Senior Grants Specialist

The mission of The Nature Conservancy (TNC) is to conserve the lands and waters upon which all life depends. As a science-based organization, we develop innovative, on-the-ground solutions to the world’s toughest environmental challenges so that people and nature can thrive. Our work is guided by our values, which include a commitment to diversity and respect for people, communities, and cultures. From a rewarding mission to career development and flexible schedules, there are many reasons to love life #insideTNC. Want to know more? Check out our TNC Talent playlist on YouTube   to hear stories from staff or visit  Glassdoor.

One of TNC’s primary goals is to cultivate an inclusive work environment so that employees around the globe have a sense of belonging and feel that their unique contributions are valued. We know we’ll only achieve our mission by hiring and engaging a diverse staff that reflects the communities in which we work. Recognizing that people bring talent and skills that have been developed outside the scope of a job, we take a holistic approach to recruitment that considers life experience in addition to the professional requirements listed in our postings. Please apply – we’d love to hear from you. To quote a popular saying at TNC, “you’ll join for the mission, and you’ll stay for the people.”

The Senior Grants Specialist provides highly specialized public awards administration and finance/accounting-related services to a department or business unit (Tackle Climate Change, Provide Food and Water, Protect Oceans, Land and Water, External Affairs, Global Science and others). The Grants Service Network (GSN) within the Conservancy provides guidance and administrative support for awards of funds to the Conservancy from United States federal, state, and local government agencies, multilateral agencies, and other national and local governments. The GSN also administers the Conservancy’s grants of funds to other entities, including those funded by a government agency, multilateral organization, other non-profit organization, private foundation, or private donor.

Position location is flexible with preference given to an established Nature Conservancy office.

The Senior Grants Specialist is directly responsible for the administration of all aspects of publicly funded awards. This includes review of proposals and budgets, agreement negotiation, setup in central finance systems, accuracy of invoices and financial reports, and maintenance of auditable files. They work closely with award managers to ensure that the terms and conditions of agreements are met and properly documented and communicates directly with the agency contracting officers. They are also directly responsible for the due diligence and administrative aspects of grants out to grantee organizations. The Senior Grants Specialist provides assistance to all levels of personnel in their specialty area. They respond to complex employee/management questions and problems based on advanced knowledge of the subject area. The Senior Grants Specialist shares knowledge with other members of the Grants Services Network (GSN), supports and participates in GSN activities, and may mentor or supervise other GSN staff.

• Administers domestic and internationally funded public awards.
• Ensures programmatic commitments, TNC policies and procedures, financial standards and legal requirements are met and managed for compliance.
• Reinforces consistency in the organization's policies and procedures and provides support related to relevant field.
• May participate in complex negotiations.
• Frequently makes independent decision based on analysis, experience, and judgment.
• May supervise or mentor other GSN staff.
  

Are you looking for work you can believe in? At TNC we strive to embody a philosophy of Work that You Can Believe in where you can feel like you are making a difference every day. We’re looking for someone with strong experience in leading a diverse, multi-disciplinary team.  

The ideal candidate should have exceptional communication and collaboration skills and experience in management of controls and reports of a business unit. This is an exciting opportunity to contribute to the ongoing mission of conservation by directing and shaping the work of our team!

WHAT YOU'LL BRING

• Bachelor's Degree in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration or related field and 4 years' related experience or equivalent combination.
• Experience with public award accounting/financial issues and analysis.
• Experience using accounting and financial reporting systems.
• Technical experience with Microsoft Excel, general ledger reports and financial management tools.
• Experience, coursework or other training with U.S. Federal Uniform Guidance, state and local regulations, multilateral and international regulations, and standard contract clauses.

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Multi-lingual skills and/or multi-cultural experience appreciated.
• Non-profit accounting experience preferred.
• Excellent analytical and quantitative skills.
• Experience in manipulating, analyzing and interpreting data.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Experience monitoring for and ensuring compliance with organizational policy, applicable law and regulation, and finance/accounting/management best practice.
• Experience working with domestic and international funders.
• Experience analyzing a regulatory framework and applying it to the situation at hand.
• Fluency in another language desirable to support global operations.
• Knowledge of current trends in specific field.
• Experience acting as a resource to others to solve problems.
• Experience working within a project team.

WHAT WE BRING

Since 1951, TNC has been doing work you can believe in. Through grassroots action, we have grown from a small non-profit into one of the most effective and wide-reaching environmental organizations in the world. Thanks to more than 1 million members, over 400 scientists, and the dedicated efforts of our diverse staff and partners, we impact conservation around the world!

TNC offers competitive and comprehensive benefits packages tailored to the individual countries where we work. These may include health care benefits, retirement benefits, parental leave, paid time off, life insurance, and disability coverage as well as an employee assistance program and other life and well-being benefits. Learn more about our benefits on our Culture Tab on nature.org/careers.

We’re proud to offer a flexible work environment that supports the health and well-being of the people we employ.

APPLY NOW

To apply for job ID 52621, submit your materials online by using the Apply Now button at https://careers.nature.org/. Need help applying? Visit our recruitment page or contact applyhelp@tnc.org.

The Nature Conservancy is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Our commitment to diversity includes the recognition that our conservation mission is best advanced by the leadership and contributions of people of diverse backgrounds, beliefs and culture. Recruiting and mentoring staff to create an inclusive organization that reflects our global character is a priority and we encourage applicants from all cultures, races, colors, religions, sexes, national or regional origins, ages, disability status, sexual orientation, gender identity, military, protected veteran status or other status protected by law.

TNC is committed to offering accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans in our job application process. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, please send a note to applyhelp@tnc.org with Request for Accommodation in the subject line.

Where legally permissible, TNC requires all new employees to be fully vaccinated and willing to keep up to date with vaccines that protect against COVID-19.   By accepting an offer of employment, you agree to comply with this requirement, unless you are entitled to a legally mandated exemption.

An attractive salary and benefits package is part of TNC’s value proposition to our employees. TNC strives to provide competitive pay and bases salaries on the geographic location of the role committing to being equitable across groups and providing hiring salary ranges when possible.

Since we support flexible and remote work for our employees, many positions have a flexible location within countries where we’re registered as a Non-government Organization and established as an employer. This may mean we’re unable to provide a hiring salary range in the posting for some of our positions. However, candidates invited to be part of our interview process will be provided their location specific range upon request.