Special Projects Manager

Panta Rhea Foundation; United States; Hybrid; USD 67,000 - 122,000; Full time

Job summary

Panta Rhea Foundation seeks a Special Projects Manager to ensure smooth administration for a geographically dispersed team. Based in the Washington DC Metro Area or Mexico City, the role requires bilingual English/Spanish and strong executive support.

You will handle scheduling, board liaison, travel and events, budgeting, onboarding/offboarding, and grantmaking support, while maintaining policies and online collaboration tools.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of progressively responsible experience in nonprofits, philanthropy / foundations, intermediaries or fundraising / development.
• Experience supporting a senior executive, board of directors, and a small, geographically dispersed team.
• Experience with event planning and meeting coordination & logistics.
• Strong systems/process orientation; with experience building or improving ways of working.
• Strong financial / budget literacy, including expense processing.
• Excellent judgement and discretion, with expert diplomacy across diverse audiences.
• Demonstrated autonomy, maturity, and sophistication with internal and external partner engagements and communications.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Comfortable in a small, high-autonomy environment, with the ability to balance and execute competing priorities.
• Spanish / English biliteracy required.

Responsibilities

• Support the Executive Director in the effective administration of the Foundation’s strategies, including outreach to and relationship management of foundation stakeholders and partners.
• Lead scheduling of board events and meetings, including coordinating board engagement, communications and meetings, including logistics, committee communication, scheduling, material preparation, minutes and additional logistics.
• Lead the Executive Director’s travel planning and provide support for staff logistics.
• Manage the logistics of in-person board meetings including coordinating domestic and international air and ground travel; meeting space, overnight accommodations, and hospitality needs.
• Lead on the effective administration of the virtual office infrastructure so staff can collaborate robustly and efficiently through online tools.
• Support organizational budget administration, bookkeeping, expense, invoice, & contract processing and tracking budgets with direction from the Executive Director.
• Maintain organizational policies and procedures, ensure all compliance documentation is current. Develop and implement standard operating procedures for administrative needs.
• Provide onboarding / offboarding and logistical support for foundation staff / consultants.
• Provide grantmaking support based on organizational needs.
• Fully manage the Foundation’s primary email inbox, replying to inquiries, prioritizing requests, and directing onward, as appropriate.
• Support the creation of various communication tools for the Executive Director, including presentations, written materials for internal and external meetings and engagement, in line with the Foundation’s communications strategy.

Skills

Biliterate English/Spanish

Nonprofit/philanthropy experience

Event planning & logistics

Job description

Position: Special Projects Manager

Location: Washington, DC Metro Area or Mexico City

Language: Bilingual English / Spanish, required

Role Type: Full-time employee, hybrid

About Panta Rhea Foundation

The Panta Rhea Foundation supports organizations and movements led by and working alongside Afro-descendant, Indigenous, and other frontline communities in the Caribbean, Mesoamerica, and the Andes to build collective power, honor and sustain cultures, and regenerate nature. Grounded in a vision of right relationship with each other and the natural world, the Foundation supports community-led efforts to transform systems of food, economies, climate, and culture, centering self-determination, human rights, and justice.

Panta Rhea embraces community-centered, culturally appropriate grantmaking processes that build collective power, self-determination, and long-term positive change. Above all, the Foundation trusts the wisdom of its partners and aims to center their experience, culture, aspirations, and creative practices in all of its work. Panta Rhea is currently moving through a new Theory of Change process, adapting systems and ways of working to incorporate evolving partnerships across the Caribbean and the Americas.

Purpose of the Position

The Special Projects Manager plays a vital role in ensuring the smooth and efficient day-to-day functioning of the administration of the foundation, including executive and board leadership. Reporting to the Executive Director, this position provides dedicated administrative support to the Executive Director; board liaison, including communication and coordination; partnership outreach and relationship management; and additional management of the foundation’s administrative functions. This position strengthens internal coordination and enhances the foundation’s ability to serve partners and mission-driven goals.

As a member of Panta Rhea’s small geographically dispersed team, the ideal candidate is bilingual in English / Spanish and brings existing experience in family foundation / philanthropy, fundraising and development and executive / office / administrative management. The primary responsibilities of this role include:

Executive and Board Leadership Support (45%)

• Support the Executive Director in the effective administration of the Foundation’s strategies, including outreach to and relationship management of foundation stakeholders and partners.
• Support Executive Director with scheduling, calendar management and meeting preparation / follow-up
• Lead with governance compliance, including executive support for board business & management
• Lead the scheduling of board events and meetings, including coordinating board engagement, communications and meetings, including logistics, committee communication, scheduling, material preparation, minutes and additional logistics.

Event and Travel Planning (30%)

• Lead the Executive Director’s travel planning and provide support for staff logistics.
• Support event planning for foundation convenings, partnership engagements, and grantee and site visits, including coordinating scheduling and event budget, creating agendas and related communications, and managing related travel logistics.
• Manage the logistics of in-person board meetings including coordinating domestic and international air and ground travel; meeting space, overnight accommodations, and hospitality needs.

Administrative Leadership (15%)

• Lead on the effective administration of the virtual office infrastructure so staff can collaborate robustly and efficiently through online tools.
• Support in organizational budget administration, bookkeeping, expense, invoice, & contract processing and tracking budgets with direction from the Executive Director
• Maintain organizational policies and procedures, ensure all compliance documentation is current. Develop and implement standard operating procedures for administrative needs.
• Provide onboarding / offboarding and logistical support for foundation staff / consultants.
• Provide grantmaking support based on organizational needs.

Communications Management (10%)

• Fully manage the Foundation’s primary email inbox, replying to inquiries, prioritizing requests, and directing onward, as appropriate. Track open communications items and ensure timely and accurate follow-up.
• Support the creation of various communication tools for the Executive Director, including presentations, written materials for internal and external meetings and engagement, in line with the Foundation’s communications strategy and in collaboration with the Communications Consultant and Executive Director

Qualifications and Experience

• 5+ years of progressively responsible experience in nonprofits, philanthropy / foundations, intermediaries or fundraising / development
• Experience supporting a senior executive, board of directors, and a small, geographically dispersed team
• Experience with event planning and meeting coordination & logistics
• Strong systems/process orientation; with experience building or improving ways of working.
• Strong financial / budget literacy, including expense processing.
• Excellent judgement and discretion, with expert diplomacy across diverse audiences.
• Demonstrated autonomy, maturity, and sophistication with internal and external partner engagements and communications.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Comfortable in a small, high-autonomy environment, with the ability to balance and execute competing priorities.
• Spanish / English biliteracy required.

The salary range for this full-time position is $67,000 – $122,000 USD. Individual pay is determined by the candidate's specialized skills, experience, and internal equity.

• Panta Rhea offers competitive, location-specific benefits packages designed in compliance with local requirements and to support our team members' well-being.

Panta Rhea Foundation is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities for all applicants and employees regardless of race, color, religion, creed, gender, national origin, ancestry, marital status, sexual orientation, age, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, medical condition, or status as a veteran. Employment decisions are based on merit, qualifications, abilities, and business needs.