Program Associate, Cement & Building Materials

ClimateWorks Foundation; San Francisco (CA); Hybrid; USD 75,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Healthcare coverage

Paid time off

Retirement plan

Job summary

ClimateWorks Foundation is seeking a proactive Program Associate to support the Cement & Building Materials Hub, guiding grantmaking, coordination, and reporting. You will manage grants, liaise with grantees, and help organize global convenings under the Cement & Building Materials portfolio.

This role emphasizes strong project management, communication, and systems thinking, with international travel, and collaboration with multiple teams to advance decarbonization in heavy industry.

Qualifications

• 2–4 years of project coordination or related experience.
• Detail-oriented with strong analytical skills.
• Experience with Salesforce, Google Suite, MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Signal.
• Experience managing grants or working with nonprofits.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work across time zones.
• Willingness to travel internationally (~three trips/year).
• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field.
• Commitment to climate change and equity.

Responsibilities

• Lead grantmaking operations from assessment to evaluation.
• Manage grantee relationships and reporting.
• Monitor grant portfolio budget and annual planning.
• Develop policies and improve grant processes.
• Coordinate internal collaboration on grantmaking.

Skills

Project management

Detail-oriented

Communication

Analytical skills

Grants management

Cross-cultural teamwork

Education

Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field

Tools

Salesforce

Google Workspace

MS Word

Excel

PowerPoint

Signal

Job description

About the Role

The global cement sector is responsible for around 8% of global CO2 emissions and our team is dedicated to decarbonizing this sector. The Program Associate will join the Cement and Building Materials Team in guiding, growing, and administering Global Industry Hub’s (GIH) grantmaking portfolio.

The ideal candidate will be proactive and detail-oriented, with administrative, project coordination, and event planning skills and experience. This person will enjoy supporting team operations, will naturally “connect the dots” in projects with multiple moving parts, and thrive in a fast-paced environment. The Program Associate will spend their time on program administration activities, communication with grantees, reporting and tracking of grants, including managing grants in a Salesforce-based grants management system, and organizing regular convenings for our global grantees and leading industry experts. In addition, they will be responsible for supporting the execution of multi-faceted domestic and international meetings and for supporting varied projects. This role will report to the Program Manager, Cement & Building Materials.

Department Summary

About the Global Industry Hub

Based at ClimateWorks, the Global Industry Hub (Hub) accelerates the decarbonization of heavy industry by mobilizing philanthropic and catalytic capital toward high-impact opportunities in steel, cement, and chemicals. The Hub operates as a neutral, creative, and catalytic systems platform, connecting funders, governments, industry, CSOs, innovators, and development institutions. It turns complex, capital-intensive transitions into investable, competitive, and climate-aligned industrial paths. Its work bridges policy innovation, economic design, financial alignment, and institutional strengthening, enabling the early projects and long-term reforms needed to rebuild global industrial systems for a net-zero economy. By combining systems thinking, technical insights, and convening power, the Global Industry Hub helps partners achieve far greater leverage and shift industrial ecosystems toward resilient, inclusive, and sustainable futures.

How you will contribute

Grantmaking and Program Oversight (70%)

• Lead the operations of Team Cement’s grantmaking, ensuring the smooth and effective passage of grants through the multi-stage process of assessment, disbursement, and evaluation. This requires adhering to tight timelines,
• Manage relationships with grantees, including understanding their needs and circumstances, ensuring the effective two-way flow of information, and receiving regular reports.
• Maintain and monitor the Portfolio’s grantmaking budget and support the annual planning process.
• Develop and update team policies and procedures for quality, efficiency, and effectiveness of the program & its grantmaking, and support improving GIH and CWF processes.
• Collaborate with peers and other teams at CWF to support effective grantmaking operations.

Knowledge Exchange and Stakeholder Engagement (20%)

• Lead the organization of stakeholder engagement groups, including organizing virtual and in-person internal and domestic meetings, including our annual Global Cement Decarbonization Convening. This includes logistics and meeting organization, coordinating speakers, and recording notes and outcomes.
• Prepare documents, briefings, budgets, communications materials, and other work products for sharing outside the organization.
• Ensure knowledge is broadly shared through written communications and online and in-person events.

