Program Associate - U.S. Programs

Waverley Street Foundation; San Francisco (CA); Hybrid; USD 85,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

Waverley Street Foundation seeks a Program Associate to support U.S. grantmaking efforts, with a hybrid San Francisco-based role requiring three days onsite.

The position reports to a senior Programs leader and collaborates with staff across the organization to improve grantmaking processes, relationships, and insights. Ideal candidates have 2–3 years in philanthropy, strong writing and research skills, and comfort working across cultures and time zones.

Qualifications

• Two to three years in philanthropy, grantmaking, or a related field in a project management or administrative-heavy role.
• Ability to work across cultures and geographies, including time-zone differences.
• Exceptional writing, editing, and content creation skills.
• Strong synthesis and distillation of complex ideas into clear, concise forms.
• Detail-oriented, organized, and capable of multi-tasking with instructions.

Responsibilities

• Administration and project management: develop protocols, maintain files, coordinate meetings, and manage action items.
• Programmatic due diligence: manage partner relationships and evaluate grantee organizations.
• Grantmaking support: draft memos, pipeline info, and board materials with quick turnaround.

Skills

Grantmaking

Diligence

Research

Communication

Data analysis

Project management

Writing/editing

Cross-cultural teamwork

Google Suite

CRM systems

Tools

CRM systems

Google Suite

Job description

Program Associate – U.S. Programs

Location

Hybrid role; minimum of three days per week in the San Francisco office is required

Reports to

A senior leader on the Programs team – either a Program or Senior Program Officer, Senior Manager, or Director based in the U.S.

Our Client

Waverley Street Foundation is turning imagination into reality by investing in community-driven programs that will help to grow better food, preserve farmland, get cleaner, more affordable energy, build smarter, more successful businesses, and cultivate a healing planet. The foundation's mission is driven by a powerful commitment to invest over $3 billion by 2035 for the deepest possible impact.

Waverley invests in innovative, scalable projects that are:

• Focused: Grantmaking centers on two impactful systems—energy and food as essential to reducing pollution and enhancing well-being.
• Impact-Oriented: Commitment to advancing shared prosperity, reducing carbon pollution and improving community resilience by 2035.
• Community-Driven: Prioritizing community-centered solutions that strengthen local leadership and promote resilience.

Learn more about Waverley Street Foundation at https://www.waverleystreet.org/ !

Position Responsibilities

Waverley Street Foundation is an organization in the midst of growth and moving into a new phase of its grantmaking. The foundation is welcoming Program Associates to the team to help improve grantmaking processes, relationships and insights.

Each Program Associate will report to a senior leader on the Programs team – either a Program or Senior Program Officer, Senior Manager, or Director based in the U.S. The Program Associates will work across the organization and particularly closely with other program staff to ensure all grantmaking activities and projects run smoothly and meet expected deadlines. Their responsibilities range from conducting diligence on potential grants to contributing to strategic conversations around protocols and procedures.

Program Associates play an important project and knowledge management role to support the team and ease the implementation of grantmaking.

More specifically, the Program Associates will:

Administration and Project Management

• Contribute to conversations around protocols, and operational best practices around grantmaking
• Maintain program files, documents, and contracts
• Coordinate logistics for meetings, learning trips, and special events
• Develop and manage meeting notes, to-do lists, tasks, and action items to ensure team projects run smoothly
• Manage email inquiries and other general correspondence

Programmatic Due Diligence

• Maintain positive and productive partner and grantee relationships with a wide range of organizations and individuals
• Evaluate partner and grantee organizations in partnership with senior Programs staff
• Engage in ongoing research and analysis to develop grant recommendations to achieve program objectives
• Gather and analyze monitoring and evaluation data that will inform program impacts, gaps, and challenges in the program’s strategy

Grantmaking Support

• Support senior Programs staff in drafting grant memos, pipeline information, and board materials, typically with a quick turnaround
• Draft other key communications for team members and external stakeholders
• Conduct research related to key topics to inform grantmaking and learning

Profile of the Successful Candidate

Waverley Street Foundation seeks candidates who embody an exceptional work ethic, showcasing prowess in managing competing priorities and a readiness to dive into challenges. Success in this role hinges on adaptability, cultural competency, interpersonal skills and research capacity. Program Associates exhibit organizational acumen, confidence, intelligence, and high productivity levels. Thriving in fast-paced and changing environments, they excel where standards are elevated, and tasks are expected to be completed promptly, efficiently, and accurately.

Program Associates excel in communication, demonstrating a keen eye for detail and an ability to write swiftly and with precision. Distilling complex material into relatable and digestible content is imperative, while reflecting the complexity and depth of the issues at hand. Program Associates also typically have some content knowledge about the program area – in this case, food and agriculture.

Program Associates are also adept in data analysis. A background in conducting due diligence is helpful, ensuring a thorough understanding of potential grants. Research proficiency is a key asset, allowing them to conduct in-depth analyses and contribute valuable insights to the decision-making process.

Program Associates are excellent teammates who can communicate internally and externally; they are skilled working across cultures and geographies (including working across time zones) and communicate effectively with diverse audiences and across countries. As collaborative team players, they excel in detail orientation, building relationships both internally and externally – and possess the skills to navigate complex organizational and workplace dynamics.

More specifically, the foundation seeks professionals who have:

• Two to three years in philanthropy, grantmaking, or a related field in a project management or administrative-heavy role
• Experience working outside of the U.S. and/or with colleagues based in other countries
• Exceptional writing, editing, and content creation skills
• Demonstrated ability to synthesize information and distill complex ideas into clear, concise, and actionable forms
• Detailed, organized, and effective multi-tasker with an ability to follow instructions
• Strong due diligence, research, and data management skills
• Proven track record within complex, multi-stakeholder projects/organizations
• Skilled at building strong relationships and cultivating diverse networks
• Proficiency in Google Suite and CRM systems, coupled with a willingness to learn new applications and technologies
• Passionate about advancing transformative solutions that deliver positive outcomes for local communities
• Adaptable to changing needs of a small organization and accountable for deliverables
• Intellectually curious with an eagerness to stay current on news, research, and trends in their field
• Able to get things done, while always operating with unassailable integrity
• Willingness to pitch in where and when needed
• Having a good sense of humor and a spirit of joie de vivre

Start Timeframe

We seek to have someone in place in Fall 2026.

Compensation

This position offers a competitive salary range of $85,000-$95,000, and includes a comprehensive benefits package and a possible discretionary performance bonus. We actively welcome all candidates from a wide range of backgrounds who have the skills to fulfill this role – regardless of compensation history.