Project Administrator – Rhino Impact Investment

About Us:

The Zoological Society of London (ZSL), a charity founded in 1826, is a world-renowned centre of excellence for conservation science and applied conservation. ZSL’s mission is to promote and achieve the worldwide conservation of animals and their habitats. This is realised by carrying out field conservation and research in over 50 countries across the globe and through education and awareness-raising at our two zoos, ZSL London Zoo and ZSL Whipsnade Zoo, inspiring people to take conservation action.

Overview of Role:

ZSL is seeking an Project Administrator to ensure the smooth running of the Rhino Impact Investment (RII) project on a day to day basis. This will include supporting the RII Project Manager in the successful implementation of the project to ensure that it meets its goals and the needs of the donor.

The successful applicant will be responsible for the generation of project monitoring and financial reports with support from overseas project team including: the generation of Project Inception Reports, Annual Work and Budget Plans, operational reports and annual progress reports for project management review on progress, identifying significant variances and necessary adjustments required.

Other main duties include:

• Processing and generation of project accounts (including invoices/international transfer requests) and ensuring accounts are kept up to date on a weekly basis, maintaining project spreadsheets to inform the RII Project Manager of budget availability and that donor financial reporting requirements are met.
• Day to day liaison with the internal CP operations team to ensure that project accounts are reflected correctly with ZSL’s central finance team.
• Support regarding travel and logistical arrangements for field staff, volunteers and students engaged on the project, following ZSL procedures for approval of travel and insurance cover.
• Organisation of project meetings and workshops, preparation of materials and taking and production of minutes/meeting reports.
• Sourcing, procurement, cataloguing and tracking of equipment and materials to support projects, including keeping of an equipment log, and ensuring adequate care and branding of equipment and uniforms.
• Preparation of ToRs and contracts for third party consultants.

 The ideal candidate will:

• Be educated to undergraduate degree level in a relevant subject (such as Finance, Business Administration) or equivalent qualification or equivalent level of work experience in a related field.
• Have prior experience in coordinating large conservation projects is desirable and managing finances.
• Have an understanding of project management process and donor expectations, relevant to the field of conservation.
• Have an understanding of accounting processes and financial reporting.
• Have advanced skills in using MS office packages, specifically Excel and PowerPoint.
• Have excellent written / oral communication skills with proven fundraising and report-writing ability.
• Have the ability to manage competing priorities and if appropriate ability to delegate effectively is essential.

Please note: The post is a full-time, 3-year fixed-term contract and the post-holder will be based at ZSL Main Offices in London. This is a fantastic opportunity for an individual looking for employment in an international organisation. You will have exposure to a variety of departments. If you have the imagination to not only problem solve but to create new opportunities to support the Conservation Programme within ZSL, then we would love to hear from you.

To Apply:

The Zoological Society of London is a charity registered in England and Wales: no. 208728.