Head of Grant Operations

The OpenAI Foundation; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 246,000 - 338,000; Full time

Job summary

The OpenAI Foundation is seeking a Head of Grant Operations to build and lead our grantmaking functions. Reporting to the CFO, this role designs and manages systems, policies, and controls for grants from diligence through closeout.

You will partner with program, legal, finance, and leadership to ensure thoughtful grant structuring, compliant administration, and timely funding while advancing the foundation's mission.

Qualifications

• 10–15+ years of grants management and philanthropy experience.
• Experience administering complex grant portfolios.
• Ability to conduct organizational, financial, compliance due diligence.
• Excellent project management and communication skills.
• Ability to operate in fast-moving, ambiguous environment.

Responsibilities

• Build and lead the Foundation's grant operations infrastructure.
• Design scalable grant administration processes and controls.
• Oversee due diligence, structuring, execution, and monitoring of grants.
• Partner with program teams, legal, finance, and leadership.
• Ensure compliance, reporting, and timely grant closeout.

Skills

Grant management

Project management

Analytical thinking

Communication skills

Ownership and accountability

Job description

About OpenAI Foundation

AI is already changing how people work, learn, and access care. It has the potential to unlock extraordinary benefits—faster medical breakthroughs, accelerated scientific discovery, more personalized services in healthcare and education, new tools for creativity and invention, higher productivity and economic growth, improved public services like transportation systems, and so much more.

About OpenAI Foundation

AI is already changing how people work, learn, and access care. It has the potential to unlock extraordinary benefits—faster medical breakthroughs, accelerated scientific discovery, more personalized services in healthcare and education, new tools for creativity and invention, higher productivity and economic growth, improved public services like transportation systems, and so much more.

But building powerful systems to benefit humanity is only a part of the work of our mission. Advanced AI models will also present new challenges that are already surfacing, and we need to be prepared to identify these challenges and develop solutions to address them.

These are the two dimensions of what we’re building the Foundation to do. We aim to enable the use of AI to find solutions to humanity’s hardest problems, transform what people are capable of, and deliver real benefits in people’s lives—while working hard with partners to be ready for new challenges, and to help make society resilient, as AI advances.

This work is just beginning. Over the next year, as we quickly ramp up, the Foundation expects to invest at least $1 billion across life sciences and curing diseases, jobs and economic impact, AI resilience, and community programs. This includes early investments toward our previously announced $25 billion commitment to curing diseases and AI resilience.

About The Role

We are looking for a Head of Grant Operations to build and lead the Foundation's grantmaking operations function. Reporting to the CFO, this is a foundational leadership role responsible for designing and managing the systems, processes, policies, and controls that support the Foundation's grantmaking activities from initial diligence through final closeout.

The Head of Grant Operations will serve as a key partner to program teams, legal, finance, compliance, and leadership. You will help ensure that grants are structured thoughtfully, administered effectively, and monitored appropriately while enabling the Foundation to move quickly and responsibly in pursuit of its mission.

This role requires a unique combination of operational rigor, sound judgment, relationship management skills, and a willingness to work directly in the details. You will be expected to operate strategically while also personally managing many aspects of the Foundation's grant portfolio as the organization grows.

What You'll Do

• Build the Foundation's grant operations infrastructure
  • Develop and maintain the Foundation's grantmaking policies, procedures, templates, and operational frameworks
  • Design scalable grant administration processes that support a growing and increasingly complex grant portfolio
  • Establish systems for tracking grants, reporting obligations, compliance requirements, and key milestones
  • Maintain the Foundation's grant register and related records
  • Develop and maintain operational controls that ensure grants are administered consistently and responsibly
  • Help select and implement grant management systems and related technology platforms and infuse AI into the process
• Support diligence and grant structuring
  • Partner with program teams to evaluate prospective grants and funding opportunities
  • Conduct operational, financial, legal, compliance, and reputational diligence on prospective grantees
  • Assess organizational capacity, governance, financial health, and execution capability
  • Identify potential risks and recommend mitigation strategies
  • Coordinate diligence efforts across legal, finance, and program teams
• Manage grant execution
  • Lead preparation, negotiation, and execution of grant agreements and related documentation
  • Serve as a primary point of contact for grantees during the grant setup process
  • Partner closely with legal counsel to structure grant agreements appropriately
  • Ensure all required approvals, documentation, and compliance reviews are completed prior to funding
• Oversee grant administration and monitoring
  • Track grant payments, reporting obligations, milestones, and compliance requirements throughout the grant lifecycle
  • Review grantee reports, deliverables, financial submissions, and other required documentation
  • Follow up with grantees regarding reporting obligations and outstanding deliverables
  • Partner with program teams to assess grant progress, performance, and impact
  • Escalate potential concerns, risks, or compliance issues when appropriate
• Manage modifications and closeout
  • Coordinate grant amendments, renewals, extensions, and other modifications
  • Negotiate revised reporting schedules, deliverables, and grant terms when circumstances change
  • Ensure grants are appropriately closed upon completion
  • Maintain complete grant records and documentation throughout the grant lifecycle
  • Capture lessons learned and continuously improve grantmaking processes
• Partner across the Foundation
  • Work closely with program teams, legal, finance, compliance, and leadership
  • Serve as an internal expert on grant administration, grant compliance, and operational best practices
  • Help balance operational rigor with an excellent experience for grantees and internal stakeholders
  • Help shape the Foundation's broader grantmaking infrastructure and operating model as it scales

Qualifications

• 10-15+ years of relevant experience strongly preferred
• Significant experience in grants management, philanthropy, nonprofit operations, compliance, legal operations, foundation administration, or related fields
• Experience administering complex grant portfolios through the full grant lifecycle
• Experience conducting organizational, financial, operational, compliance, and reputational diligence
• Experience negotiating grant agreements, funding agreements, or similar contractual arrangements
• Strong understanding of charitable giving regulations, grant compliance requirements, and philanthropic best practices
• Excellent project management and organizational skills
• Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills
• High degree of ownership, judgment, discretion, and accountability
• Ability to operate effectively in a fast-moving and highly ambiguous environment

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience at a large private foundation, public charity, donor-advised fund, family office, university, multilateral organization, or major grantmaking institution
• Experience administering international grants and cross-border funding programs
• Familiarity with expenditure responsibility, equivalency determination, fiscal sponsorship, and other complex grantmaking structures
• Experience implementing or managing grants management systems
• Experience supporting large-scale philanthropic portfolios involving significant annual grantmaking

Compensation

The annual base salary range for this role is $246,000 to $338,000 USD. This range reflects our good-faith estimate of the base salary we reasonably expect to pay for this position upon hire. Actual base salary will be determined based on job-related factors, including the candidate’s relevant experience, skills, expertise, the scope of the role, and work location, as applicable. This salary range does not include benefits or any other compensation for which the role may be eligible.

Equal Opportunity

We are an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, veteran status, disability or any other legally protected status. Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.