Program Associate - Conservation

ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY AND YOU

The Conservation Portfolio Program Associate plays a crucial role in supporting the team’s work through administrative, logistical, and communication support. You’ll coordinate meetings, site visits, and events, manage materials and logistics, and track RSVPs, while helping synthesize key insights for the team. Additionally, you’ll assist with grants management, data reporting, and proposal tracking to support decision-making.

This role requires exceptional organizational and multitasking skills, a growth mindset, and a commitment to equity in your work. You will work both independently and collaboratively in a dynamic environment, reporting to the Director of Conservation and partnering closely with the Senior Program Officer and Program Officer.

The ideal candidate is highly organized, thrives in dynamic settings, and believes that diverse perspectives drive the best outcomes. If you’re excited to contribute to impactful conservation efforts, we’d love to hear from you!

MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES

Supporting Program Initiatives

• Support Conservation Program communication efforts, both externally and internally, including taking notes at team meetings, synthesizing, and sharing out to the team, and highlighting action items. Sending email correspondence to grantee partners with organizational announcements.
• Coordinate and schedule site visits and meetings for the members of the Conservation team.
• Coordinate all planning for grantee partner convenings and events:
• Develop and circulate materials, arrange building access, set up technology, and other room coordination.
• Track RSVPs and take and distribute meeting notes as needed.
• Ensure efficient event coordination and organization.
• Coordinate/schedule team-wide activities with the organizational-wide calendar.
• Make travel arrangements when necessary.
• Conduct research when requested.

Administration

• Provide administrative assistance and project support for the Conservation team.
• Manage inventory of online resources and (as appropriate) physical supplies.
• Assist with the preparation of Board materials.
• Monitor and distribute emails from the general Conservation email and voicemail.
• Process credit card expense reports for the conservation team.

Supporting Grants Management

• Assist with the grant process: log proposals, verify tax status, verify that all materials are submitted, and gather additional materials from grantee partners if necessary.
• Create data reports describing current and forecasted grantee partners to guide program decision-making.
• Provide support to the Social Impact and Grants Management teams in managing the grants database at least quarterly: close out grants, monitor overdue reports, monitor duplicate organizations, confirm contact information, etc.
• Maintain informational and tracking spreadsheets supporting grantmaking cycles.

Other

• Support and collect partner stories for sharing across email, social media, etc.
• Actively participate in required staff and Board meetings and partner with staff on agenda items and materials.
• Participate in educational opportunities and professional networks.
• Protect the organization by keeping its information confidential.
• Other duties as assigned.

EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS

You may not check every box, or your experience may look a little different than what is outlined in this opportunity profile, but if you share the Foundation’s values and bring unique skills, we encourage you to apply!

• A minimum of three years of administrative experience managing schedules, entering data, producing reports, and using databases.
• Nonprofit or philanthropy experience preferred.
• A minimum of three years of project management experience involving multiple team members and different areas of work.
• Experience using project management software a plus.

COMPETENCIES AND SKILLS

• Ability to communicate information accurately, listen effectively, and ask questions.
• Excellent writing, verbal communication, and presentation skills required
• Highly organized, detail-oriented, with a strong focus on meeting timelines and deadlines.
• Experience working effectively with diverse constituencies, personalities, and viewpoints.
• Able to pivot as needed; understands changing priorities and seeks clarity, as needed.
• A positive attitude, a sense of humor, and resourcefulness are highly valued.
• Advanced technical acumen essential, with proficiency in virtual meeting platforms, MS Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. The ability and willingness to quickly learn and utilize new technologies. Experience with Adobe Acrobat strongly preferred.
• Ability to thrive in a dynamic environment and manage change effectively.
• Demonstrates a growth mindset with a continuous learner lens and curiosity. The ability to create and maintain standards of high performance and accountability while fostering innovation and improvement.
• Awareness of and continuously addresses one’s privileges, biases, and cultural preferences and how they impact collaboration. Recognizes that individuals and groups can gain and demonstrate knowledge and skills in a variety of ways.
• Lives the Foundation’s core values—Excellence, Respect, Humility, Authenticity, and Collaboration—in all aspects of work.
• Maintains confidentiality in all matters related to the foundation and its stakeholders.

We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive organization and are most interested in finding the best candidate for the job. That candidate may come from a background less traditional to our field of work, and that’s just fine. And we know all candidates will not possess every single one of our desired qualities. We strongly encourage interested candidates to apply.

