The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) seeks a dynamic, well-organized and hard-working Program Officer to join the management team of our Andes-Amazon Region. This position provides an opportunity for an outstanding professional with a relevant academic background (B.A./B.S. or higher) and work experience to join a cohesive, passionate, and committed team to save some of the world’s most spectacular wildlife and wild places on Earth. The position is based in Lima, Peru, and entails close collaboration with colleagues in Bolivia, Brasil, Ecuador, Peru, and the New York headquarters.
Position Objectives
This position is based in Lima, Peru, and has limited travel requirements. The primary objectives of the Andes-Amazon Program Officer position are to assist in the administration of the program by supporting the development, monitoring and reporting of grants and projects; assisting in preparation of project's budget proposals and monitoring budget execution; maintaining the regional digital filing system; assisting in the organization of regional events and trips; and handling other aspects of daily operation as needed.
Principal responsibilities
Principal responsibilities include but are not limited to:
· Coordinate grant management processes for all Andes-Amazon field programs, with the goal of ensuring the submission of timely, high-quality proposals and reports. This involves, among other tasks, organizing preparation and review processes, reviewing and editing for quality, coordinating review and approval by other WCS departments and field programs, supporting the submission process, tracking grant progress reports, and ensuring deadlines are met.
· Assist in regional-wide work planning processes, and follow up to ensure their timely implementation. Assist Andes-Amazon program and Project Directors with monitoring program and projects work plans implementation's progress, including activity implementation and achievements of results. Support the maintenance and enforcement of the internal reporting system.
- Support the Regional Director and the LACP Senior Program Manager in the preparation, review and final production of annual budgets and financial reports; grant proposal budgets; grant financial reports; and other financial documents as needed.
- Support the Regional Director in the management, review and approval processes for grant agreements, MOUs, sub-grant agreements, and contracts, in consultation with the legal and financial departments.
· Coordinate the preparation, process and compliance monitoring of Andes-Amazon regional full-time staff and independent consultant contracts, in consultation with the legal and financial departments, and the Regional Director.
- Manage the Andes-Amazon publication, image and document filing systems (physical and digital);
· Assist the Regional Director and Andes-Amazon staff in the planning and organization of events, meetings and trips in the Andes-Amazon and in NY. Coordinate agendas, logistics, materials, scheduling, and travel arrangements;
· Provide administrative support to the Regional Director, including managing expense reports, scheduling, travel, American Express expenses;
· Facilitate and perform translations to and from Spanish, as needed.
· Serve as liaison and facilitate internal communication and coordination among staff in the Andes-Amazon, and provide support with communications and interactions with WCS/LACP, WCS in general, and partner institutions.
· Respond to public inquiries and general requests for programmatic information
Qualifications
- An understanding of conservation issues in Latin America and a commitment to WCS’s mission.
- Relevant Bachelor’s degree and two years work experience (project or non-profit administration management, tracking and reporting).
- Excellent writing and editing skills
- Training or ample experience in preparing budgets and financial reports.
- Commitment to high quality work and attention to detail.
- Excellent organizational skills, including ability to work on multiple projects simultaneously and prioritize tasks to meet deadlines; ability to set and follow priorities.
- Excellent interpersonal communication skills, ability to take initiative and work independently, and to work collaboratively with a diverse team.
- Fluency in English and Spanish required; Portuguese desired.
- Computer literacy in word processing, spreadsheets and presentation software.
If you are interested in applying for this position, please send your resume and cover letter to (WCSlatinamerica@wcs.org), Ref.: Program Officer, Andes-Amazon Region.