About Sequoia Climate Foundation
Sequoia Climate Foundation is a new philanthropy that seeks to decarbonize the world economy at a speed and scale equal to the challenge. We support bold strategies and efforts that will have both a near-term impact and the greatest probability of long-term success. We believe that solving climate change requires the adoption of ambitious, evidence-based policy solutions that transform markets, advance clean technology, and lead to large-scale change. Our focus areas include power, transportation, buildings, industry, land use, agriculture and forestry, finance, communications, movement building, and public engagement. Sequoia Climate Foundation is active in major emitting geographies, including China, the United States, India, and the European Union, among others. We are dedicated to building the political will and powerful coalitions needed to achieve these bold policy solutions.
Our office and staff are based in Irvine, California.
For more information on Sequoia Climate Foundation, please visit the website here.
The Opportunity
The Grants Officer, Systems and Process works across Sequoia’s program areas to ensure effective and efficient grantmaking and leads various projects to improve processes and systems to support continuous improvement and scalability. They will be responsible for understanding the basics of grant compliance and grantcraft. They will serve as project manager, training lead, and thought partner within the Grantmaking Operations team. The Grants Officer will also serve as the system administrator for the Foundation’s grants management system (GMS) and guide staff towards better data-informed decision-making and grants management practices. This position requires strong problem-solving skills and creativity, attention to detail, comfort with ambiguity, and the ability to work independently and with teams across the Foundation. They will report to the Director of Grantmaking Operations, work closely with colleagues in program and operations teams (particularly IT), and engage externally in communities of practice.
Candidate Profile
The Grants Officer will be responsible for the following below:
- Design, implement, and continuously improve the Foundation’s GMS, including related technical platform improvements or integrations, to ensure Sequoia is optimized with the best-in-class systems fit for purpose. Support effective change management related to migration to new GMS, data transfers, integrations, business process creation, testing and updates.
- Administer the current and future GMS, including managing data hierarchy, data quality, data retrieval, coding taxonomy, and reporting -- particularly with respect to stewardship and learning.
- Ensure all staff are aware and knowledgeable of GMS technology, including designing dashboards, training staff formally and informally, and developing training materials and resources. Help set norms around the use of the GMS for relationship management, grant monitoring, and grants stewardship.
- Partner with the Grantmaking Operations Team to update and iterate on best practices for proposal applications and intake, grant review, due diligence, and grantee reporting. Understand the roles and workflows across the full grantmaking process and strive for continuous improvement and optimization of functionality within the GMS.
- Improve the way staff capture, access, and use grantmaking information to enhance programmatic and operational decision making, and support the use of technology to enhance grantee relationships.
- Partner with the Evidence and Learning Team to help develop and manage frameworks for collecting and using data to advance learning, decision-making, and impact assessment.
- Collaborate within the Grantmaking Operations Team on the development of training and resources. Provide backup support to teammates on grant portfolio management/tasks.
- Understand information needs within the organization and maintain and update policies and process documentation.
- Grantmaking: support grant portfolios as needed by ensuring that due diligence is complete, governance processes are followed, and all grants adhere to federal and state legal and tax requirements and international regulations.
- Project management for various grantmaking operations projects across the organization.
- Identifies partners and collaborations to advance grantmaking strategies, including, as appropriate, active participation in collaboratives, conferences, and workshops.
- Performs other duties as required.
Competencies:
- Project management experience, particularly with large-scale projects.
- Data management experience, familiarity with data systems and business processes.
- Integrity: Commitment to Sequoia Climate Foundation’s mission and values.
- Collegiality: Strong work ethic and experience working collaboratively with a team.
- Efficiency/Initiative: Ability to learn quickly, juggle multiple tasks, prioritize effectively, and meet deadlines.
- Flexibility: Ability to adjust within a dynamic, scaling environment.
- Quality/Compliance: Attention to detail and timelines.
- Specialized Knowledge: Grantmaking; familiarity with private foundation approaches, requirements, and processes.
- Innovative: problem-solving aptitude and enthusiastic about building Sequoia to be a best-in-class philanthropy.
In addition, strong candidates will offer:
- Bachelor’s degree is required.
- A minimum of eight years of professional experience working in a similar position.
- A minimum of five years of experience working in a government, non-profit, advocacy, or philanthropic organization is required.
- Experience with grants management systems is required; experience with migrations is preferred.
- Experience in effective project management is required.
- Experience in international grantmaking is preferred.
- Excellent written and oral communication skills in both English and one additional language that is spoken in China, Korea, Japan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, or another Southeast Asian country preferred.
Compensation & Location
The salary range for this role is $106,000 - $159,000.
You will be a part of an organization that promotes positive change in the world to minimize the impacts of climate change. We provide competitive wages, health, and wellness benefits, paid vacation, holidays, and other perks to promote work/life harmony. We operate in a hybrid model, which means both workdays from home and in the office located in Irvine, California. Please note, at this time, our preference is that applicants have the authorization to work in the United States.
Covid-19 Vaccination
Sequoia Climate Foundation encourages its employees to be fully vaccinated and up to date with their COVID-19 vaccines.
Contact
Koya Partners, the executive search firm that specializes in mission-driven search, has been exclusively retained for this engagement. Please submit a compelling cover letter and resume here.
Koya Partners is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals living with disabilities. If you are a qualified individual living with a disability and need assistance expressing interest online, please email NonprofitSearchOps@divsearch.com. If you are selected for an interview, you will receive additional information regarding how to request an accommodation for the interview process.
We believe in cultivating teams with diverse backgrounds and offering equal opportunities to all. We strive to create a welcoming, inclusive environment where every team member feels valued, and diversity is celebrated. Sequoia is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate based on race, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, protected veteran status, disability, age, or another legally protected status.
About Koya Partners
Koya Partners, a part of Diversified Search Group, is a leading executive search and strategic advising firm dedicated to connecting exceptionally talented people with mission-driven clients. Our founding philosophy—The Right Person in the Right Place Can Change the World—guides our work as we partner with nonprofits & NGOs, institutions of higher education, responsible businesses, and social enterprises in local communities and around the world.
For more information about Koya Partners, visit www.koyapartners.com.