match-funded programmes that require coordination of several income streams in different currencies.

The post holder will also ensure alignment and adequate contribution from programmes funds to the organisational budget, in close collaboration with the Operations team and particularly the Finance Manager. They will also line manage the Programmes Administrative Officer, a role responsible for providing crosscutting support to several projects.

Responsibilities:

Programmes finance and budget management

• Ensuring that appropriate financial systems and processes are in place in compliance with donor requirements and sector best practice, and, in conjunction with the Head of Programmes, that these are followed consistently by programmes teams and other staff using programmes funds. Ensuring these remain updated as donor and partner requirements change.
• Creating and improving on existing templates (such as financial reporting templates and budget trackers) and supporting relevant staff members to use them.
• In collaboration with Project Coordinators and Officers, centralising a schedule of internal and external financial reporting deadlines, and ensuring that project teams fulfil the donor reporting requirements of project-related contracts in a timely manner.
• Contributing to programmes fundraising by contributing to the development of proposal budgets.
• Supporting relevant aspects of project set up and close out, and backstop project teams during implementation, including:
  • Ensuring upward and downward compliance with financial management aspects of project contracts.
  • Ensuring that the project financial management is consistent with RFUK’s systems and support the development of partner financial reporting templates, project manuals and other relevant tools.
  • Making checks on partner and consultant financial reports and relevant receipts and checking total records.
  • Supporting partner audits (terms of reference, recruitment, development participation in the audit process and revision of reports).
  • Supporting the financial aspects of due diligence assessments of project partners and providing technical advice to project teams in the implementation of recommendations.
  • Supporting project and operations teams in applying correct procurement processes where relevant.
• Participating in external audits on RFUK.
• Overseeing appropriate management, according to RFUK policies and procedures, of overall finances.
• In collaboration with the Finance Manager and Head of Operations, suggest innovations and efficiencies, such as automation of internal and external financial systems where relevant.

Interaction of programmes and organisational budgets

• Under the leadership of the Head of Programmes, support the allocation of programmes budget contributions to staff salaries and overheads.
• Coordinating with the Finance Manager to ensure that these programmes salary and overhead contributions are reflected in the organisational budget.
• Coordinating with the Head of Operations and Finance Manager to ensure adequate programmes budget contribution to organisational costs, maximising cost recovery.
• Aggregation and oversight of project cash flow forecasts, coordinating project staff inputs and liaising with the Finance Manager to ensure these are reflected in organisational cash flow forecasts.
• Advising and contributing to the improvement of organisational financial management policies and systems, under the leadership of the Head of Operations and Finance Manager.

Training and supporting staff and general tasks

• Maintaining relevant programmes finance guidance documents and organising training sessions for relevant staff.
• Providing ad hoc advice and technical support on finance issues to programmes and non-programmes staff.
• Under the leadership of project teams, sdvising on tools and strategies to improve in-country partners’ financial management.
• Contribute to the development and implementation of the Organisational strategy.
• Perform other tasks as may from time to time be requested by the Head of Programmes and the Executive Director.

PROFILE AND PERSON SPECIFICATION

Knowledge and Experience

Essential

A minimum of three years of experience as finance coordinator or similar role in an international NGO

Demonstrable first-hand experience with multi-currency grants from institutional donors for international work

Experience in projects involving overseas partners

Experience carrying out and responding to audits.

Experience developing and executing largescale budgets for overseas projects

Experience developing cash flow forecasts

Experience developing templates, guidance, and providing training to different audiences to ensure implementation

Excellent command of Microsoft Office programmes, particularly Excel

Desirable

Degree in relevant field.

Experience of working in charity sector, particularly international development.

French and/or Spanish speaking.

Knowledge of GDPR

Knowledge of accounting software and processes.

Line management experience.

Personal Attributes

Essential

Strong personal commitment to RFUK’s mission and social and environmental justice in general.

Excellent interpersonal and communication skills – written and oral.

Careful and conscientious with attention to detail.

Excellent organisational and time management skills with the ability to work autonomously, with different teams, under

pressure and to multiple deadlines.

Proactive, collaborative and approachable.

Personal integrity

Desirable

Interest in human rights and environmental issues.

SUMMARY, TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Hours, remuneration and place of work

The salary is £40,377 gross per annum. Workplace pension after two months in the role (4% employer contribution).

The post is offered on a permanent contract, and with a six-month probationary period.

This position is for a full-time role based on a 35-hour working week. Much of the work can be carried out at home, working remotely. However, there is an expectation of at least two office days a week for all staff at The Rainforest Foundation UK. For exceptional candidates, full time remote working will be considered.

The monthly salary is paid by Bank Automated Credit transfer, on the 25th of every month.

Holidays, sick pay and other benefits are provided in accordance with statutory requirements. 30 days of paid leave per year are offered.

The place of work is RFUK’s London office located in Units 2-4 The Atelier, The Old Dairy Court, 17 Crouch Hill, London N4 4AP, United Kingdom.

Equal Opportunities

RFUK is an equal opportunities employer, and makes no discrimination on the grounds of gender, race, age, physical abilities, religious or sexual persuasion.

Visa Sponsorship

RFUK holds an active sponsors license and a visa may be offered if required by the selected candidate.