Programs, Global Energy Transition Initiative - Executive Assistant

ClimateWorks Foundation; San Francisco (CA); Hybrid; USD 75,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

The Executive Assistant at ClimateWorks Foundation will support the Senior Director of GETI and the ten‑person team with sophisticated scheduling, travel logistics, and meeting prep. This role partners with the Associate Director, Programs Administration to manage workloads and ensure deadlines are met in a fast‑paced environment.

Applicants should have 5+ years of admin experience, including executive support, and strong cross‑border coordination.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of administrative work experience, with 2+ years in a senior administrator/executive assistant role.
• Experience working with international partners and scheduling across international time zones.
• Previous experience maintaining complex calendars and coordinating meetings/events.
• Experience working with a global team to plan logistics for effective group calls and meetings.
• Outstanding verbal and written communication skills; native English speaker.
• Attention to detail and strong organizational skills.
• High degree of proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint), Google docs
• Ability to judge the relative importance of issues and act independently to address them.
• Ability to keep calm under pressure, prioritize and manage multiple tasks.
• Good interpersonal communications skills.
• Ability to analyze problems and identify solutions.
• Ability to handle sensitive matters with discretion.
• Tact, poise, professionalism, diplomacy, and a sense of humor; team player.
• Ability to work effectively and efficiently (virtual and in-person) with minimal supervision.
• Commitment to a diverse, inclusive and equitable work environment.
• Some traveling required; a couple times a year.

Responsibilities

• Manage Senior Director’s calendar and broader team calendars for alignment.
• Create and fill out scheduling polls: assist in scheduling internal and external group meetings.
• Coordinate with CWF travel agent; assist with domestic and international travel arrangements.
• Ensure that the Senior Director is briefed and prepared for meetings, events, and trips; provide itineraries

Skills

Calendar management

Executive support

Stakeholder coordination

Multitasking

Communication

Education

BS or BA degree

Tools

Microsoft Office

Google Docs

Salesforce

Asana

Stova

Job description

About the Role

The Executive Assistant (EA) will provide administrative support and work directly with the Senior Director of the Global Energy Transition Initiative (GETI), including broader support for this ten-person team. This position reports to the Associate Director, Programs Administration, who oversees the EA team within the larger Programs team and provides mentorship and guidance on managing workloads and capacity effectively. Responsibilities include fast-paced and often complex scheduling and calendar management; intermediary coordination with funders and other key stakeholders, coordinating logistics and materials for meetings and events; assisting with travel arrangements and expense reporting; and other related duties as needed.

Department Summary

The Programs department leads ClimateWorks’ strategies and grantmaking to advance climate solutions around the world. The team works alongside funders, regional grantmakers, field experts, and frontline leaders to design, implement, and steward high-impact grantmaking portfolios across sectors. Focus areas include renewable energy, industrial decarbonization, electric transport, sustainable finance, adaptation and resilience, and more. Grounded in data, local context, and field expertise, program teams identify emerging opportunities, scale solutions, and equip partners with the evidence and capacity needed to drive transformative climate progress. Through strategic grantmaking and trusted relationships, the Programs department supports ClimateWorks’ efforts to catalyze durable, scalable change.

Department Summary

ClimateWorks Foundation’s (CWF) Global Energy Transition Initiative (GETI) supports efforts to rapidly transform the global power sector toward clean energy, beginning with 15 emerging economies across Africa, Asia, and Latin America. These are countries where power demand is projected to rapidly grow, and there is huge potential for solar, wind, and other renewable energy deployment in this decade. The benefits of a transition to clean energy go far beyond reducing greenhouse gas emissions and mitigating climate change. It creates jobs, builds local manufacturing value chains, improves infrastructure, protects public health by keeping pollutants out of the air, and provides affordable and accessible power. By shifting to clean energy, developing nations can secure a resilient and thriving future.

How you will contribute

• Manage Senior Director’s calendar and broader team calendars for alignment
• Create and fill out scheduling polls: assist in scheduling internal and external group meetings.
• Coordination with CWF travel agent, assist with domestic and international travel arrangements: flights, hotels, ground transportation, and any needed logistics.
• Ensure that the Senior Director is fully briefed and prepared for meetings, events, and trips. This may include obtaining background information for these commitments and providing detailed itineraries

Required qualifications

Must have:

• 5+ years of administrative work experience, with 2+ years in a senior administrator/executive assistant role.
• Experience working with international partners and scheduling and coordination across international time zones
• Previous experience maintaining complex calendars and coordinating meetings/events.
• Experience working with a global team to plan logistics for effective group calls and meetings.
• Outstanding verbal and written communication skills; native English speaker.
• Attention to detail and strong organizational skills.
• High degree of proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint), Google docs
• Ability to judge the relative importance of issues and act independently to address them, applying the appropriate level of urgency and drive to achieve results.
• Ability to keep calm under pressure, prioritize and manage multiple and sometimes competing tasks, and multi-task.
• Good interpersonal communications skills.
• Ability to quickly and accurately analyze problems and identify appropriate solutions.
• Ability to handle sensitive matters with discretion.
• Tact, poise, professionalism, diplomacy, and a good sense of humor; the ability to work with a team and to interact with people from all walks of life.
• Ability to work effectively and efficiently (both virtually and in-person) with minimal supervision
• A commitment to a diverse, inclusive and equitable work environment
• Some traveling required; at least a couple times a year.

Nice to have:

• BS or BA degree
• Experience with Salesforce, Asana and Stova (or other event management platform)
• Past work at a philanthropic and/or environmental organization

• Location in the UK preferred, Europe and US East Coast also considered

Location

ClimateWorks Foundation is based in the San Francisco Financial District. This position is classified as Global but will consider US Flexible. Location in the UK preferred, Europe and US East Coast also considered.

Compensation

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

International salary range - will be determined based on the location and local cost of labor.

We recognize that compensation and benefits can vary across countries and understand that this can raise important questions. Our goal is to ensure fairness, equity, and competitiveness within each local context. To achieve this, we align our compensation structure with the economic conditions, labor market dynamics, and social benefit systems of the regions where we operate.

Salaries are determined based on country specific labor markets, allowing us to offer pay that is competitive within each region and consistent with other international organizations. Compensation is intentionally structured to be above lead local market averages and appropriate to the regional cost of labor. This approach supports our commitment to equity across our global workforce while enabling us to attract and retain top talent in diverse locations.

For example, the salary range for this position in the United Kingdom would be: GBP 61,000 - GBP 70,000 annually. A competitive benefits package is offered through Pebl, a third-party PEO.

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.