Gabon: WCS Gabon Director of Finance

The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) is seeking a dynamic and highly motivated financial professional for the following vacancy for WCS Gabon.

Summary of Position Function:

This position is responsible for management of the program’s financial systems, financial reporting to WCS’s New York office and donors, country budgetary reporting and controls, monitoring and compliance of internal controls and procedures, cash management, and the coordination of reviews and audits of project sites. The WCS Gabon program is a long-serving field conservation project with an annual budget of approximately $2 million, including international government, multi-lateral agency and private funding sources. The Director of Finance (DF) reports to the WCS Gabon Country Director, with a dotted-line report to the WCS Global Finance Department in our HQ in New York (NY). This position works closely with the WCS Central Africa Regional Finance team.

Responsibilities will include:

• Financial management and accounting for the WCS Gabon Program (tracking and projecting spending by projects and funding agencies, accounting, internal project audits).
• Ensure that all projects/activities in the country program are respecting national legislation regarding customs regulations, labor rights, taxes, benefits, etc.
• Ensure financial efficiency in all aspects of operations, advising the Country Director of any problems or weakness in financial controls and procedures, and any ways in which costs could be reduced
• Ensure that highest standards of financial integrity are followed
• Work with project managers/technical assistants to generate financial reports and donor reports.
• Work with project managers/technical assistants and the WCS-NY office to produce budget proposals for potential donors.
• Assure timely accounting and reporting on all country project expenditures
• Monitor overall budget management with regular updates on expenditures and availability of funds to NY and the project managers/directors and administrators.
• Monitor bank transfers, banking activities, and expenditures in coordination with WCS-NY.
• Responsible for the direct supervision and training of financial staff for the country office.
• Financial management of project infrastructure, i.e. leases, insurance policies, registrations
• Management of in-country revenue sources.

Qualification requirements:

• Bachelor degree in a related program of study such as accounting or finance required. MBA or CPA a plus.
• Demonstrated ability in the development and implementation of financial policies and procedures.
• French as well as English language skills.
• Significant experience with the financial management of government and agency grants and contracts, including EU – minimum 5 years.
• At least five years of experience managing a financial area for a corporation or non-profit organization.
• Willingness to travel to field sites
• Good communication skills, written and verbal, as well as strong analytical skills.
• Excellent computer and systems skills required with respect to MS Office applications (advanced skills in MS Excel required) and major financial accounting and reporting software (SAP or equivalent)
• Proven managerial skill and ability to work in a team setting within an organization.

WCS Mission Statement:

The Wildlife Conservation Society saves wildlife and wild lands through careful science, international conservation, education, and the management of the world’s largest system of urban wildlife parks. These activities change attitudes toward nature and help people imagine wildlife and humans living in sustainable interaction on both a local and a global scale. WCS is committed to this work because we believe it essential to the integrity of life on Earth.

WCS Gabon Program Background:

The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) is the largest and longest-serving conservation NGO in Gabon, having worked in the country for over 30 years. WCS started by supporting pioneering studies of forest ecology that resulted in a negotiated settlement between the government and foresters that ended illegal logging inside the Lopé Wildlife Reserve. The political capital and experience gained during this negotiation in turn catalyzed the launching of a country-wide evaluation of the most intact areas of forest. This formed the basis for the creation in 2002 of a network of 13 National Parks selected to represent all major ecosystems and covering 11% of the country. In 2003, at the request of the Government of Gabon, WCS Gabon significantly expanded its operations to support the Government with a range of issues from policy development to capacity building.

WCS Gabon has more than 20 years of marine conservation experience. During this period, WCS has performed regular missions to improve knowledge about sea turtle and whale populations, and defined priorities to protect these endangered species. Since its formation, WCS has collaborated with the Government of Gabon to define marine priorities, marine protected areas and for the management of artisanal and industrial fishing. Thanks to WCS support, on June 1^st, 2017, the Government of Gabon has formally established a network of 20 MPAs representing 26,2% of Gabon’s Economic Exclusive Zone. WCS' unrivalled field presence and in-depth institutional experience in conservation and management, combined with a reputation for providing impartial and rigorous technical assistance, means our support is increasingly solicited by private industry and different branches of Government.

Interested candidates, who meet the above qualifications, should apply by sending an application letter and CV together with the names and contact information of three references to the address below not later than November 30, 2017. Please include “Gabon Director of Finance” in the subject line of your email. Send to: africaapplications@wcs.org.

Candidates must also apply online via the WCS career portal by searching job title at: http://www.wcs.org/about-us/careers Only short-listed candidates will be contacted for interviews.