Chief Operations Officer

Terms of Reference – Chief Operations Officer

• Position: Chief Operations Officer (COO).
• Organization: Micronesia Conservation Trust (MCT).
• Reports to: Chief Executive Officer.
• Direct reports: Grants officers, office and administrative staff, bookkeepers; oversight of outsourced accounting and IT providers.
• Location: MCT Headquarters, Kolonia, Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia.
• Employment type: Full-time, permanent.
• Probation period: Six (6) months.
• Start date: As soon as possible.
• Salary range: US$80,000 – US$112,000 per year, commensurate with qualifications and experience.
• Relocation and housing: Relocation assistance provided and a housing allowance of up to US$15,000 per year.
• Application deadline: Open until filled.

About Micronesia Conservation Trust

Micronesia Conservation Trust (MCT) is a non-governmental, non-profit conservation finance institution serving the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of Palau, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Guam, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. MCT mobilizes and manages public and private capital for conservation, climate resilience, and sustainable development across the region. It holds accreditations with the Green Climate Fund (GCF), the Adaptation Fund (AF), and the Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage (FRLD), and manages an endowment and a growing portfolio of grants and blue finance instruments.

MCT is in the midst of an institutional transformation, repositioning itself as a dedicated regional financing institution under its 2027–2032 Strategic Action Plan (SAP). The Chief Finance Operations Officer (COO) is a central appointment in that transformation.

Purpose of the Position

The COO is MCT’s senior executive for finance, operations, and governance. As the Chief Executive Officer’s principal partner, the COO turns MCT’s strategy into disciplined execution by building the systems, controls, and teams that allow the organization to manage capital responsibly, meet the fiduciary standards of its accrediting entities and donors, and serve its Board of Trustees with excellence.

The COO will lead MCT’s transition to a fully outsourced accounting model, oversee the integrity of its financial and investment reporting, assume responsibility for the institution’s governance function, and manage the grants, administrative, and technology functions that underpin MCT’s work.

Key Responsibilities

1. Executive Leadership and Strategy Execution

• Serve as a member of MCT’s executive leadership and act for the CEO when delegated.
• Lead the operational implementation of the 2027–2032 Strategic Action Plan, including annual work plans, performance targets, and progress reporting.
• Translate institutional priorities into clear operating plans, budgets, and accountabilities across teams.
• Advise the CEO on organizational design, capacity, risk, and resource allocation.

2. Financial Management and Oversight

• Oversee transition to, and ongoing management of, MCT’s outsourced accounting services, including provider selection, contract management, and performance oversight.
• Supervise MCT’s in-house bookkeepers and ensure timely, accurate financial records.
• Own the annual budget process, cash flow management, and financial forecasting.
• Ensure robust internal controls, segregation of duties, and compliance with donor and accreditation requirements.
• Serve as MCT’s lead counterpart for the annual external audit and ensure audits are completed on schedule.
• Prepare and present financial reports to the CEO, the Board of Trustees, and its committees.

3. Investment and Endowment Oversight

• Support the Board and its Investment Committee in overseeing MCT’s endowment and other invested funds, including monitoring investment managers and performance against the Investment Policy.
• Provide financial and investment analysis to support MCT’s conservation finance and blue finance initiatives, including revolving funds, bonds, and other innovative instruments.
• Ensure investment activities are aligned with MCT’s fiduciary obligations, risk tolerance, and mission.

4. Governance and Board Relations

• Assume responsibility for MCT’s governance function, ensuring sound institutional governance, policy compliance, and Board effectiveness.
• Maintain MCT’s corporate, regulatory, and registration obligations in all jurisdictions where it operates, working with legal counsel as needed.
• Lead the regular review and updating of MCT’s governance policies and bylaws.

5. Grants Management and Accreditation Compliance

• Supervise MCT’s grants officers and the full grants cycle, from call design and due diligence through contracting, disbursement, monitoring, and closeout.
• Ensure MCT meets the fiduciary, reporting, and operational standards required by the GCF, AF, FRLD, the UNDP Small Grants Programme, and other partners.
• Embed environmental and social safeguards (ESS) into MCT’s grant-making systems, including grant recipient responsibilities.
• Strengthen MCT’s capacity to develop and submit new funding proposals, in coordination with the CEO and program staff.

