Program Associate

POSITION DESCRIPTION

Amazon Conservation seeks an organized self-starter to serve as the Program Associate within our Washington, DC office. The Program Associate will report to the Program Manager, and serve as the Programs team’s primary administrator, supporting the day-to-day implementation of Amazon Conservation’s multi-project grant portfolio. The Program Associate will provide administrative, logistical, fundraising, and financial support across Amazon Conservation’s grant programming. The Program Associate will also contribute to proposal development and prospective donor research as a part of institutional giving fundraising, with the occasional opportunity to serve as lead proposal writer, as needs arise. In addition, the Program Associate actively supports Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning (MEAL), managing annual data collection of our key performance indicators (KPIs) across our entire Alliance.

Although this is an early career position, the Program Associate is an integral and valued member of the four-person Programs team, expected to be proactive, flag any issues or possible ambiguities with supervisor and Program team as they arise, and able to demonstrate sound judgment in anticipating and resolving implementation issues as they arise. The Program Associate should be comfortable working independently as well as within a team. Ability to multi-task, and handle multiple, sometimes competing priorities while maintaining a high standard of work is essential. The Program Associate is expected to be an excellent communicator who will work with a diverse, multicultural team located in different countries around the world. Experience working in a multicultural, multilingual setting is highly valued, as well as previous experience working in international development. Spanish language pro fi ciency is required, Portuguese language fl uency is highly desired.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Grant Management Support (60%)

· Creates and maintains project and team-wide organizational systems, ensuring grant deliverables are met in a timely manner. This includes (but is not limited to) maintaining a grant reporting calendar and tracker, ensuring proper archiving of project documents, scheduling internal and external meetings, taking notes at meetings, and gathering inputs from the Programs team for bi-monthly staff meetings.

· Contributes to writing narrative and financial grant reports as needed. Assists with drafting other documents for programmatic priorities, including donor communications, blog posts, presentation materials, and meeting agendas.

· Troubleshooting requests from partners and sub-grantees, escalating as appropriate in close coordination with the Program Manager, ensures strong communication and coordination with technical teams in the field.

· Supports financial management of grant budgets, including coordination with Finance and Operations team, tracking grant expenditures including partners’ disbursement requests, reviewing budget-to-actual analyses, and preparing budget amendments and reallocations.

· Supports the preparation of agreements and sub-agreements with grantees, funders, and consultants in close coordination with grant leads and the Finance and Operations team. Ensures agreements are being followed in accordance with Amazon Conservation’s policies, and that sub-grantees are adhering to contract deliverables and other requirements.

· Lead logistics planning and coordination for national and international travel and events, including support for organizing travel and accommodations, tracking participant expenses, and processing reimbursements.

· Support Programs Team to translate narrative and financial grant reports, presentations, and other materials.

Institutional Giving Support (30%)

· Maintain and update Institutional Giving funder accounts, contacts, and grant records in Salesforce;
support the Programs team in integrating Salesforce into day-to-day workflows for pipeline tracking and donor relationship management.

· Lead biweekly moves management calls with wider fundraising team, liaise independently with staff to ensure timely follow-through on cultivation and solicitation activities, ensure new moves are properly documented and saved in Salesforce.

· Lead data cleaning of prospect funders research to-date and integration into Salesforce, with supervision of Program Manager.

· Ensure smooth organization of Programs’ teams fundraising, through management and updating a pipeline of prospective donors, including tracking donor engagement stages, upcoming proposal deadlines, and stewardship actions, and leading biweekly Programs institutional fundraising calls.

· Contribute to identifying new foundations aligned with Amazon Conservation’s programmatic focuses through detailed internet research, and prepare briefings for fundraising staff and board members.

· Support writing of grant proposals and submission of grant applications, including narrative drafts, budget development, and compilation of supporting materials;
assist in formulating project concepts in English and Spanish.

Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) Support (5%)

· Participate in Amazon Conservation’s M&E Working Group, ensuring strong coordination and organization between Alliance members, scheduling meetings, and providing support to the Programs and Policy teams.

· Coordinate annual data collection process for Alliance-wide key performance indicators (KPIs).

Other duties (5%)

· Support preparation and execution of meetings of the Board of Directors twice annually.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

· Bachelor’s degree and two to four years of professional experience.

· Self-motivated with strong organizational skills, detail-oriented and with a solutions-oriented mindset. Exercise sound judgment, anticipate bottlenecks as they arise during project implementation and suggest solutions.

· Ability to multi-task and manage projects and priorities simultaneously in a fast-paced, dynamic environment, while maintaining high standards of work quality and accuracy.

· Strong verbal and written communication skills, including ability to understand and tailor technical or scientific information into written products for differing audiences in a clear and direct style, proofread documents in English and Spanish, and write persuasively for grant proposals and donor communications.

· A strategic thinker with an ability to see the big picture, and identify strategic opportunities for engagement with new donors based on current programmatic priorities.

· Strong computer skills including Microsoft Office, and the Google Suite;
including demonstrated proficiency in Excel.

· Cultivate strong working relationships with internal teams, external donors, partners, and stakeholders, contribute to a working culture of inclusion and integrity at Amazon Conservation. Exhibit a culturally sensitive communication style, discretion, and professionalism, particularly when communicating with donors.

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS

· Professional proficiency in written and spoken Portuguese is highly desired.

· Professional or academic background in international development, environmental science, or tropical forests conservation is highly preferred, but not required.

· Familiarity with Salesforce or similar customer relationship management (CRM) databases is a strong plus.

· Experience working for a mission-driven organization, and familiarity with key institutional donors such as the World Bank, Norad NICFI, and private foundation donors are highly desired.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

The salary range for this position is $58,000-$65,000 depending on experience. Amazon Conservation offers a highly competitive benefits package, including:

· Fully employer-paid medical, dental, and vision insurance, plus short- and long-term disability coverage

· 70% employer-paid dependent health coverage

· Matching pension plan

· 40 days of paid time off annually (25 vacation days, 12 sick days, and 3 personal days)

Amazon Conservation has staff in Amazonian countries and the US, with staff in Washington, D.C., coming to the office on certain days of the week. This is a hybrid position, but the candidate must be located in the DMV area (DC, Maryland, Virginia) and be willing to work in the office at least three times a week, as well as for special meetings and events. Position may require working extended hours to support special meetings, events, or other organizational activities as needed.

Amazon Conservation is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE). Amazon Conservation commits to establishing and fostering an equitable and inclusive environment where all members feel safe, supported, and valued. We believe that a diversity of experience, positionality, and perspective is of central importance to maximizing our work protecting the Amazon Rainforest.

APPLICATION GUIDELINES

Please submit your cover letter, resume, and a list of three references via email to View email address on click.appcast.io with the subject line “Program Associate.”

Applications without a cover letter will NOT be reviewed. Due to the high volume of applications, the organization will only reply to finalist candidates. No phone calls or LinkedIn messages, please. Candidates are reviewed on a rolling basis. The position is open until filled and is available immediately.