Finance Coordinator Specialist

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Finance Coordinator Specialist (GEF-LDCF), WWF-Laos

Position title: Finance Coordinator Specialist (GEF-LDCF), WWF-Laos

Location: Vientiane Capital, Lao PDR

Background:

The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) has had a presence in Laos since the late 1980s, when it contributed to some of the first biodiversity surveys that established Laos’ protected area system. The office in Laos was officially established in 2001. Today, our main office for WWF-Laos is in Vientiane Capital, with field offices in multiple provinces.

WWF-Laos works with government, civil society, the private sector and other partners to address the drivers of biodiversity loss and to move towards a greener nature-based future where the people of Laos can thrive and live in harmony with nature.

Our vision is “a vibrant and sustainable future for Laos, shaped by inclusive conservation that protects biodiversity, ensures equitable benefits, and nurtures harmony between people and the environment”. Conservation is WWF’s core work, and our programmes in Laos are implemented under four broad thematic areas: Forests, Wildlife, Freshwater and Circular Resilience. As outlined in WWF-Laos’ 2026-2030 strategic plan, we focus our conservation efforts in three main landscapes, eight priority sites and three cities.

The 6 year WWF Global Environment Facility (GEF) project in Laos, ‘Climate Adaptive River Basins of Sayaboury (CARBS)’ will begin execution by the Department of Water Resources of the Lao Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, in partnership with WWF Laos in 2026.

The project aims to address climate change impacts in six highly vulnerable districts spread across the   Nam-Poui, Nam-Poun, Nam-Lay, and Nam-Houng basins in Sayaboury province, Lao PDR. These areas are prone to floods and drought, affecting subsistence agriculture communities. The project focuses on enhancing adaptation capacity to mitigate crop losses and reduced yields caused by climate variability and water scarcity.

As Laos transitions from Least Developed Country (LDC) status, WWF-Laos remains a key technical partner, helping to align national conservation goals with practical, field-based solutions.

Major Functions:

The Finance Coordinator Specialist will report to the National project Coordinator– GEF also responsible for the preparation of the project quarterly financial reports executing on the annual budget  and any agreed adjustments that might occur during the actual implementation phase. In collaboration with and guided by the Finance Manager-GEF, the Finance Coordinator Specialist is expected to ensure that the project is able to systematically implement its annual work and budget plans within the means provided in the project document.

Achieving this requires constructive utilization of the WWF templates provided and learning and adapting with the available resources.   Standard parameters such as efficiency and effectiveness will determine the professional focus of the candidate. The position requires capacity for cost-benefit comparison, full accountability, and maximum transparency throughout the project. Similarly, an tracking co-financed contributions and complementary activities will be necessary from the position.

Major Duties and Responsibilities:

The Finance Coordinator Specialist is responsible for the financial planning, execution, monitoring, and reporting of the project, carry out the tasks below, that include, but are not limited to:

Financial System Design and Implementation 

• Develop, implement, and maintain a robust and standardized financial and accounting system for the project that aligns with WWF’s organizational policies and GEF donor requirements.
• Ensure compatibility of financial tools and formats with WWF systems (e.g., Oracle) and contribute to automation and digitization of financial processes.

Budgeting and Financial Planning 

• Lead the preparation of annual, quarterly, and multi-year project budgets, in close collaboration with the National Project Coordinator – and project teams.
• Coordinate the budget portion of the Annual Work Plan (AWP) Budget and ensure alignment with approved project budgets and funding ceilings.
• Provide substantive financial inputs to the preparation and updating of the Annual Work Plan and Budget.
• Conduct budget forecasting, scenario analysis, and resource allocation based on workplans and strategic priorities.
• Lead budget revision exercises in response to implementation changes, funding modifications, or performance assessments.
• Prepare budget variance analysis with clear, realistic justifications, recommend corrective actions, and support approved budget adjustments based on agreed decisions and review meetings.

Financial Operations and Accounting

• Coordinate and oversee all day-to-day financial transactions and accounting activities.
• Record receipts, disbursements, ledgers, and journals while ensuring timely data entry into WWF’s Oracle accounting system.
• Process all payment requests including partner advances, vendor invoices, activity prepayments, and staff reimbursements, ensuring appropriate approvals and documentation.
• Ensure compliance with internal financial procedures related to cost allocation, coding, and budget ceilings.

Reporting and Financial Analysis  

• Prepare and submit accurate, timely financial reports (monthly, quarterly, annual) to internal stakeholders, WWF GEF as required.
• Develop customized financial tracking tools to monitor actual versus budgeted expenditures across cost categories and components.
• Reconcile project expenditures with general ledger data and bank statements; address discrepancies in a timely manner.
• Ensure all financial reports are audit‑ready and aligned with ledger balances.
• Analyze expenditure trends and advise on financial risks or bottlenecks affecting implementation progress.

 Procurement and Contract Financial Oversight 

• Provide financial input into procurement planning and ensure cost estimates are realistic and within budget.
• Track expenditures against the procurement plan and ensure contractual commitments are recorded and reported.
• Ensure that financial documentation for procurement complies with WWF and donor regulations and includes value-for-money justifications.
• Participate in the preparation and updating of the Annual Procurement Plan and ensure financial oversight of procurement-related spending.

