Operations Associate, Arctic Ocean Initiative

Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation•Palo Alto, CA

5d•$105,000 - $120,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The foundation is seeking an Operations Associate to join the Arctic Ocean Initiative team within our Environmental Conservation Program. The Arctic Ocean Initiative is a 10-year, $270 million effort to help ensure that 30 percent of the Arctic Ocean is conserved through protected areas within effectively managed seascapes. Building on more than 20 years of marine conservation grantmaking, the initiative offers a unique opportunity to advance conservation at an ocean scale. Operations Associates at the foundation provide operational and administrative support for program staff. In this role, you will support the Arctic Ocean Initiative across the full grant lifecycle, from development through management, by coordinating day-to-day operations, strengthening team processes, and supporting financial and grantmaking workflows. You will also contribute to budget management, monitoring and evaluation, and the team's strategic planning efforts. This role suits a collaborative, detail-oriented professional who enjoys bringing structure to complex work, anticipating needs, and enabling others to do their best work. The position blends initiative operations, grantmaking support, financial coordination, project management, and process improvement to keep people, information, and priorities aligned as the initiative advances its conservation goals. The Operations Associate reports to the initiative's Program Director, with a dotted-line relationship to the Environmental Conservation Program Manager on operational and financial management. The role also involves close collaboration with Arctic Ocean Initiative Program Officers and others across the Environmental Conservation Program and the foundation. This role is based in Palo Alto, California, at the foundation’s main office. We operate under a hybrid work model that combines flexibility with meaningful in-person collaboration. Staff are required to work and reside within a reasonable driving distance of the Palo Alto office, and this role will work onsite in Palo Alto a minimum of four days each month. Additional on-site presence is required during the weeks of the May, August, and November board meetings and periodically throughout the year as business needs require.

Requirements

A Bachelor’s degree.
5+ years of relevant work experience preferred with proven experience in administration, program coordination, and project management.
Knowledge of private foundation grantmaking, including international grantmaking practices, expenditure responsibility, and equivalency determination requirements, is preferred.
Strong organizational skills and diligent attention to detail.
Excellent project management and analytical skills.
Experience developing, managing, and reviewing budgets.
Strong team orientation, positive attitude, integrity, self-motivation, discipline, and reliability.
A self-starter with an ability to work independently in a dynamic environment, managing priorities and project goals, anticipate needs, and meet competing deadlines, while ensuing projects and action items move forward and delivered on time, even under pressure.
Ability to manage multiple complex workstreams simultaneously while maintaining accuracy, responsiveness, and attention to detail with a team that primarily works remotely.
Ability to build strong working relationships and collaborate effectively across Legal, Grants Administration, Finance, Communications, and Program teams.
Ability to think critically and provide practical solutions based on thorough analysis in the face of real-time issues.
Ability to exercise judgment amid ambiguity within defined procedures and practices to determine appropriate courses of action.
Willingness to ask for help and identify appropriate resources to accomplish tasks.
Strong written, verbal, presentation, and interpersonal communication skills (e.g., copy editing and reports, preparing PowerPoint presentations, taking and distributing meeting notes, and exchanging correspondence with external contacts).
Proficiency with office productivity software (e.g. Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Smartsheet) and comfort learning and using new technologies, databases, web-based document management and collaboration platforms, and AI-enabled tools to improve efficiency, organization, and the quality of work.

Nice To Haves

Knowledge of private foundation grantmaking, including international grantmaking practices, expenditure responsibility, and equivalency determination requirements, is preferred.

Responsibilities

Develop and implement processes, timelines, analyses, and templates to support and enhance initiative operations, in particular regard to grant submissions, internal deadlines, team deliverables, initiative spending, and management of active grants. Use good judgment, with understanding of context, to identify priorities and strengthen team operations.
Manage internal team processes ensuring that tasks and responsibilities are clear, and deadlines are met. Facilitate team coordination, work plans, internal functional relationships, knowledge management, and tracking and accountability of action items.
Track initiative operating budget and grantmaking allocations, monitor spending and forecast cash disbursements, and help ensure the initiative remains on budget while supporting the Program Director’s informed financial decision-making and regular coordination with the Program Officers and Program Manager.
Support initiative team meetings by drafting and maintaining agendas, taking and distributing meeting notes, action items, and synthesis documents, and coordinating follow-up with individuals and teams.
Collaborate with the initiative's Program Director and Program Officers in the formulation and implementation of team processes and, with the Environmental Conservation Program Manager and other Operations Associates, in the development and implementation of program-wide processes (e.g., grant submission flow, grant sign-off, grant document templates, initiative annual objectives and performance evaluation, portfolio reviews, initiative strategic refreshes, external initiative evaluations).
Track and manage priorities within multiple work-streams to support the Program Director’s decision-making, the Program Manager’s oversight of program operations, and the Program Officers’ grant development processes, including data collection and entry, deadline tracking, and grant-requirement follow-up.
Edit written materials and provide recommendations for clarity on initiative documents for internal and external audiences.
Research, integrate, and continuously improve technologies, systems, and workflows that that enhance initiative effectiveness, operational efficiency, and consistency across the program.
Provide support for developing, processing, and administering contracts, consulting agreements, and vendor payments.
In partnership with the Environmental Conservation Executive Assistant, support the planning and coordinating internal or external meetings, events, AOI board site visits and other convenings, serving as backup support as needed.
Travel occasionally to support board site visits, grantee visits, conferences, convenings, and other initiative-related events.
Contribute to, and participate in, the foundation’s cross-program activities and projects as needed.
Assist with onboarding new initiative team staff, including coordinating onboarding activities, sharing resources, and supporting familiarity with team processes and systems.
Ensure effective and efficient day-to-day grant development and management by facilitating grant development tasks, managing active grant records and requirements, tracking payments, preparing and sending reporting templates to grantees, managing the grantee portal, monitoring reporting requirements and deadlines, responding to grantee inquiries regarding portal access and reporting requirements, and responding to communications with grantees and other stakeholders.
Coordinate the grant submission processes for the Program Director and Program Officers, ensuring high quality, consistent, timely, and appropriate products for decision-makers.
Edit draft grant materials, review grant budgets, and help prepare new grants for submission.
Support the Program Director and Program Officers with active grant records, create templates and monitor narrative ad financial grant reports and grant payments.
Exercise judgment within defined internal grant procedures and practices to determine appropriate courses of action. Serve as key internal contact for AOI, problem solving and consulting with Grants Administration, Legal, Finance, Communications, and Program Manager as needed.
Manage expenditure-responsibility and equivalency-determination requirements, working with grantees and the foundation’s legal and grants administration teams.
Participate in meetings with grantees and partners, providing operational support and follow-up as needed.

Benefits

employer-paid options for medical, dental, and vision insurance for employees and dependents
a mental wellness program
paid parental leave
employer-paid disability and life insurance benefits
pre-tax flexible spending accounts for medical and dependent care expenses
6 weeks of paid time off per year
10 paid holidays
a 401(k) retirement savings plan with a foundation contribution of up to 10% and a Roth 401(k) option
a matching gifts program for qualifying charitable contributions
hybrid work arrangements
a home office stipend
a commuter benefits program
a professional development program to all benefits-eligible employees that includes an annual financial benefit of $5,000 and paid time off to participate in educational programs