Program Associate, Strategic Communications

About U.S. Energy Foundation

U.S. Energy Foundation’s (EF) mission is to secure a clean and equitable energy future to tackle the climate crisis. We envision a healthy, safe, equitable economy powered by clean energy. We believe a thriving clean energy economy can create sustainable opportunities, spur innovation, and protect our climate—for today and future generations.

EF supports education and analysis to promote non-partisan policy solutions that advance renewable energy and energy efficiency while opening doors to greater innovation and productivity—growing the economy with dramatically less pollution. For more than 30 years, EF has supported grantees to help educate policymakers and the general public about the benefits of a clean energy economy. Our grantees include business, health, environmental, labor, equity, community, faith, and consumer groups, as well as policy experts, think tanks, universities, and more.

At EF, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) are top organizational commitments. We are working daily to uproot racism and other forms of oppression and create equitable systems that support people to flourish. We aim to bring humility, transparency, respect, and an appreciation for others’ lived experiences to our interactions with colleagues, grantees, and partners.

EF’s Fundraising Philosophy

As EF’s primary clients/partners are our funders and grantees, EF commits to acting as a strategic thought leader for our current and prospective funding partners and the field by:

• Collaborating—and co-creating, where feasible and desired—on strategy development, including the hosting and/or managing of funder collaboratives
• Highlighting the opportunity for climate philanthropy to maximize benefits to disadvantaged communities and those most impacted by climate change
• Offering excellent, responsive service by providing proactive, compelling, and timely updates and information

EF is headquartered in San Francisco, CA, and our more than 100 staff members are based in locations throughout the Midwest, Northeast, Southeast, and Western regions, where they can best serve our programs, partners, operations, and other functions.

Position Summary

EF is looking for a highly organized and detail-oriented self-starter to join our Strategic Communications team as a Program Associate (PA). The PA will support our nationally distributed team to plan and manage projects and budgets, make and administer grants, and work with advocates and other partners to execute strategies and projects.

Much of the PA’s time is focused on administering grants and contracts. Other key duties include managing projects within and outside the team; providing administrative support to the team (scheduling, drafting communications, etc.); developing and implementing systems and processes to facilitate internal and external collaboration; preparing and managing funder material; understanding and maintaining budgets; and planning and supporting meetings, conferences, and other events.

The PA will work with:

• Cross-programmatic teams at EF, including Policy, Strategic Communications, and States and Regions teams
• Cross-functional teams at EF, including Operations and Strategic Partnerships
• Grantees, funders, and other external partners

EF actively seeks to expand DEI within our organization and through our work. We encourage people of color and candidates with diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives to apply.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Grantmaking

• Track and execute all steps in the grantmaking process, including:
  • Serving as a primary contact for grantees and consultants
  • Gathering feedback and working with all parties to craft and finalize proposals and scopes of work
  • Reviewing financials and conducting initial due diligence
  • Keeping the Strategic Communications team informed of progress and flagging questions that arise in a timely fashion
• Process grants/contracts through EF’s internal systems in a timely and responsive manner
• Prepare agendas, schedule meetings, and conduct relevant research to ensure effective conversations
• Prepare the team and grantees/consultants ahead of meetings by circulating materials, flagging relevant questions, coordinating agendas, and setting expectations for outcomes
• Assist in conducting research and due diligence on proposals or prospective grantees; engage directly with grantees/consultants as needed
• Work collaboratively to manage program budgets and reconcile budgets to actuals for cross-programmatic grants

Internal Support and Coordination

• Foster effective coordination and integration within the Strategic Communications team using tools and systems to support collaboration and information-sharing
• Schedule calls and meetings, arrange logistics, and provide follow-up support
• Manage IT and administrative matters and general office needs
• Draft internal and external documents, such as board dockets, funder reports, proposals, and presentations
• Serve as liaison to other EF teams to ensure Strategic Communications integration with regional and national policy programs
• Support campaigns and communications projects as availability permits

External Coordination

• Facilitate networking and information-sharing between diverse grantees/consultants; build new connections as appropriate
• Organize and/or support team meetings and convenings, including creating presentations and agendas
• Represent EF and the Strategic Communications team at meetings and events, as agreed upon with supervisor

Build the Team

• Generate and implement ideas for improving systems, programs, and operations
• Embody EF’s values: collaboration, service, learning, and responsibility
• Support DEI values in internal and external EF work
• Maintain collaborative relationships with peers and contribute to a positive working environment
• Develop a personal learning and development plan with supervisor support; seek professional development opportunities
• Perform other duties and special projects as assigned

Qualifications

• Highly organized with strong attention to detail
• Excellent written, verbal, and digital communication skills
• Ability to manage multiple demands across distributed teams; adept at supporting multiple individuals and priorities
• Customer service experience in a fast-paced environment with competing priorities
• Interest in philanthropy, nonprofits, issue campaigns, public policy, or strategic communications (clean energy knowledge not required)
• Pluses include:
  • Experience working on DEI
  • Project management experience
  • Grants management experience
  • Familiarity with digital tools, social media, online surveys
• Technical skills:
  • Intermediate or advanced in Microsoft Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook (preferably Mac)
  • Familiarity with Google Drive, Docs, Sheets, and Box platform
  • Experience with cloud-based databases like Salesforce is a plus

Supervision

Reports to the Program Director, Strategic Communications.

Compensation

This is a full-time position. The target salary is $93,600 for candidates in metro areas including San Francisco, New York City, Seattle, San Diego, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., Boston, or Sacramento, and $84,600 for candidates in other U.S. regions.

EF provides a comprehensive benefits package including competitive salary, medical, dental, vision, disability, retirement benefits, and paid time off.

Other Requirements

Ability to travel two to four times a year for three to four business days at a time.

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform essential job functions. Reasonable accommodations may be made.

While performing duties, the employee must spend extended time at a computer. This position requires moderate domestic travel.

Work Environment

EF is a remote-first workplace. This position may be based in any EF office or remotely anywhere in the U.S.

Office environments include shared workspaces, individual offices, and common areas. Noise levels are moderate, with a collegial atmosphere. Occasionally, there may be events after work hours.

Learn more here