Senior Manager, Grants and Contracts and Cost and Pricing

Job Posting Organization:
The World Resources Institute (WRI) is an independent research organization that works to improve people's lives, protect and restore nature, and stabilize the climate. Established with a mission to influence policy and catalyze change across various systems, WRI operates globally with over 2,000 staff members working in more than a dozen focus countries and collaborating with partners in over 50 nations. The organization emphasizes the importance of data, expertise, and global reach to achieve its goals. WRI's mission is to move human society towards sustainable practices that protect the environment and ensure the needs of current and future generations are met. The organization values independence, integrity, impact, partnership, and care, and is committed to advancing gender and social equity in its operations and employment practices.

Job Overview:
The Senior Manager for Grants and Contracts and Cost and Pricing will play a pivotal role in leading the Grants & Contracts and Cost & Pricing function for WRI Europe. This position requires a strong combination of technical expertise, people management, stakeholder engagement, and change leadership. The successful candidate will report to the Europe Operations Director and will work closely with global Finance, Grants & Contracts, Development, and Program teams. The role involves providing operational leadership across all aspects of grants, contracts, subawards, procurement compliance, donor financial management, and proposal budgeting. The Senior Manager will oversee a small team of two professionals and will be responsible for shaping and strengthening systems, policies, and processes as WRI Europe continues to grow. This position is hybrid, requiring 8 days per month in the office, and is initially a one-year contract with the possibility of renewal.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Grants & Contracts Leadership and Management (25%): Lead and oversee the Grants & Contracts function for WRI Europe, ensuring efficient, compliant, and risk-based management of awards throughout their lifecycle. Manage and develop a team of two staff members, providing performance management, professional development, and workload prioritization. Serve as the primary Europe-based subject matter expert on donor compliance, award administration, procurement, subawards, and contractual matters. Provide strategic advice to program and operations teams regarding donor requirements, compliance risks, and award implementation challenges. Collaborate closely with WRI Global Grants & Contracts, Finance, Development, Legal, and Program teams to ensure alignment of policies and practices across the Institute. Support organizational decision-making by identifying risks, recommending solutions, and escalating issues where necessary.
• Grants, Contracts, Subawards and Procurement Oversight (25%): Review prime awards for consistency with proposals, acceptability and/or risk of agreement terms and conditions, and recommend for signature or sign within delegated authority levels. Oversee the review, negotiation, issuance, amendment, and closeout of grants, contracts, subawards, subcontracts, consulting agreements, and other funding-related agreements. Ensure compliance with donor regulations, WRI policies, and applicable legal requirements. Review and approve procurement and subaward transactions within delegated authority levels. Ensure appropriate due diligence, risk assessments, and monitoring processes are applied to partners, vendors, and subrecipients. Maintain effective systems for award documentation, records management, and compliance monitoring. Advise staff on complex contractual issues and support resolution of compliance concerns.
• Cost & Pricing Leadership (25%): Lead the Cost & Pricing function for WRI Europe, providing expert guidance on proposal budgeting, donor financial management, cost recovery, pricing strategies, and financial compliance. Review and approve proposal budgets and funding applications within delegated authority. Partner with Development, Program, and Finance teams to develop competitive and compliant budgets for a diverse donor portfolio. Provide guidance to WRI Europe staff on indirect cost recovery, foreign exchange considerations, procurement approaches, VAT and tax implications, and partner budgeting. Analyze funding gaps, cost-sharing requirements, and cost recovery impacts and provide recommendations to support organizational financial sustainability and informed decision-making. Lead efforts to standardize and strengthen proposal budgeting practices across WRI Europe, including the development and maintenance of budgeting tools, templates, and guidance materials. Represent WRI in discussions with donors regarding budget structures, cost allocation and recovery methodologies, and pricing approaches. Oversee and coordinate responses to donor due diligence requests related to financial systems, controls, policies, procedures, cost structures, and institutional capabilities.
• Financial Reporting, Compliance and Risk Management (15%): Lead donor financial reporting processes, establishing standards, controls, and quality assurance procedures to ensure timely, accurate, and compliant donor financial reports. Review and approve complex donor financial reports and provide guidance to staff on donor-specific reporting requirements, audits, and donor reviews. Monitor emerging donor regulations and compliance developments, ensuring timely communication and implementation across Europe. Identify compliance and financial management risks and develop mitigation strategies. Support internal and external audit activities, donor reviews, and compliance assessments, including preparation of financial documentation and engagement with auditors regarding financial systems, institutional processes, and cost allocation and recovery methodologies and practices. Ensure timely resolution of findings and recommendations.
• Process Improvement, Change Management and Organizational Development (10%): Within existing frameworks and systems, lead initiatives to strengthen, streamline, and standardize grants, contracts, and cost & pricing processes across WRI Europe. Identify opportunities for automation, process enhancement, and system improvements. Play a key role in implementing new organizational structures, processes, systems, and compliance frameworks as WRI Europe evolves. Develop and deliver training, guidance materials, and capacity-building activities for staff. Foster a culture of continuous improvement, collaboration, accountability, and service excellence.

