Conservation Grants Associate (Africa)

Rainforest Trust; United States; Remote; USD 58,000 - 63,000; Full time

Job summary

Rainforest Trust is a remote-first nonprofit that supports conservation projects across Africa and beyond. The role emphasizes grant coordination, regional strategy alignment, and collaboration with diverse partners to advance conservation outcomes.

The position may require occasional travel for organizational meetings and events, with compensation structured for remote workers and international hires based on country of residence.

Qualifications

• Strategic and Project Planning: assess and discern project viability in alignment with strategic conservation goals.
• Regional and Cultural Awareness: familiarity with Africa region; fluent in English; French/Portuguese a plus.
• Organizational and Documentation Skills: strong docs, clear, accurate records.
• Time and Project Management: manage multiple projects and proactive problem identification.
• Technical Agility: quick to learn and adapt to new technology.
• Commitment to Rainforest Trust values: Nature & People; Efficiency; Transparency; Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; Partnerships & Collaboration; Science & Innovation.

Responsibilities

• Support coordination and adaptive project management of grant agreements.
• Communicate with grant recipients and project implementers to handle administration of running agreements smoothly.
• Identify and escalate issues to enable prioritization and mitigation of consequences.
• Review project applications and assess viability for alignment with regional Conservation Strategy.
• Distill and deliver information from partners to philanthropy, marketing, leadership, and board for planning and donor stewardship.
• Achieve regional goals in alignment with Rainforest Trust values.

Job description

Position Title: Conservation Grants Associate (Africa)

Location: Remote (USA or in region: Africa)

Note: The salary range for international hires will be determined by the regional market in the candidate's country of residence.

Reports to: Senior Conservation Grants Officer (Africa)

ABOUT US:

Since 1988, Rainforest Trust has been safeguarding imperiled tropical habitats and saving endangered species by supporting rights-based conservation measures such as affirming and securing rights to Indigenous or Traditional Territories, recognizing Conserved Areas (OECMs), and establishing traditional Protected Areas, including those with co-management of Indigenous or local communities. Working in partnership with local organizations and communities, we have protected more than 56 million acres of vital habitat across Africa, Africa, Asia and the Pacific. Rainforest Trust is a 501c3 nonprofit organization that relies upon the generous support of the public to successfully implement our important conservation action.

HOW YOU'LL CONTRIBUTE TO OUR MISSION:

• Support the coordination and adaptive project management of grant agreements aligned with regional conservation priorities.
• Effectively communicate with grant recipients and project implementers to handle the administration of running agreements smoothly.
• Proactively identifies and lifts up problems for other staff to handle so that the team can prioritize their time effectively and problems can be addressed with time to mitigate consequences.
• Review project applications and support the team's assessment of project viability and ensure alignment with the region's Conservation Strategy
• Distill and deliver relevant information from partners to Philanthropy, Marketing, Senior Leadership, and the Board of Directors to support internal planning and donor stewardship
• Achieve all of the regional goals in alignment with Rainforest Trust values

TO SUCCEED IN THIS ROLE, WE'RE HOPING YOU'LL HAVE:

• Strategic and Project Planning: You can assess and discern project viability in alignment with strategic conservation goals. You bring strong experience with protected area creation, expansion, and/or land titling. You also have previous experience contributing to project development and proposal writing in coordination with conservation teams. You're also comfortable managing grants and complex projects, ideally in a conservation or nonprofit context.
• Regional and Cultural Awareness: You have familiarity working in the Africa region. You communicate effectively and respectfully with stakeholders from different countries and cultures. You are fluent in English. French and Portuguese fluency is a plus.
• Organizational and Documentation Skills: You maintain strong organizational skills to keep files and records easily findable. You can complete and maintain documentation clearly, consistently, and accurately. You have strong attention to detail and ability to collect, consolidate, and synthesize project data for internal and external audiences
• Time and Project Management: You manage time effectively and help multiple projects move forward simultaneously. You always proactively identify problems early to enable timely resolution
• Technical Agility: You're quick to learn and adapt to new technology.
• A demonstrated commitment to and enthusiasm for Rainforest Trust's mission and respect for our core values : Nature & People; Efficiency; Transparency; Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; Partnerships & Collaboration; Science & Innovation.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

Rainforest Trust values the diversity of our planet and environment and wants our team to reflect the richness of the global population we serve. We believe that striving to maintain a demographically diverse workforce where employees are treated equitably and feel a strong sense of inclusion is not only an ethical imperative but also a key driver of innovation and excellence, enhancing our ability to fulfill our mission of conserving and protecting our natural environment.

We put this belief into action by applying this lens to every aspect of employment, from how we hire and recruit, to how we determine compensation and benefits, to the training and development we offer, and the working conditions we create.

If you think you have what it takes, but don't necessarily meet every single qualification, please still get in touch. We'd love to have a chat and see if you could be a great fit!

We are an equal-opportunity employer and give all qualified applicants consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran status, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws, regulations and ordinances.

WORKING CONDITIONS AND TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS

Rainforest Trust is a remote first organization and the incumbent will be expected to work primarily from home with an excellent internet connection, though part-time office space may be available in Washington DC. Occasional national and/or international travel may be required for organizational meetings and other events.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

The physical requirements described here are representative of those that must be met by a teammate to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Ability to remain in a stationary position at a computer terminal for an extended period. The person in this position frequently communicates with colleagues both verbally and in writing and must be able to exchange accurate, neat and thorough information.

ANTICIPATED SALARY

The salary range for this position is $58,000- $63,000 commensurate with experience. This base compensation range represents the anticipated low and high range of wages for this position. Salaries will vary and will be based on various factors, such as candidate's qualifications, skills, competencies, and proficiency for the role. This range applies only to U.S based hires.The salary range for international hires will be determined by the regional market in the candidate's country of residence . Information on other benefits may be found on our Careers Page .