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

The position is a salaried, exempt, full-time role with a salary range of $75,000 to $90,000 annually for Chicago candidates, depending on professional and lived experience. For Washington, D.C., candidates, the salary range is $79,500 to $95,400 annually, reflecting the regional salary differentiation policy.

Additionally, the Paul M. Angell Family Foundation offers a highly competitive comprehensive benefits package including:

• Healthcare: 100% paid Platinum PPO health insurance premium for employees/80% for dependents or family.
• Dental and Vision: 100% paid premium for employees, dependents, and family.
• 403b retirement savings plan employer contributions match: After three months of employment, the Foundation will contribute up to 9% of the employee’s salary—5% will be an outright contribution, and the Foundation will match up to 4% of the employee’s contribution to the plan.
• In addition to vacation, holidays, wellness, and sick days, the PMAFF offices are closed from December 26th through New Year’s Day annually and employees’ salaries are paid during this closure.
• Twelve weeks of paid parental leave for a birth parent, non-birth parent, or adoption.
• We are committed to supporting your growth through professional development funds, tailored to your role and learning needs. We provide opportunities for collaboration, skill-building, and the time and space to grow in your career.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

• Currently, this position operates within a hybrid working environment, with light in-person meetings and remote work. In the future, the role will require 2–3 in-office days per week in Washington, D.C., as team needs evolve
• Occasional evening and weekend work is rarely required.
• Monthly travel to Chicago, travel to grantee partners, and occasional international travel are required.
• The Foundation maintains a smoke-free and drug-free work environment in compliance with federal, state, and local regulations.
• While employed in this position, the employee may be required to perform other assignments not listed in this job description.
• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear and use hands to operate equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, scanners, and filing cabinets. Reasonable accommodation will enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the position’s essential functions.
• This position is at-will, meaning either party may terminate the employment relationship at any time with written notice. Nothing in this job description is to be construed as creating a contract for employment for a specific duration.

ABOUT THE CONSERVATION PROGRAM

The PMAFF Conservation Program works to protect the world’s oceans and marine species by funding programs, projects, and organizations that enhance marine biodiversity and confront the threats that imperil ocean health. Marine ecosystems are vital to life on earth, supporting vast biodiversity and providing livelihoods for communities globally. Unfortunately, these ecosystems face significant threats from human activities, including climate change, habitat destruction, overfishing, and pollution. PMAFF supports initiatives that implement sustainable Marine Protected Areas, reform international fisheries governance, conserve coral reefs and shark species, increase legal capacity for marine conservation, end plastic pollution, and combat climate change by decarbonizing maritime shipping and building international political will for climate action. Our strategic grantmaking emphasizes collaboration with ocean-focused donor-advised funds and funding collaboratives, utilizing a bi-annual grantmaking process to maximize impact.

ABOUT US - THE ORGANIZATION

The mission of the Paul M. Angell Family Foundation (PMAFF) is to work towards a world of thriving and equitable communities in which the promise and power of the arts flourish and where healthy oceans sustainably support the human and other animal species that depend on them. The Foundation was created in 2011 to honor Paul M. Angell and strives to embody the legacy of his compassion, ingenuity, and industriousness. The foundation currently employs 15 staff members and plans to expand to 25 by the end of 2025. In 2024, we awarded over 350 grants, totaling $54 million. The foundation is committed to fostering a culture of inclusiveness, embracing diverse voices, and creating equitable opportunities across all sectors of our work. We prioritize growth that is not only sustainable but also centered on fostering a supportive and collaborative environment where all individuals have the resources and opportunities to thrive.

OUR DIVERSITY AND EQUAL OPPORTUNITY CORE VALUE

Paul M. Angell Family Foundation is committed to equal employment opportunity and to compliance with applicable local, state, and federal antidiscrimination laws which prohibit discrimination and harassment against any employees or applicants for employment based on their actual or perceived race, color, religion, age, ancestry, marital status, protective order status, military status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, work authorization status, pregnancy and the potential or intention to become pregnant, AIDS/HIV status, medical condition, status as a victim of domestic, sexual, gender or criminal violence, certain arrest or criminal history records, lack of a permanent mailing address or a mailing address that is a shelter or social services provider, and use of lawful products outside of work during non-working hours. We will not tolerate discrimination or harassment based upon these characteristics or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

HOW YOU CAN APPLY

To apply submit application here!

You will be asked to submit the following:

• Resume
• Cover letter highlighting your experience and your ability to excel in this role
• Expected start date: March/April 2025