Job Description

The Grants Officer is responsible for ensuring effectiveness and efficiency within the Grantmaking Operations Department. This role is focused on refining Sequoia’s grant management process, coordinating with the Fund’s grantmaking partner, and serving as a resource for staff with any grants management questions. Reporting to the Director, Grantmaking Operations, the Grants Officer will work collaboratively to ensure that Sequoia has scalable grantmaking systems and processes for more than $100M issued in grants each year. Due to the start-up nature of Sequoia, this role will be in a position to look holistically at the grantmaking process to determine best practices while also being involved in the day-to-day operations of the department.

• Supports the full lifecycle of all grants, from concept through all diligence and compliance processes to reporting and grant close. 
• Collaborates with the Director, Grantmaking Operations to translate the Sequoia mission and values into grantmaking process and practice. 
• Partners with program and legal staff to ensure that all administrative, legal, and tax compliance of grants are met. 
• Collaborates with the Evaluation and Learning (E&L) Department to ensure that strategic reflection and reporting requirements are met. 
• Reviews and monitors proposals, reports, and other grant requirements to identify legal or financial issues.
• Proposes effective solutions for items such as grant structure, required documentation, and ensuring that reports and other grant requirements are correctly documented. 
• Manages and ensures data integrity for Sequoia’s grants management platform. 
• Provides counsel and support to staff on how to solve potential issues and challenges that may be presented by a grant or grantee, such as organization status, certain legal requirements, and other questions. 
• Approaches the work with a grantee-centric and collaborative mindset. 
• Coordinates various special projects in conjunction with Sequoia’s grantmaking partner.
• Assists with designing and conducting staff onboarding and ongoing training related to the Fund’s grantmaking, policies and procedures, compliance, and grants management system.
• Assists with enhancements to the functionality of Sequoia’s grants management platform, including developing additional applications and ensuring integration with other technology.
• Represents the Grantmaking Operations team in foundation-wide initiatives.

Qualifications

Our ideal team member will have the following:

• Bachelor’s Degree required; Advanced degree preferred. 
• Minimum of 5 years’ experience working in a grantmaking organization required.
• Familiarity with tax rules governing private foundations and public charities required.
• Understanding of grantmaking compliance preferred.
• Private foundation experience or experience with grantmaking to organizations outside of the U.S. is highly preferred.
• Technical savviness with exceptional Microsoft Office and administrator-level database skills required. 
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills required.

Additional Information

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

SEQUOIA CLIMATE FUND’S INSTITUTIONAL CULTURE OF RESPECT, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION

Sequoia Climate Fund believes we are strengthened by the diversity of our staff, and welcome such diversity including race, gender identity or expression, educational attainment, disability, veteran status, and personal experience with the criminal justice system. We welcome applications from people of all cultures, backgrounds, and experiences, and we strongly encourage people of color and persons with disabilities to apply. We actively cultivate an institutional culture that reflects the values of respect, equity, and inclusion that we seek to amplify in the larger world.

Sequoia Climate Fund hires, promotes, and retains employees based on their professional qualifications, demonstrated abilities and work performance, as well as on the degree to which these qualities are required in the employment positions made available by Sequoia’s service needs and business requirements. All personnel decisions, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, compensation, assignment, training, promotion, discipline and discharge, are made without discrimination based on any protected characteristic as defined by law, e.g., race, color, religion, national origin, citizenship, ancestry, age, disability, gender identity or expression, sex, sexual orientation, marital or familial status, domestic partner status, veteran or military status, genetic predisposition or carrier status, and prior criminal convictions, as well as educational attainment.

COVID-19 HIRING UPDATE

We have temporarily transitioned to a work-from-home model, and this role is expected to begin as a remote position. To ensure the safety and well-being of our employees, we will continue to monitor the situation and follow the recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as well as local advisories from the California Department of Public Health and the Orange County Health Care Agency. ONCE CIRCUMSTANCES ALLOW, STAFF WILL BE REQUIRED TO WORK FULL-TIME FROM OUR OFFICE IN IRVINE, CALIFORNIA. We are flexible and willing to discuss the logistics and financial considerations raised by relocation, if needed. 

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