Program Associate, Environment – Western Conservation

About the Position

The Program Associate will support and report to the Western Conservation Program Officer. The Program Associate manages a heavy load of grantmaking in Salesforce; processes contracts; communicates with grantees regarding proposals, budgets, and grant reports; manages the Western Conservation program budget and engages in other activities toward advancing the foundation’s Western Conservation grantmaking strategy and Environment team objectives.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

The Program Associate’s duties will include but not be limited to:

Grants Administration and Contracts (60 percent)

• Relationship-building and coordination:

• • Develop and maintain strong relationships with grantees, funders, and other potential partners to advance the Foundation’s mission in priority areas.
  • Respond to grantee and contractor questions about the grants or contracts process or materials.
  • Liaise with Grants Management, Legal, Finance and Accounting, and obtain legal and Foundation-required documents when advancing contractors and grants.
  • Track, prepare and submit consultant invoices and reimbursements in a timely manner.

• Process a very high volume of grants for the Western Conservation portfolio:
  • Track deadlines and proactively work with grantees to ensure timely document submissions, proposal reviews, legal compliance, and other internal reviews.
  • Enter proposal data in Salesforce and program budget planner. Complete grant coding, including adding/updating grant contacts, scheduling payments or program contingencies, and reconfirming and entering wire transfer information.
  • Ensure timely review and processing of grantee proposals and reports, keeping tracking information current and ensuring appropriate flow of grants against board timelines.
  • Stay up to date on legal compliance issues that the grant portfolios present and develop expertise in managing complex compliance issues.

Administrative Support (35 percent)

• Provide scheduling support for Program Officer as needed, including planning, and hosting, large virtual meetings, and webinars. For example, in 2024, the Program Associate and Program Officer will be working together to roll out an updated grantmaking strategy, which will require a substantive number of briefings for grantees and partners.
• Understand and apply internal policies and systems.
• Work with Program Officer to effectively prioritize workload, triaging deliverables to meet deadlines.
• Liaise with President’s Office and manage the process for Environment program-wide grant reporting in quarterly Board books.
• Liaise with Environment Program Manager and staff of the internal Effective Philanthropy Group and manage the allocation and tracking of Environment program-wide Organizational Effectiveness grants.

Environment Team Engagement (5 percent)

• Contribute to projects that improve skills, culture, and workflow of the Western Conservation strategy and broader Environment Program, as needed.
• Prepare for and participate in Western Conservation program presentations and briefings for staff, grantees, and funding partners.
• As interested, there are opportunities for the Program Associate to participate in and lead individual projects that advance the Foundation’s Western Conservation strategy.