Other Duties As Assigned (10%)

• Support the Cement + Building Materials Director and Program Manager in their responsibilities
• Participate in GIH program team, GIH team and ClimateWorks meetings and retreats.
• Other duties as assigned

Required qualifications

• Strong project management skills based on 2-4 years’ experience in a relevant role.
• Detail-oriented with strong analytical skills.
• Ability to use common business software like Salesforce, Google Suite, Microsoft Word, Excel,PowerPoint, and Signal
• Experience building and maintaining flexible systems and plans for projects and events (e.g., timelines, plans, and tracking systems for project elements such as core planning, outreach efforts, materials development, and expenses).
• Experience managing grants or working with non-profits, foundations, or multilateral initiatives.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Ability to work successfully with a wide range of different types of people and cultures across global time zones.
• Ability to initiate and manage projects, and to work effectively and efficiently with minimal supervision
• Availability for international travel: ~three trips per year.
• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field
• Strong understanding of climate change and passion for addressing the challenge, demonstrated over years.
• Commitment, caring, and a generous attitude toward colleagues, grantees, and partners, and a commitment to supporting people to build careers and institutions.
• Commitment to a diverse, inclusive, and equitable work environment and to the mission and values of the Global Industry Hub.

Desired Qualifications:

• Understanding or experience with the cement and building materials sectors, and the broader design and construction industry.
• Excellent research skills, applied with doggedness and creativity.Ability to synthesize information on a wide variety of topics.

Location

ClimateWorks Foundation is based in the San Francisco Financial District. This position is classified as US Flexible. If US Flexible: Exceptional candidates can work from the SF office or from other locations, geographic differential applied to compensation based on local cost of labor.

Compensation

ClimateWorks offers an excellent benefits package and a competitive salary that is commensurate with experience (geographic differential applied based on location).

For US-based position the salary range is as follows:

Tier 1:$80,000 to $85,000 (SF Bay Area/NYC)

Tier 2:$75,000 to $80,000 (Other US locations)

Benefits

ClimateWorks provides employees with a competitive benefits package, including:

• 100% healthcare coverage plans (medical, dental, and vision).
• 20 days of paid time off for first-year employees, with incremental paid time off in subsequent years; 14 paid holidays annually; and paid sabbatical leave for qualifying employees.
• 401(k) plan with contributions from ClimateWorks and matching employee contributions.
• Life insurance and disability (short-term and long-term) coverage.
• Support for families, including fertility, child, elder, and pet care.
• Access to physical wellness benefits (e.g., gym memberships, fitness equipment), financial wellness (e.g., financial planning services), and mental wellness (e.g., therapy and coaching).

Culture

ClimateWorks’ culture is rooted in our core values: collaboration, humility, curiosity, learning, and risk-taking. We come together around shared goals, draw strength from diverse perspectives, and face challenges with an open mind. We grow through experience and boldly experiment to drive meaningful impact in climate philanthropy. Together, we turn ambition into action—spotting big opportunities, convening people, and helping scale bold solutions.

As a globally distributed organization, ClimateWorks offers multiple opportunities each year for staff to meet in person, foster relationships, and enhance collaboration. Staff are expected to attend an in-town week in San Francisco, an all-staff retreat, and a department retreat annually.

About ClimateWorks Foundation

ClimateWorks Foundation is a catalyst for accelerating climate progress, driving bold solutions that benefit people and the planet. We connect funders and implementing organizations worldwide to identify and scale transformative solutions across sectors and geographies, achieving faster, greater impact together. Since 2008, ClimateWorks has granted over $2 billion to more than 850 grantees across 50 countries, working with over 80 funders.

ClimateWorks Foundation is an Equal Opportunity Employer

ClimateWorks Foundation is committed to the principles of equal employment opportunity and compliance with all federal, state, and local laws concerning employment discrimination, including the Americans with Disabilities Act. We make decisions about all aspects of our employment practices, without regard to race, color, age, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, marital status, sex (including childbirth, breastfeeding, and related medical conditions), pregnancy, uniform service member and veteran status, citizenship status, disability, protected medical condition, genetic information, or any other status protected under applicable federal, state, or local laws.

As part of our commitment to centering diverse people and perspectives and providing equal opportunities, we ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided with reasonable accommodations. If a reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application process, please note that in your application.