Grants Manager, Operations & Data

Samueli Foundation

2 months ago

Corona Del Mar, CA

Data & Technology

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Job Summary

The Samueli Foundation is a California-based, Southern California-focused private family foundation that has recently reached several important milestones. These include a significant acceleration in its rate of giving and a stated ambition to accelerate even further; the appointment of a new president to direct and oversee the family’s full philanthropic life, including integration with its commercial businesses; creation of a new mission, vision, and values to clarify its focus and drive greater intentionality in grantmaking, organizational culture, and decision-making; and inclusion of next-generation involvement.

Our vision is well-being for all. Our new mission is to make Orange County a thriving mosaic of community well-being by supporting and uniting catalytic forces whose innovations yield a higher quality of life for everyone. Our values are integrity, gratitude, empathy, curiosity, creativity, and trust.

We strive to accomplish our mission through three main approaches:  

INVEST: Support catalytic forces whose innovations yield a higher quality of life for everyone  

UNITE: Cultivate multisector cooperation that generates the will and the ways to achieve lasting, equitable community well-being 

MODEL: Inspire adaptation by other communities to scale the impact of proven programs 

As we grow our work, we are also making important investments in our team to ensure we do our work with the utmost professionalism, energy, and excellence we can deliver.

Responsibilities

The Grants Manager, Operations & Data is responsible for managing the Foundation’s grants throughout the full grantmaking life cycle. They will project manage each grant through the system and across stakeholders, ensuring compliance, data integrity, execution of agreements and payments, reporting, etc. They will support the implementation our new grants system and focus on data management and integrity to improve organizational learning. This position requires meticulous attention to detail and the ability to adapt as we develop and refine systems and processes.

With over 100 grantee partners and an annual budget of 100M, the Foundation is undertaking a strategic refresh of processes and systems to harmonize grantmaking practices and activity. They will join the Foundation at a time of growth with an expanded finance team and newly established grants management function to support the Foundation's ambitious goals.

 

Responsibilities

Grants Pipeline Management (~70%)

  • Manage a day-to-day pipeline of grants through the lifecycle; serve as a systems power user for grants management, ensuring data integrity, agreement management, and aspects of regulatory compliance for 501(c)(3) private foundation grantmaking, etc.
  • Review grants to confirm compliance with IRS regulations and Foundation requirements
  • Escalate special cases to the Director of Grants Management or legal counsel as needed and work toward resolution
  • Partner with program staff and grantee partners to resolve potential issues and challenges a particular grant or partner circumstance may present
  • Ensure completeness and accuracy of all grant records processed, including reviewing and updating organization contact information, grant coding, and payment and reporting schedules
  • Advise program staff on diligence, data integrity, and knowledge management; guide them through technical data and grantmaking processes
  • Serve as a key partner and liaison for grantees and internal stakeholders for grant administration and grant systems support throughout the grant lifecycle
  • Partner with the finance team to ensure timely collection of grantee banking information and payment processing, as well as support audit readiness
  • Identify and suggest continuous improvements to processes and procedures, data management, data integrity, workflows, etc.
  • Stay informed of trends, best practices, and activities in the philanthropic sector and among peer funders and translate them back to the organization as appropriate

Data & Systems (~30%)

  • Manage data quality within GivingData, including migration and data clean up efforts, to support the system’s data-related goals
  • Ensure information is complete, valid, accurate, and consistent
  • Support the “source of truth” transition for grantmaking and philanthropic activity from manual tracking and accounting systems to GivingData
  • Support efforts for integrations with other systems as needed
  • Undertake analysis of grant data and develop reports and dashboards for various audiences and needs
  • Rapidly respond to inquiries from staff across the Foundation for data on grants
  • Encourage grant system user adoption by providing technical support and training for users, and collecting and tracking user feedback, requirements, and improvement requests
  • Serve as a liaison with consultants and GivingData for systems support
  • Assist grantees using the grantee portal as needed
  • Undertake and coordinate testing of system upgrades and enhancements
  • Draft and maintain system documentation and training documents to assist staff with their use of GivingData
  • Assist with user onboarding and account setup/maintenance, training, and offboarding processes
  • Maintain technical knowledge by attending educational workshops, reviewing release notes, and participating in the GivingData user community
  • Prepare data to send to external constituents and surveys as needed
  • Perform other duties and projects as assigned

Skills

  • 4-6 years of experience in grants management, philanthropic operations, etc., preferably at a private foundation
  • Bachelor’s degree
  • Familiarity with IRS compliance rules associated 501(c)(3) private foundations
  • Experience with systems and technology solutions for grants management (preference for familiarity with GivingData); transitioning into a new grants system is a plus
  • Experience with data migration, management, and analysis
  • Interest in the use of data for organizational learning, impact monitoring, and evaluation in the philanthropic field is a plus
  • Demonstrated change management skills and the ability to champion a culture of continuous improvement
  • Able to manage multiple tasks and prioritize effectively with keen attention to detail, ability to meet deadlines and move work independently
  • Meticulous and diligent with the ability to execute and innovate as we evolve  
  • Equivalent combinations of work experience and training that provide the required knowledge, skills, and abilities will also be considered

BENEFITS AND LOCATION:

We offer a competitive and comprehensive benefits package, including health, dental, 401(k), and other desirable benefits.

The position is located in Corona del Mar, California. The Foundation works on a hybrid remote schedule, determined in collaboration with supervisors.

 

OUR COMMITMENT:

We are committed to providing an environment of mutual respect where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants and team members without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, parental status, military service, medical condition or any protected category prohibited by local, state or federal laws. We are firm believers that diversity and inclusion among our team members are critical to our success, and we seek to recruit, develop, and retain the most talented people from a diverse candidate pool.

Salary & Benefits

The annual base salary range for this position in California is $130,000 to $150,000 per year. The starting pay for the successful candidate depends on various job-related factors, including but not limited to the candidate’s geographic location, job-related knowledge, skills, experience, education/training, internal value, peer equity, external market demands, and organizational considerations.

Equal Opportunity Hiring Statement

We are committed to providing an environment of mutual respect where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants and team members without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, parental status, military service, medical condition or any protected category prohibited by local, state or federal laws.  We are firm believers that diversity and inclusion among our team members are critical to our success, and we seek to recruit, develop, and retain the most talented people from a diverse candidate pool.