Operations Associate, Science Projects

Operations Associate, Science Projects

Palo Alto, CA Gordon and Betty Moore established the foundation to create positive outcomes for future generations. Guided by this vision and the Statement of Founders' Intent, the foundation fosters path-breaking environmental conservation, scientific discovery, and preservation of the special character of the San Francisco Bay Area. We strive to make significant and durable impacts on the world. Together, we work to honor the vision of our founders and serve as stewards of the resources they have entrusted to us. We establish specific strategies based on advice from experts, identify partners who share our goals and measure results along the way. We build relationships and fund work in areas where we hope to make significant impacts; and we know that working together expands our ability to drive meaningful change.

The foundation is seeking an Operations Associate to join our Science Projects team within the Science Program. The foundation's Science Program fosters pathbreaking scientific discovery and a vibrant ecosystem for science. Our Science Projects team aims to identify and support researchers in various scientific fields that can drive significant advances.

Operations Associates at the foundation provide operational and administrative support for program staff. In this role, you will provide support to the Science Program, with primary focus on Science Projects, across the full grant lifecycle from development through management, by coordinating day-to-day operations, strengthening team processes, and supporting financial and grantmaking workflows. You will also contribute to budget management, monitoring and evaluation, and the team's planning efforts.

This role suits a collaborative, detail-oriented professional who enjoys bringing structure to complex work, anticipating needs, and enabling others to do their best work. The position blends team operations, grantmaking support, financial coordination, project management, and process improvement to keep people, information, and priorities aligned as the program advances its goals.

This Operations Associate reports to the Program Officer that oversees Science Projects, with a dotted-line reporting relationship to the Science Program Manager on operational and financial management. The role also involves close collaboration with others in the Science Program and across the foundation.

This role is based in Palo Alto, California, at the foundation's main office. We operate under a hybrid work model that combines flexibility with meaningful in-person collaboration. Staff are required to work and reside within a reasonable driving distance of the Palo Alto office, and this role will work onsite in Palo Alto a minimum of four days each month. Additional on-site presence is required during the weeks of the May, August, and November board meetings and periodically throughout the year as business needs require.

What You'll Do

Team Operations

• Develop and implement processes, timelines, analyses, and templates to support and enhance team operations, in particular regard to grant submissions, internal deadlines, team deliverables, spending, and management of active grants. Use good judgment, with understanding of context, to identify priorities and strengthen team operations.
• Manage internal team processes ensuring that tasks and responsibilities are clear, and deadlines are met.
• Facilitate team coordination, work plans, internal functional relationships, knowledge management, and tracking and accountability of action items.
• Track operating budget and grantmaking allocations, ensuring informed financial decisions of the Program Officer and regular coordination with the Program Manager.
• Exercise judgment within defined internal grant procedures and practices to determine appropriate courses of action. Serve as key internal contact for the team, solving problems and consulting with Grants Administration and Program Manager as needed.
• Collaborate with the Program Officer in the formulation and implementation of team processes and, with the Program Manager and other Associates, in the development and implementation of program-wide processes (e.g., grant submission flow, grant sign-off, grant document templates).
• Coordinate team activities, organize team meetings and calendars, maintain meeting agendas, create and distribute meeting notes and synthesis documents, maintain action items for the team and carry out other administrative duties as requested and, when appropriate, in coordination with the Science Team Executive Assistant.
• Plan and help manage virtual, in-person, and hybrid conferences, workshops and meetings that bring together members of the grantee and research community, with attention to detail in managing event logistics, expenses, and participant reimbursements.
• Manage contracts with external vendors, including hotels, restaurants, and event management companies. Partner with external parties to oversee travel policy compliance, conduct participant reimbursement, and manage event expenses as needed.
• File and organize scientific publications and other documents by theme; and share relevant information with the team.

Grants Operations

• Support the Program Officer and team by maintaining active grant records, monitoring deadlines and payments, and independently managing the collection of grantee reports. Prepare reporting templates for grantees and work with the team to revise and iterate upon report templates as needed. Communicate with grantees to manage project extensions and associated revision of grant requirements.
• Support the team in stewarding grants through the development process by communicating with prospective grantees regarding grantmaking procedures, developing and sharing appropriate templates and instructions, and updating prospective grant records. Apply foundation knowledge in responding to communications courteously and promptly.
• Employ project and grant management tools to manage information on the grant pipeline, including grant requirements, preparing and sending reporting templates for grantees, and tracking payments.
• Help in sourcing new grantees by conducting due diligence and funding landscape analysis and coordinating proposal reviews.
• Collect and organize results of grantees, including impact data, publications, and other research products.
• Proactively engage with finance, legal, grants administration, and information technology teams to facilitate smooth grantmaking operations. Develop and apply institutional knowledge of grantmaking and other programmatic procedures to understand when and how to engage colleagues appropriately. Provide input in joint problem-solving and generating ideas for increasing efficiency.
• Manage expenditure-responsibility and equivalency-determination requirements, working with grantees, foundation legal staff, and Grants Administration.
• Develop, solicit, and coordinate updates of website content in partnership with Program Officer and internal communication team members.
• Communicate effectively to internal and external audiences regarding our funding activities and apply knowledge about Science Special Projects, other grant portfolios, and the Science Program when addressing inquiries from the community.
• Contribute to, and participate in, the foundation's cross-program activities and projects as needed.
• Actively participate in and assist with Science Program and foundation meetings, trainings, and other activities, and help facilitate internal and external meetings, including multi-day retreats.

What You Bring

Qualifications

• A Bachelor's degree.
• A minimum of 3 years' relevant work experience in administration, program coordination, and/or project management.
• Experience with meeting and/or event planning and management.
• General interest in and appreciation of science as demonstrated through school, work, extracurricular activities, and/or volunteer programs.
• Familiarity with academic administration, funding, and department and laboratory structures is beneficial.

Competencies

• Strong organizational skills and diligent attention to detail.
• Excellent project management and analytical skills.
• Skill in developing, implementing, and refining operational processes and systems.
• Proficiency in organizing and coordinating virtual, hybrid, and in-person meetings and events.
• Ability to develop, manage, and review budgets.
• Strong team orientation, positive attitude, integrity, self-motivation, discipline and reliability.
• Ability to work independently, self-manage priorities and goals for projects, anticipate needs, and meet deadlines, while working well under pressure.
• Ability to track action items and accountabilities with a team that primarily works remotely.
• Ability to think critically and provide practical solutions based on thorough analysis in the face of real-time issues.
• Ability to exercise judgment within defined procedures and practices to determine appropriate courses of action.
• Willingness to ask for help and identify appropriate resources to accomplish tasks.
• Strong written, spoken, graphic, and interpersonal communication skills (e.g., copy editing, drafting memoranda and reports, preparing PowerPoint presentations, taking and distributing meeting notes, and exchanging correspondence with external contacts).
• Proficiency with office productivity software (e.g. Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Smartsheet) and comfort learning and using new technologies, databases, web-based document management and collaboration platforms, and AI-enabled tools to improve efficiency, organization, and the quality of work.

Attributes

• Committed to Excellence - We bring our best to all we do.
• Passionate - Inspired by the vision of our founders, we are passionate about our work.