Grants Officer

About The David and Lucile Packard Foundation

The David & Lucile Packard Foundation was founded in 1964 by David and Lucile Packard. We work with people and communities to create enduring solutions for just societies and a healthy, resilient natural world. We have worked with thousands of organizations and leaders in the U.S. and worldwide to advance progress in the critical areas of science, ocean and land conservation, climate change, women’s reproductive health and rights, and the well-being of children, families, and communities.

OUR VISION: A just and equitable world where both people and nature flourish.

Our new vision embraces a future where both people and nature flourish in a more just and equitable world. We explicitly acknowledge that the fate of people and the natural environment are inextricably linked. Solutions to the complex challenges we face must account for this interconnectedness.

OUR MISSION: We work with people and communities to create enduring solutions for just societies and a healthy, resilient natural world.

Our new mission takes on the critical work of addressing root causes of the challenges we face and mobilizing people for collective action. In addition to building on approaches that have guided our philanthropy for decades — working in partnership, committing to issues over the long-term, and grounding our work in science, knowledge, and data – we focus on understanding the systems that either accelerate or impede progress. It is only through just and equitable systems that we can find and sustain solutions to some of the biggest challenges we face today.

OUR VALUES: Equity, Integrity, Belief in Individual Leadership, Thinking Big, Respect, and Effectiveness

In addition to clarifying our long-held values, we added equity. We will champion equity by treating people with dignity, honoring a range of ideas and perspectives from those closest to the issues, creating inclusive processes, and funding people who have been historically excluded to spur progress for all. For more information, including our definitions of key concepts, please visit our website.

Position Summary

The Grants Officer (GO) is an expert in grantmaking operations, process, and due diligence and is responsible for contributing to and implementing best-in-class grantmaking tools, strategies, and approaches for end-to-end grantmaking. Reporting to the Grants Management Director, this role will manage all grants practices and processes, consistently delivering exceptional staff and grantee partner grantmaking experience.

The Grants Officer will manage Foundation-wide grants management processes, the Foundation’s grantmaking resources (e.g., documents, tools, systems), and the administration of assigned initiative grantmaking budgets. The Grants Officer maintains a strategic view of the grants management operations and approaches while also being able to track the necessary details of execution with efficiency. Additionally, the Grants Officer will partner with Initiative Directors to support Program Associates’ grantmaking via a dotted line relationship, ensuring adherence to grantmaking practices, policies, and timelines. GOs will provide guidance, training, enablement, and oversight on grantmaking processes and quality of work to grantmaking staff; they are responsible for ensuring that grantmaking staff are informed, supported, and completing grants in line with our policies and practices.

In addition, the GO drives and executes cross-cutting projects, collaborates with Foundation staff to share grants and compliance knowledge, advocates for technology and process innovations, and supports consistency and continuous improvement across the Foundation’s grantmaking.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

Compliance and Due Diligence

• Conduct pre-award due diligence on grant materials; ensure completeness and adherence to applicable law, Foundation policies and processes for U.S. and international grants; identify potential technical compliance issues, and propose recommendations
• Provide expertise and assistance to grantmaking staff to ensure understanding and compliance with applicable U.S. and international, state, and local laws and internal policies
• Work with initiative staff, Legal, and grantees as needed to resolve questions and issues
• Review post-award data to ensure compliance with Foundation and IRS rules and regulations for inclusion in the expenditure responsibility schedules within the Foundation’s 990 PF tax return as needed

Grant Portfolio and Budget Administration

• Lead the tracking and administration of assigned grant budgets and work with Initiative Directors and goal VPs on grant budgeting scenarios and reviews
• Lead quarterly grant and grant data review with initiative teams
• Partner with Legal to uphold and operationalize legal policies and laws while seeking opportunities to improve and refine the compliance process and related legal issues
• Work with Finance on strategic forecasting and grants budget administration (forecast vs. actuals, carryovers, funding sources, and budget trackers)
• Coordinate with goal VPs/Initiative Directors on changes to grants processes that affect initiative staff
• Serve as a subject matter expert to IT and the Business Solutions Officer on GMS bugs/enhancements and prioritization
• Partner with Foundation’s Evaluation & Learning Officers on learning projects related to grantmaking practices, as needed

Leadership and Change Management

• Develop and manage the implementation of organization-wide grants management shared practices
• Ensure grant operations are consistent with the Foundation’s policies and further its values, vision, mission, and direction
• Identify and lead efforts to improve our grantmaking practices, including new practices, workflow, and grants management processes
• Solicit feedback and create mechanisms for their initiative/goal teams to share ideas for improving grants processes, resources and systems and incorporate input into continuous improvement efforts
• Lead the design and implement the execution of org-wide grantmaking projects (e.g., True Cost, Approval Thresholds, Grant Summary, Funding Hierarchy, Proposal and Reporting Questions, etc.)

Partnerships & Team Enablement

• Build and maintain external relationships to be aware of and share industry best practices
• Guide, support, and provide ongoing feedback to Program Associates on the Environment & Science team to ensure file accuracy and adherence to grantmaking policies, procedures, processes, and timelines.
• Actively participate in hiring and onboarding processes for new Program Associates
• Provide regular, actionable feedback to Program Associates, Initiative Directors, and Grants Management Director on the state of the dotted line relationship
• Participate in Program Associates’ performance management activities, including quarterly check-ins and annual reviews
• Partner with Initiative Directors on work planning and to help determine workload allocations for program associates

Qualifications

Education

• A Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience and training is required for this role.
• Experience
• A minimum of 6-8 years of professional grants management experience is required for this role, specifically in areas related to grantmaking operations with experience in legal and compliance issues pertaining to a U.S.-based private foundation.
• A minimum of 2-4 years of experience leading grants management projects and associated communications planning and change management is also required for this role.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• A commitment to, and interest in, the Foundation’s vision, mission, and values
• Ability to deeply understand the nuances and complexities of grantmaking across a breadth of funding vehicles to a diverse array of grantees and partners
• Knowledge of the legal and compliance issues pertaining to a U.S.-based private foundation with domestic and international grantmaking is required
• Skilled in facilitating meetings, working sessions, and cross-functional conversations to build shared understanding, support decision-making, and ensure alignment
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills; ability to center transparency and consistency across team communications
• Ability to navigate conflict, while simultaneously employing diplomacy and driving towards a solution
• Experience building and shaping operations, teams, and practices in partnership with colleagues
• Comfort with ambiguity and change is essential
• Proven ability to foster openness and collaboration, seeking input across teams and contexts to drive a vision of grants management
• Self-driven motivation is important, as is the comfort and confidence to express one’s expertise and manage through influence and persuasion
• Ability to maintain a strategic view of grants management operations and approaches, while also being able to track the necessary details of execution with efficiency
• Commitment to fostering, cultivating, and preserving a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusivity
• Devoted to growing own cultural competence and willing to participate actively in the Foundation’s efforts to integrate DEIB in all facets of our work

Hybrid Work Policy

The Packard Foundation’s current Hybrid Work Policy is that staff are expected to be in the office on Tuesdays and Wednesdays each week.

Equal Employment Opportunity

The Foundation is an equal employment opportunity employer, which means we recruit, hire, assign, train, promote, compensate, provide benefits, discipline, and discharge (and all the other terms and conditions of employment) based on merit, qualifications, job requirements, and other legitimate business factors.