Bank and Fund Management 

• Establish and manage project-specific bank accounts to ensure transparent and accurate financial transactions.
• Perform monthly bank reconciliations and cash flow analysis to maintain appropriate liquidity levels.
• Monitor fund disbursements, transfers, and settlements for efficiency and risk mitigation.

Audit and Compliance 

• Act as the lead focal point for external and internal audits, including donor-mandated audits.
• Prepare all required financial documentation and reports for audits and ensure full compliance with WWF and GEF audit standards.
• Follow up on audit recommendations and lead the implementation of corrective action plans within specified timelines.
• Maintain an up-to-date risk and issue log with a focus on financial integrity, compliance breaches, or fraud prevention.

Internal Control and Risk Management 

• Design and implement internal control systems to safeguard project resources and ensure compliance with internal and external policies.
• Ensure effective management of prepayments, ensuring all advances are recorded, tracked, and settled with full supporting documentation.
• Proactively assess financial risks and recommend preventive and corrective actions to project leadership.

Capacity Building and Advisory Services 

• Provide continuous technical support and financial advice to project staff, implementing partners, and stakeholders on all finance-related matters.
• Build the capacity of national staff and partners in financial planning, budgeting, accounting, and compliance through training, mentoring, and coaching.
• Develop and maintain manuals, checklists, and templates to standardize financial practices across project partners and field offices.

Records Management and Confidential Documentation 

• Maintain complete, accurate, and well-organized records of financial transactions and supporting documentation (both digital and physical) in line with audit, donor, and organizational requirements.
• Ensure confidential handling of financial records related to contracts, staff payments, and procurement.
• Regularly coordinate with WWF finance teams, WWF GEF Agency  for timely financial entries into the Oracle system.
• Control and record prepayments made to the project team members for activities’ implementations, with milestones of settlements and sufficient supporting documents.
• Process all types of payment requests for settlement purposes including quarterly advances to the partners.
• Verify budget and accounting data by researching files, calculating costs, and estimating anticipated expenditures from available information sources.
• Perform assigned financial tasks to support effective project implementation.

Qualifications Required:

• Graduate Degree in Financial, Business Management, or other relevant discipline.
• At least 7 years working experience in project implementation/management of projects within the disciplines of environmental science, integrated ecosystem based adaptation, integrated water resources management, natural resource management or other related field.

Other Qualifications Required:

• Concrete experience in both WWF and INGOs’ financial management standards, operations and procedures is preferred.
• Previous work experience on issues relevant to the project.
• Initiative, sound judgment, and capacity to work independently and is capable to cope under pressure.
• Experience in project design, activity/budget planning, implementation, monitoring and reporting.
• Ability to plan and organize a substantial workload that includes complex, diverse tasks and responsibilities in environmental context.
• Excellent inter-personal, communication and negotiating skills.
• Strong working knowledge of accounting systems  and advanced Excel skills.
• Demonstrated experience collaborating with government agencies, NGOs, and key stakeholders in Lao PDR on project finance or related coordination matters..
• Ability to lead a team and to work in the team effectively.
• Good working knowledge of written and spoken English and Lao.
• Knowledge of WWF and/or the GEF  an advantage.
• Ability and willingness to travel within and outside Lao PDR.
• Ability and understanding of Grant Management System (GMS) is an advantage.

Working relationships:

• Internal – Interact on a regular basis with the Conservation Director and Country Director, Project Managers, and Regional Technical Advisors.  Engage with WWF-Laos staff and DWR Staff.
• External – Interact with all relevant stakeholders at the community, district, and provincial level. Interact with donors, central government partners, and NGOs on an ad-hoc basis.

WWF’s Values and Behaviors:

• Adhere to WWF’s values: Courage, Respect, Collaboration and Integrity.
• Demonstrates WWF core value in action of working:
  1. We demonstrate courage through our actions, we work for change where it’s needed, and we inspire people and institutions to tackle the greatest threats to nature and the future of the planet, which is our home.
  2. We live the principles we call on others to meet. We act with integrity, accountability and transparency, and we rely on facts and science to guide us and to ensure that we learn and evolve.
  3. We honour the voices and knowledge of people and communities that we serve, and we work to secure their rights to a sustainable future.
  4. We deliver impact at the scale of the challenges we face through the power of collective action and innovation.

WWF-Laos can offer you:

Contract duration: 1 year initial with possible extension with industry leading benefit and salary package and ample opportunity for professional development. For more information on our work in Laos, please visit:  http://www.wwf.org.la.

How to Apply:

Please find more information and complete the application form by clicking this link:

https://jobs.dayforcehcm.com/en-GB/wwfint/EXTERNAL/jobs/1477

Note: Please indicate your gross salary expectation (including tax) in cover letter and/or CV 

Deadline for applications: 25 June 2026. Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

WWF does not charge or accept a fee at any stage of the recruitment process.

WWF provides equal employment opportunities and affirmative action for all qualified individuals regardless of race, colour, gender, national origin, disability, inclusive, or veteran status and promotes affirmative action to assure equal employment opportunities. Please indicate if you require accommodation for the application or interview process to jobs.laos@wwf.org.la