Project Coordinator, Country Engagement Support, South Africa

Job Summary:
As the Project Coordinator for South Africa, you will play a vital role in the country engagement team supporting South Africa. You will report directly to the Grants and Finance Manager, and work closely with the Director of Country Engagement and associate the country engagement team supporting South Africa. In this position, you will be primarily responsible for managing contracts and agreements under the BMZ grant for South Africa, overseeing team administrative activities, actively supporting project management and processing contractual concerns. You will also function as a backstop for core functions, such as coordination at the country level with Partnership members, developing communication materials on progress in South Africa and other duties as needed.

This position is remote due to Covid-19, but you can be based in either our office in Washington, DC or Bonn, Germany once restrictions are lifted

This position is a full-time, benefits-eligible, limited-term position with an end date of January 31st 2023. This position may be extended, subject to availability of funding.

Job Responsibilities:

Grant and Contract Management (60%)

• Assist in the collection & submission of materials to develop new contracts
• Manage contracts by reviewing interim and final reports/deliverables, ensure contracts have all their supporting documentation, and keep records of all project documents (reports, invoices, receipts, etc.)
• Manage timeline and progression of contracts, process contract amendments as needed
• Ensure timely closure of contracts and subgrants, submission of deliverables and final payments
• Develop and update tools to track contracts, amendments and payments
• Support management of project budget through tracking of expenditures and forecasting spend
• Support preparation of financial reports under supervision of manager
• Ensure contract spend is in compliance with funder requirements

 Project Management (20%)

• Support development of communication materials to showcase work delivered under the NDC Partnership’s engagement in South Africa
• Support review of materials and quality assurance of deliverables delivered under this scope of work
• Perform ad-hoc research and writing as needed for specific aspects of the grants
• Support development of Terms of Reference and participate in evaluation committees for specific recruitments and contracts awarded for this work in South Africa
• Support country engagement team in stakeholder consultations, document review, as needed
• Support organization of key events for partner coordination on climate finance.

Administration (20%)

• Process and track project deliverables and support project team to meet deadlines and goals
• Support the project team with administrative needs like travel, emails, expenses, and general organizational needs
• Coordinate and schedule meetings among the project team, take notes and track follow-ups, including setting up meetings and tracking collaborations with vendors/consultants
• Process all invoices and payments for the project team
• Serve as the go-to person for the project team’s ad-hoc administrative needs

Job Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree in relevant field; relevant work experience in lieu of degree is accepted
• Minimum of 1 year of full-time work experience
• Experience working with and managing European government grants is highly desirable
• Keen interest in the mission and work of the WRI NDC Partnership and NDC implementation in general Must be adaptable to rapidly changing priorities and can manage multiple projects with varying deadlines
• Strong process orientation with sensitivity to quality, timelines, and organizational systems
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision

How to Apply:

Please submit a resume with cover letter. Resume and cover letter must be submitted in English to be considered. Applicants must apply through the WRI Careers portal to be considered. 

Program Overview:

The NDC Partnership is a global coalition of countries and institutions working to mobilize support and achieve ambitious climate goals while enhancing sustainable development. Through our Partnership, members leverage their resources and expertise to provide countries with the tools they need to implement their NDCs and combat climate change to build a better future. Hosted by WRI and the UNFCCC Secretariat, the NDC Partnership has members in all regions of the world, with staff in Washington DC and Bonn, Germany. South Africa has been a member of the NDC Partnership since November 2016. Recently, the NDC Partnership has supported South Africa in revising its NDC through the Climate Action Enhancement Package (CAEP). Since then, the Partnership has worked closely with the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment (DFFE) to support priority actions for NDC implementation, including through coordinating a coalition of its members to respond to near term activities that make way for longer term impacts.

 This support is in contribution to accelerate South Africa’s just transition approach to achieving the low-carbon, climate resilient goals embodied in its commitments to the Paris Agreement. To advance engagement progress with South Africa, Germany, through the Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), is providing support through the NDC Partnership to support the Government on NDC planning and implementation, including through: Responding to requests for near term actions that are critical for longer term, higher impact results Assisting Government stakeholders to jointly plan, prioritize and implement priority actions for the NDC under a singular framework for climate and NDC action, supported by a coordinated effort by the members of the NDC Partnership Support the Government in identifying, preparing and promoting projects for climate finance and investment that contribute to the goals of the NDC. The NDC Partnership Support Unit is now working closely with DFFE to select and deliver corresponding support under this proposal.

WRI Overview:

World Resources Institute (WRI) is an independent, nonprofit global research organization that turns big ideas into action at the nexus of environment, economic opportunity, and human well-being. We are working to address seven critical challenges that the world must overcome this decade in order to secure a sustainable future for people and the planet: climate change, energy, food, forests, water, sustainable cities, and the ocean.

We are passionate. We value our diversity of interests, skills and backgrounds. We have a flexible work environment. And we share a common goal to catalyze change that will improve the lives of people. Our shared ideals are at the core of our approach. They include: integrity, innovation, urgency, independence and respect.

The foundation of our work is delivering high-quality research, data, maps and analysis to solve the world’s greatest environment and international development challenges and improve people’s lives. We work with leaders in government, business, and civil society to drive ambitious action and create change on the ground. Equally important, we bring together partners to develop breakthrough ideas and scale-up solutions for far-reaching, enduring impact.

We have been growing rapidly: our staff has doubled in size over the past 5 years and our operating budget is now $150 million. Founded in 1982, WRI has a global staff of 1,000+ people with work spanning 60 countries. We have offices in Africa, Brazil, China, Europe, India, Indonesia, Mexico, and the United States as well as a growing presence in other countries and regions.  

WRI is committed to advancing gender and social equity for human well-being in our mission and applies this principle to our organizational and programmatic practices.