6. Human Resources and Administration

• Oversee human resources, including recruitment, onboarding, performance management, staff development, and personnel policies.
• Enforce administrative standards and deadlines, including timely travel acquittals, applying MCT’s progressive discipline policy where required.
• Supervise office and administrative staff and ensure efficient day-to-day operations at headquarters.
• Manage procurement, contracts, facilities, and insurance.

7. Information Systems and Technology

• Oversee MCT’s outsourced IT provider under its retainer agreement.
• Oversee ongoing overhaul of MCT’s information systems, file management, and IT protocols, including data security and records retention.

8. Policies, Procedures, and Risk

• Develop and maintain MCT’s standard operating procedures (SOPs), beginning with the communications SOP.
• Maintain an institutional risk register and lead risk management and business continuity planning.

Qualifications and Experience

Required

• A bachelor’s degree in business administration, accounting, finance, economics, or a related field.
• A minimum of ten (10) years of progressive experience in finance, banking, financial compliance, or financial operations, including management responsibilities.
• Demonstrated experience in financial analysis and complex financial transactions involving multiple stakeholders, with working knowledge of investment principles.
• A strong record of establishing internal controls, managing regulatory and donor compliance, and coordinating audits.
• Proven experience leading and developing teams, managing budgets and operational priorities, and reporting to senior leadership.

Preferred

• A master’s degree (MBA or equivalent) in business, finance, or economics.
• Experience in banking, investment management, or endowment oversight.
• Senior executive experience, including reporting to a Board of Trustees or its committees.
• Experience modernizing financial and information systems, including data management and reporting automation.
• Knowledge of conservation trust funds (CTFs) and conservation finance.
• Experience with the Green Climate Fund, the Adaptation Fund, and/or the Fund for responding to Loss and Damage.
• Grant writing and proposal development experience.
• Pacific Islander heritage, with Micronesian heritage particularly valued.

Key Competencies

• Executive presence: The confidence, judgment, and credibility to operate at a senior level with Board members, governments, multilateral funds, and investors.
• Financial acumen: Command of financial controls, reporting, audit, and investment oversight.
• Systems builder: The ability to design and implement policies, processes, and controls that last.
• People leadership: The ability to lead, develop, and hold accountable a multicultural team.
• Integrity and discretion: Unwavering ethical standards and sound handling of confidential matters.
• Cultural awareness: Respect for and understanding of Micronesian communities, customs, and institutions.
• Communication: Clear, persuasive written and verbal communication in English.

Terms and Conditions

• Employment: Full-time, permanent appointment based at MCT Headquarters in Kolonia, Pohnpei.
• Probation: Six (6) months, subject to satisfactory performance review.
• Start date: As soon as possible.
• Compensation: US$80,000 – US$110,000 per year, commensurate with qualifications and experience (the summary table of the Terms of Reference states US$80,000 – US$112,000).
• Relocation and housing: Relocation assistance and a housing allowance of up to US$15,000 per year.
• Travel: Regional and international travel will be required.

How to Apply

Applicants should email their application to: Mae Bruton-Adams, Chief Executive Officer, at m_badams@ourmicronesia.org

Applications must include:

• A cover letter describing your interest in the position and how your experience meets the requirements.
• A current curriculum vitae (CV).
• Names and contact details of three (3) professional references.
• A writing sample.
• A video of the applicant giving a presentation, submitted as a link (for example, via Google Drive, Dropbox, or an unlisted YouTube video).

Please use the subject line “Application – Chief Operations Officer”. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and the position will remain open until filled. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

MCT is an equal opportunity employer. Qualified candidates from across Micronesia and the Pacific are strongly encouraged to apply.

More information: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/mct-recruiting-a-chief-operations-officer-ugcPost-7521785822786830336-dfoL/