Location: São Paulo or Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Also considered: Bogota, Colombia)
Position: Full-Time. Hybrid.
The Climate and Land Use Alliance (CLUA) is a collaborative of foundations seeking to realize the potential of forests and lands to mitigate climate change, benefit people, and protect the environment. The CLUA member foundations are the ClimateWorks Foundation, the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, the Ford Foundation, Good Energies Foundation, and Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies also awards grants in alignment with the CLUA strategy. By bringing together our resources and diverse expertise, CLUA supports policies, practices, and partnerships that halt and reverse forest loss, advance sustainable land use and development, and secure the rights and livelihoods of Indigenous and forest communities. For more, please visit climateandlandusealliance.org.
The Strategic Communications Initiative (SCI) works to preserve tropical forests, protect the rights of Indigenous communities, and advance sustainable land use as a climate change solution. Our highly skilled team of professionals are trained in the areas of communication strategy, digital and print media, data science, advocacy and campaigns and have backgrounds in journalism and working with civil society organizations, and international and multilateral organizations.
Position Description
The Senior Administrative Coordinator will be part of a high-performing team of the Strategic Communications Initiative, and will be responsible for providing senior administrative c support to the Initiative’s Director, and four geographic strategic communications Leads working in alignment with CLUA’s operations departments..
Reporting to the Director of the Strategic Communications Initiative, the Senior Administrative Coordinator supports the director, leads and teams on all operations aspects of the strategic communications work. The Senior Administrative Coordinator will collaborate with various internal departments (e.g., IT, grants management, finance, HR), to ensure sound budget management; effective grants & contracts administration; as well as seamless execution of processes. The ideal candidate will be a dynamic problem solver with strong management and multi-lingual communication skills, adept at handling multiple tasks and priorities in a fast-paced environment. They will have direct experience supporting complex budgeting and budget tracking, with multiple funding sources across several teams. They will also work collaboratively and in coordination with other strategic communications team members, as well as with other CLUA colleagues.
Location
The ideal candidate will be based in Rio de Janeiro or São Paulo, Brazil. Strong candidates based in Bogota, Colombia will also be considered. The hybrid position will require working remotely, with occasional in-person meetings. The role requires a flexible work schedule that includes early and late calls and activities to support colleagues in multiple time zones in the Americas, Europe and Indonesia.
Primary Duties & Responsibilities
Under the supervision of the Director of the Strategic Communications Initiative, the Senior Administrative Coordinator will primarily be responsible for the following:
Senior Administrative & Operations support to Director & Leads
- Ensure timely, strategic, and effective support to the Director and Strategic Comms Leads, including but not limited to: regular meetings with Director and Leads , planning, reporting, etc.
- Facilitate smooth coordination between strategic comms teams and internal operational stakeholders.
- Regular meetings with operational team counterparts: Senior Operations Manager, IT & other meetings as needed.
- Support the Director and Leads in their engagement with CLUA Finance, Operations, and Administrative teams as requested.
- Assist with strategic communications teams’ use of, and compliance with, CLUA security processes and protocols.
- Collaborate with the HR Team to manage Strategic Communications staff onboarding and offboarding processes.
- Support Strategic Communications in its efforts to follow CLUA’s policies and procedures.
- Leading or participating in project teams as assigned.
- Guide the Executive Assistant and operations coordinator in their work by ensuring consistent strategic comms staff meetings and clear communication of key messages from CLUA and strategic comms leadership to teams and ensuing effective virtual and in-person meetings for CLUA stakeholders and external partners, as assigned.
Budget planning, monitoring, and reporting
- Support & Advise Director and Leads in budgeting and budget tracking – in a process managed by the CLUA Finance team.
- Regularly meet with CLUA Finance to align on projections, information, strategic comms leadership decisions, etc.
- Review, approve, or reject travel and expense reimbursement requests in accordance with company guidelines as assigned – and/or in follow to Director/Leads inquiries.
Contracts & Grants planning, monitoring, and reporting
- Maintain up-to-date grant/contract tracking, including funding sources, spending, process progress, etc. – aligned to CLUA Grants & Finance teams guidelines and tools.
- Regularly meet with CLUA Grants & Contacts (e.g., monthly and as required) to align on projects, information, strategic comms leadership decisions, etc.
- Support strategic comms team members and liaise with CLUA Grants & Contracts team to support effective, ongoing collaboration and in addressing issues as they arise.
- Assist Director & Leads in (1) checking/reviewing draft grants and contracts and (2) making informed strategic and planning decisions.
Management of Executive Assistant and Indonesia Operations Coordinator, including:
- Manage Americas-based Executive Assistant, supporting strategic comms Director and Americas-based leads.
- Manage the Indonesia operations coordinator, working with them to ensure effective financial management, policy compliance, etc. *if assigned.
Preferred Experience & Competencies
Applicants will ideally have many of the following competencies and some of the following experience:
- A minimum of 4 years of experience in operations management and administration – with a minimum of at least 2 years of experience in budget management.
- Strong collaboration skills with internal teams, particularly with colleagues from different national and work cultures/languages
- Solid understanding of budget planning, budget tracking, and contract management.
- Excellent judgment and problem-solving skills, with the ability to adhere to confidentiality requirements and handle sensitive matters with discretion.
- Experience in managing and mentoring staff.
- High level of attention to detail and ability to handle multiple tasks simultaneously.
- Fluency at a professional level in English, both written and verbal. Strong preference for candidates who are at a professional level in Brazilian Portuguese and/or Spanish.
- Experience collaborating with international teams, with demonstrated sensitivity to the experiences, needs, and concerns of individuals from diverse cultures, backgrounds, and identities.
- Ability to work independently and as part of a team .
- An assertive, friendly and collaborative style of communication is a must.
- Ability to travel and work outside of typical work hours (i.e., early mornings and/or late evenings) when required to accommodate working with stakeholders and allies across various time zones.
- Preferred, but not required: experience working with civil society or philanthropic organizations focused on social and/or environmental impact.
- Experience with the system Fluxx is a plus.
Equal Opportunity and Access
Equal employment opportunity and having a diverse staff are fundamental principles at the Climate and Land Use Alliance (CLUA), where employment and promotional opportunities are based upon individual capabilities and qualifications without regard to race, color, religion, gender, pregnancy, sexual orientation/affectional preference, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, disability, veteran status or any other protected characteristic as established under law.
Application Process
All interested candidates are encouraged to apply as soon as possible. CLUA especially invites persons with disabilities and Indigenous, and LGBTIQA+ candidates to apply. CLUA will complete an initial review of applications received by February 17, 2025, and on a rolling basis thereafter until the position is filled. Please apply online and submit a cover letter and resume in English. CVs outside the target location will not be considered.