Required Qualifications:

• Education: Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration, Economics, Law, Public Administration, International Development, or a related field.
• Experience: 8+ years of progressively responsible experience in grants management, contracts administration, donor compliance, finance, procurement, or related fields. Significant experience administering awards funded by institutional donors, foundations, and government agencies, including European donors. Experience managing subawards, procurement activities, contracts, and complex funding arrangements. Demonstrated people management experience, including coaching and developing staff. Experience developing and implementing policies, systems, and business processes. Experience leading organizational improvements, change initiatives, or transformational projects. Demonstrated knowledge of grants and contracts administration principles and practices. Strong understanding of donor compliance requirements and risk management. Expertise in proposal budgeting, cost recovery methodologies, and donor financial reporting. Knowledge of procurement and subrecipient management best practices. Proven ability to improve processes and drive organizational efficiency. Experience related to risk assessment. Ability to explain complex financial and compliance concepts to non-technical audiences. Proven ability to work effectively across cultures, geographies, and functional teams. Experience working within an international, matrixed organization is desirable. Experience with systems such as Workday, Salesforce, SharePoint, Power Platform, or similar enterprise platforms is desirable.

Educational Background:
A Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration, Economics, Law, Public Administration, International Development, or a related field is required for this position. This educational background provides the necessary foundation for understanding the complexities of grants management, contracts administration, and financial compliance, which are critical to the role.

Experience:
The position requires a minimum of 8 years of progressively responsible experience in relevant fields such as grants management, contracts administration, donor compliance, finance, and procurement. Candidates should have significant experience administering awards funded by institutional donors, foundations, and government agencies, particularly European donors. Experience in managing subawards, procurement activities, and complex funding arrangements is essential. Additionally, demonstrated people management experience, including coaching and developing staff, is required. The candidate should also have experience in developing and implementing policies, systems, and business processes, as well as leading organizational improvements and change initiatives.

Languages:
While the job description does not specify mandatory languages, proficiency in English is likely essential given the international nature of the organization and its operations. Knowledge of additional languages, particularly those relevant to European donors or partners, would be considered advantageous and beneficial for effective communication and collaboration.

Additional Notes:
This position is a hybrid role, requiring 8 days per month in the office, and can be based in either London or The Hague. The contract is initially for one year with the possibility of renewal. Existing work authorization is required at the time of application submission, as WRI is unable to sponsor any visa work sponsorship for this position. The potential salary ranges from €76,000 to €95,000 (excluding an 8% vacation allowance) if based in the Netherlands, and £67,000 to £84,000 if based in the UK. Salary is commensurate with experience and other compensable factors. The organization offers access to a global network, opportunities for career development, a commitment to diversity and inclusion, and a flexible working model.