Grants and Program Assistant, US Program

Unbound Philanthropy•New York, NY

6d•$68,000 - $78,000•Hybrid

About The Position

Unbound Philanthropy is a private grantmaking foundation that invests in leaders and organizations in the US and UK working to build a vibrant, welcoming society and just immigration system. One of the reasons Unbound focuses on the phenomenon of immigration is because responses to immigration are litmus tests for healthy societies, with immigration at the crux of inclusion versus exclusion. Unbound has also adopted a foundation-wide strategy to address climate-related migration and is investing in an emerging ecosystem of leaders, organizations, and movements that are tackling interconnected issues in climate, migration, race, and democratic governance. Read more about Unbound’s core values and approach in What We Stand For. Position Summary: The Grants and Program Assistant supports the US Program and Grants Management teams in administrative duties, project management, grants processing, and program operations. The position will operate on a hybrid model, with 2-3 in-person days in our New York City office. The ideal candidate is someone who is proactive, a problem solver, energetic, well organized and detail-oriented, and is able to multi-task, prioritize, learn quickly, and work both collaboratively and independently. The ideal candidate will also possess excellent critical thinking and writing skills. The position reports to the US Program Officer.

Requirements

Strong project management skills, including excellent organizational skills and meticulous attention to detail.
Demonstrated experience working in an administrative role which involved scheduling, project management, and event coordination comparable to the level and scope of the responsibilities.
Technically proficient (including familiarity with IT systems like Microsoft software, Zoom, and Asana; familiarity with Fluxx or another grants management database a plus) and able to pick up and learn new IT systems.
Demonstrated interest and commitment to Unbound Philanthropy’s mission and core values; work experience in nonprofit sector or philanthropy a plus.

Nice To Haves

Demonstrates flexibility and a desire to work simultaneously on a wide range of tasks and projects, from administrative to programmatic, in a fast-paced environment.
Ability to set priorities among tasks and manage projects with overlapping timelines.
Ability to establish and implement systems and procedures to help organize a busy office and to track the progress of program initiatives, grants, and correspondence.
Works well under pressure and enjoys taking initiative; able to prioritize tasks.
Excellent communication skills, including writing and verbal skills.
Diplomacy with colleagues at all levels and the general public.
Ability to manage confidential issues and act with discretion.
Ability to work independently, yet also effectively as a part of close-knit, collaborative team.

Responsibilities

Support the US Program with preparation for all grants approvals, including work-flow management, proof-reading, facilitating review, and finalizing grant memos and other docket materials and preparing supporting Grants Committee meeting documents such as the docket table of contents, agenda, and minutes.
Provide project management and administrative support to US Program Officers in grants stewardship, including tracking communications and follow-ups with grantees outside of grant application and renewal processes.
Track progress toward deadlines and decisions through regular meetings with US Program Officers and the Asana project management platform.
Update grants management database (Fluxx) to ensure Unbound has an accurate, updated database of grantees’ information, including proposals, reports, relevant correspondence and other documents.
Liaise promptly and reliably with current and potential grantees, including as the initial point of contact for unsolicited proposals; for proposal follow up, report reminders, requests for payment information; and issues with Unbound’s grant management database.
Conduct preliminary reviews of the completeness of proposals and reports, alerting US Program staff of significant issues, in consultation with the Senior Grants and Compliance Manager.
Coordinate contracts and invoices for US-based Direct Charitable Activities (known internally as Foundation Administered Projects).
Support the US Program in advancing key strategic priorities through providing project management and administrative support on key projects as identified by the US Program Director and US Program Officer, including the US Program’s Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning work.
Develop and maintain project workplans using Asana and other project management tools, including tracking, monitoring, and following up on project progress and adherence to deadlines, and uploading information, documents, tasks, and update progress in Asana, Dropbox and other project management tools.
Attend/debrief key meetings and events to track follow up and revise workplans and project progress.
Oversee and maintain US Program Sharepoint and Fluxx files in accordance with the Foundation’s record retention policy.
Support planning and execution of in-person and virtual meetings, convenings, and events.
Provide scheduling and administrative support to the US Program Director, day-to-day administrative and program support to the US program team, and scheduling support to the Chief Operating Officer.
Anticipate and forecast potential scheduling needs, including calendaring time to ensure team schedules reflect the short-term, medium-term, and long-term priorities of the US Program.
Coordinate with the Director of Communications and Senior Grants and Compliance Manager to ensure contact information and program data are accurate.
Work across teams to support the planning and execution of the Annual Board Retreat (typically held in March).
Liaise with IT support and lead on troubleshooting with new systems for the US Program.
Manage incoming correspondence to the organization’s general email inbox.
Other administrative duties as needed.