Hybrid Operations Specialist, Arctic Ocean Initiative

Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation; Palo Alto (CA); Hybrid; USD 105,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation seeks an Operations Associate to join the Arctic Ocean Initiative team within its Environmental Conservation Program. The initiative aims to conserve 30 percent of the Arctic Ocean through protected areas within effectively managed seascapes, and seeks a collaborator who can coordinate grant lifecycle operations.

You will support program staff with grant submissions, budgeting, and process improvement, while ensuring timely deliverables, clear documentation,

Qualifications

• 5+ years of relevant work experience in administration, program coordination, and project management.
• Knowledge of private foundation grantmaking, including international grantmaking practices, expenditure responsibility, and equivalency determination requirements, is preferred.
• Strong organizational skills and diligent attention to detail.
• Excellent project management and analytical skills.
• Experience developing, managing, and reviewing budgets.
• Strong team orientation, positive attitude, integrity, self-motivation, discipline, and reliability.
• A self-starter with an ability to work independently in a dynamic environment, managing priorities and project goals, anticipate needs, and meet competing deadlines, while ensuring projects and action items move forward and delivered on time, even under pressure.
• Ability to manage multiple complex workstreams simultaneously while maintaining accuracy, responsiveness, and attention to detail with a team that primarily works remotely.
• Ability to build strong working relationships across Legal, Grants Administration, Finance, Communications, and Program teams.
• Ability to think critically and provide practical solutions based on thorough analysis in the face of real-time issues.
• Ability to exercise judgment amid ambiguity 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, verbal, presentation, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Proficiency with office productivity software (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.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement processes, timelines, analyses, and templates to support and enhance initiative operations, in particular regard to grant submissions, internal deadlines, team deliverables, initiative spending, and management of active grants.
• 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 initiative operating budget and grantmaking allocations, monitor spending and forecast cash disbursements, and help ensure the initiative remains on budget while supporting the Program Director’s informed financial decision-making and regular coordination with the Program Officers and Program Manager.
• Support initiative team meetings by drafting and maintaining agendas, taking and distributing meeting notes, action items, and synthesis documents, and coordinating follow-up with individuals and teams.
• Collaborate with the initiative's Program Director and Program Officers in the formulation and implementation of team processes and, with the Environmental Conservation Program Manager and other Operations Associates, in the development and implementation of program-wide processes (e.g., grant submission flow, grant sign-off, grant document templates, initiative annual objectives and performance evaluation, portfolio reviews, initiative strategic refreshes, external initiative evaluations).
• Track and manage priorities within multiple work-streams to support the Program Director’s decision-making, the Program Manager’s oversight of program operations, and the Program Officers’ grant development processes, including data collection and entry, deadline tracking, and grant-requirement follow-up.
• Edit written materials and provide recommendations for clarity on initiative documents for internal and external audiences.
• Research, integrate, and continuously improve technologies, systems, and workflows that enhance initiative effectiveness, operational efficiency, and consistency across the program.
• Provide support for developing, processing, and administering contracts, consulting agreements, and vendor payments.
• In partnership with the Environmental Conservation Executive Assistant, support the planning and coordinating internal or external meetings, events, AOI board site visits and other convenings, serving as backup support as needed.
• Travel occasionally to support board site visits, grantee visits, conferences, convenings, and other initiative-related events.
• Contribute to, and participate in, the foundation’s cross-program activities and projects as needed.
• Assist with onboarding new initiative team staff, including coordinating onboarding activities, sharing resources, and supporting familiarity with team processes and systems.

Skills

Administration

Program coordination

Project management

Budget management

Private foundation grantmaking

Communication skills

Tools

Outlook

Word

Excel

PowerPoint

Smartsheet

Job description

The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation seeks an Operations Associate to join the Arctic Ocean Initiative team within its Environmental Conservation Program. The initiative aims to conserve 30 percent of the Arctic Ocean through protected areas within effectively managed seascapes, and seeks a collaborator who can coordinate grant lifecycle operations.

You will support program staff with grant submissions, budgeting, and process improvement, while ensuring timely deliverables, clear documentation,