Program Officer, Mesoamerica and the Caribbean @ Employer

Job Description

Location

Remote – Mesoamerica and the Caribbean. Preferred locations include Guatemala City, Guatemala; Tegucigalpa, Honduras; and Belize City, Belize.

Description

To support the Caribbean program, WCS is looking for a dynamic, autonomous, well-organized, detail-oriented, hardworking and committed individual to support the programmatic, financial, administration and internal management support for the effective implementation of projects.

This position will report to the Caribbean Program Director and will liaise closely with the Caribbean Finance Manager, the Mesoamerica Regional Program staff and NY Headquarters, as well as third party programmatic and finance teams, in the case of partnerships, sub-agreements or sub-contracts.

Responsibilities

Assist the Program Director in the general administration, information management, and daily operations of the Caribbean Program. Provide administrative and financial support, ensuring efficient and proper compliance with all WCS and donor operating policies and procedures, policies and regulations pertaining to the Caribbean Program.

Programmatic duties

• Support management of program grants throughout the project lifecycle, coordinating program, finance, operations, country teams, partners, and HQ to ensure timely, high-quality, and compliant delivery.
• Manage proposal and reporting calendars and help coordinate the drafting, consolidation, editing, review, approval, and submission of proposals, reports, and other donor deliverables.
• Support project monitoring, evaluation, and adaptive management by tracking results, deliverables, risks, issues, and corrective actions, and maintaining alignment between programmatic and financial progress.
• Facilitate internal communications for improved coordination between the Caribbean Program, the Region, and the NY Headquarters.
• Maintain the program’s core knowledge-management systems, including an accessible central file repository, shared email account, and calendar of donor deadlines, regional events, travel, and key commitments.
• Coordinate logistics and agendas for field trips, meetings, workshops and conferences.
• Perform other duties, as assigned by the Caribbean Program Director.

Administrative duties

• Support in the procurement and delivery of goods and services, in compliance with OFAC, WCS, and donor regulations.
• Prepare, process, and manage consultant and vendor contracts.
• Manage the program’s administrative files and correspondence.
• Ensure proper filing of accounting documentation and back-up.
• Prepare and process consultant payments and review and process travel expense payment requests for Program staff.
• Prepare, submit and follow-up on payment requests to be issued from New York headquarters or local offices in the region.
• Develop, maintain and monitor payment schedules for vendors and consultants to ensure that payments are made in a timely manner.
• Ensure proper filing of payment/expense back-up and documentation.
• Manage review and approval processes for grant agreements, MOUs and contracts.
• Perform other duties, as assigned by the Caribbean Program Director.

Financial duties

• Post financial transactions, adjustments, and purchase orders into the WCS Enterprise Resource Planning System (SAP), as needed.
• Support in the follow-up and monitoring of budgets and execution of expenses.
• Perform other financial duties, as assigned.

Qualification Requirements

Education and Professional Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Conservation, Environmental Science, Natural Resource Management, International Development, Public Administration, Business Administration, or a related field.
• Minimum of 4 years of relevant professional experience in project or program management, coordination, or implementation.
• At least 2 years of experience supporting administrative or financial processes, which may be included within the overall professional experience requirement.
• Experience supporting the implementation of donor-funded projects, including coordination of workplans, deliverables, and reporting schedules.

Skills and Knowledge

• Intermediate proficiency in Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint), including the use of pivot tables in Excel.
• Familiarity with collaborative platforms such as SharePoint, OneDrive, or Google Workspace.
• General understanding of conservation and environmental issues.
• Fluency in Spanish, both written and spoken.
• Basic to intermediate proficiency in English.

Core Competencies

• Strong planning, organizational, and coordination skills.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities, meet deadlines, and work effectively in a dynamic environment.
• Ability to work independently, demonstrate initiative, and take ownership of assigned responsibilities.
• Flexibility and adaptability to changing priorities and operational needs.
• Strong interpersonal and collaborative skills.
• Commitment to WCS's mission and organizational values.

Travel Requirements

• Willingness to travel to field locations and other countries within the region, approximately 5–10% of working time, as needed.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree in a relevant field.
• Experience working with NGOs, international organizations, or conservation programs.
• Experience coordinating with multiple stakeholders, including communities, partner organizations, donors, and government institutions.
• Intermediate to advanced English proficiency.
• Knowledge of SAP or similar financial or enterprise resource planning systems.