Manager, Impact-Directed Environmental Accounts (IDEA) – San Francisco, CA

Organization: National Fish and Wildlife Foundation

Position Title: Manager, Impact-Directed Environmental Accounts

Location: San Francisco, CA

Hours & Compensation: Full-time. Salary commensurate with experience.

Application Deadline: None posted.

Posted On: June 4, 2013.

Organization Overview:

Since our creation by Congress in 1984, NFWF has become one of the world’s largest conservation grant-makers. We work with both the public and private sectors to protect and restore our nation’s fish, wildlife, plants and habitats.

NFWF supports conservation efforts in all 50 states, U.S. territories and abroad. Our grants – more than 12,100 since our founding – are made through a competitive process and awarded to some of the nation’s largest environmental organizations, as well as some of the smallest. We neither advocate nor litigate. Instead, NFWF focuses on using the best science to get results and build a better future for our world. Financial commitments to our conservation mission since our founding now top $2.1 billion.

Description:

The Manager will have managerial responsibilities for a portion of the IDEA Account portfolio as specified by the IDEA Vice President or Director, with particular emphasis on servicing IDEA accounts located on the west coast (primarily California, Oregon, Washington, and/or Alaska).

IDEA Accounts are created when NFWF receives funds from environmental law enforcement actions, regulatory compliance actions, or permitting proceedings. An example of a typical IDEA account would be one arising from a federal prosecution of a shipping company for violating the Oil Pollution Act or Clean Water Act. As part of the settlement of such a case, the prosecutors may require the company to pay funds (often called “community service” funds) to NFWF to be used for conservation projects that benefit the resources affected by the violation (e.g., fish, wildlife, habitat, etc.). The IDEA Department deposits these funds into dedicated accounts and works in a variety of ways to ensure the funds are obligated and disbursed to appropriate projects.

Currently, NFWF manages over 100 active IDEA Accounts in every region of the U.S. The Manager will help coordinate the day-to-day programmatic and fiscal management of accounts within the IDEA portfolio as determined by the IDEA Vice President or Director. The Manager will work closely with the entire IDEA team as well as with the Departments of Finance, Science and Evaluation, Government Relations, and Development, as appropriate.

Responsibilities:

Primary:

• Provide comprehensive and outstanding customer service to the organizations (primarily government agencies) directing funds into IDEA Accounts, and also to the beneficiaries and recipients of funds disbursed out of IDEA Accounts.
• Maintain a complete and up-to-date understanding of each IDEA Account subject to the Manager’s oversight.
• Collect,organize, and understand the “deposit documents” related to each IDEA Account subject to the Manager’s oversight. The deposit documents are the documents pursuant to which funds are sent to NFWF for deposit into an IDEA Account. These can include court orders, plea agreements, judgments, other legal settlements, permits,licenses, and similar legal or regulatory documents.
• Work with the Finance Department to establish new IDEA Accounts within NFWF’s financial systems and ensure proper coding of each new Account.
• Work with Agencies, other IDEA Account beneficiaries, and NFWF Program staff (as appropriate) to solicit, identify, and evaluate potential projects to be funded with monies in IDEA Accounts; this function may include facilitation of Requests for Proposals for appropriate projects and other project development activities.
• Once projects have been selected, lead the day-to-day management of the IDEA project contracting processes, including preparing initial drafts of contracts, facilitating contract negotiations, processing project disbursements, reviewing project reports and deliverables, communicating with project fund recipients, reviewing and executing amendments, and closing completed projects.
• Prepare various financial reports for Agencies and other IDEA Account beneficiaries or partners with the assistance of NFWF Financial and Program staff on a regular basis, assist in the tracking of IDEA Account activity, and perform queries within Foundation financial and project databases (Deltek and EZGrants), as needed, for IDEA Accounts.
• At all times maintain an understanding of (1) the funds initially deposited into IDEA Accounts under the Manager’s oversight; (2) the projects that have been selected to receive funding from each Account; (3) the contracts that have been placed to document performance of those projects; (4) the disbursements that have been made from each Account for project costs and related administrative costs; and (5) the overall financial profile of each Account.
• Assist the IDEA Vice President and Director with drafting, negotiating and executing governing IDEA Account Agreements.
• Participate in periodic IDEA docket reviews with IDEA senior to keep internal stakeholders apprised of IDEA Account status.

Secondary:

• Monitor cases, proceedings, and transactions giving rise to IDEA funds.
• Assist with IDEA marketing and business development materials.
• Participate in IDEA Departmental calls and meetings, Conservation Team calls, Partnership office meetings, and project slate reviews, as appropriate.
• Maintain an understanding of the investment policies applied to IDEA Accounts.
• Participate in the ongoing assessment of the IDEA Department’s technology needs and how they are being met by the Foundation’s overall IT systems and architecture.
• As directed by the IDEA Vice President or Director, serve as the NFWF Representative for various meetings including project site visits, partner briefings, and IDEA program outreach, as needed.
• Recommend efforts to improve existing IDEA processes and policies.

Qualifications:

• Minimum bachelor’s degree.
• Minimum two years experience in grant/contract management in the conservation field.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills and interpersonal skills.
• Excellent attention to detail, organizational, and follow-through skills.
• Flexibility and ability to work both independently and in a team in a rapidly changing environment.
• Computer proficiency, including e-mail, databases, spreadsheets, financial/contracting systems, and word processing.
• Knowledge of, or willingness to learn, operative provisions of key environmental laws.

How to Apply:

To apply, please send an e-mail, with attachments in Word format, containing your cover letter describing your interest and qualifications, resume, three professional references and your salary requirements to Marla Carter, Human Resources Manager, at [email protected]. National Fish and Wildlife Foundation is an equal opportunity employer.

Contact Information:

National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, http://www.nfwf.org

90 New Montgomery Street, San Francisco, CA 94105

Job URL: http://www.nfwf.org/Pages/whoweare/ideamanager.aspx#.Ua8-k5WKy6k