Position Summary

As the Programs and Grants Manager, you will work closely with the Executive Director and play an important role in furthering HPF’s mission through the implementation of strategic plans across all programs, effective direction of grants, and management of grants. The Programs and Grants Manager will be responsible for managing and optimizing all programs, with a focus on driving the organization’s social and environmental impact. This includes overseeing all program and grant functions, developing and implementing programmatic strategies and objectives, and driving cross-functional collaboration. This role will hold all relationships with partners on the ground. The ideal candidate will have experience in high-performing and high impact spaces and have a passion for creating positive change in the world.

As the Programs and Grants Manager, you will oversee two main work streams. First, you will be responsible for the day-to-day management of grants, including reporting, working closely with the finance and storytelling teams, and working closely with partners on the ground. Second, you will be responsible for ensuring the smooth and efficient running of the organization’s programs overall. This includes liaising with internal staff and external partners around objectives and progress, organization of reporting, and developing and implementing programmatic policies and procedures to ensure that the organization is meeting its goals and objectives.

The Opportunity

This is an invitation to join a small, passionate team working to reimagine how philanthropy can serve. As Programs and Grants Manager, you will work hand-in-hand with the Executive Director to bring HPF’s mission to life. You will be the primary steward of relationships with HPF’s partners– listening deeply, responding quickly and ensuring that their needs and priorities shape every aspect of the work.

You’ll manage grants and programs across multiple geographies, help shape strategies for expansion, and ensure that HPF’s resources reach communities efficiently, respectfully, and with integrity. This role sits at the intersection of logistics and relationship, where good systems meet good hearts.

For the right person, this is more than a job. It’s an opportunity to contribute to a new model of partnership and planetary care.

What You Will Do

Programming

  • Lead the design and implementation of HPF’s program strategies across existing geographies (Third Pole in Central Asia, rangelands of East Africa, Pacific Islands, and Tongass Alaska) and help explore expansion in these ecologies.
  • Build and maintain a toolkit of resources to strengthen and connect our partners’ work.
  • Develop and refine policies and practices that nurture trust, reciprocity and long-term partnership with communities on the ground.
  • Serve as a connector linking partners to resources, allies and stories that amplify their impact and increase their ability to influence policy.
  • Create and manage a network of potential partners, allies, and resources to strengthen and connect HPF’s work on the ground.
  • Other work as assigned by the Executive Director.

Grants Management

  • Facilitate the grant selection process by conducting in-depth research, evaluation, and analysis of potential partners. This includes coordinating with other staff, the Board of Directors, and existing community partners to ensure rigorous evaluation.
  • Manage the full grant life cycle.
  • Manage the due diligence process for all partners.
  • Partner with finance and storytelling on communicating with and about partners on the ground.
  • Manage grants administration process, compliance, and reporting. Assist the finance team with financial compliance and reporting.
  • Manage relationships with partners on the ground, including regular diligence calls and field visits.
  • Laise year-round with partners to understand needs, changing landscapes, and facilitate support.
  • Manage relationships with donors, including leading on reporting requirements

Thought Leadership

  • Assist the communications team with storytelling trips and a steady flow of impact information to support amplification of our partners’ successes and learnings.
  • Contribute to panels or writings that bring attention to HPF’s ecologies, partners, and/or their work in larger international fora.
  • Lead findings and knowledge sharing on latest scientific research about Nature-based solutions and Indigenous solutions, including partnering with academic or research institutions where appropriate.
  • Be an advocate for Indigenous-led solutions and self determination.

Who You Are

You are someone who moves through the world with curiosity, humility, and deep respect for others. You are at home in complexity, able to toggle between details and big picture thinking, and comfortable with working across cultures, languages and landscapes.

You are:

  • A self starter who thrives in a nimble, fast-moving environment.
  • Culturally fluent and attuned to power dynamics, able to build trust across differences.
  • A clear, compassionate communicator with strong emotional intelligence.
  • Adaptable and resourceful, capable of managing multiple priorities without losing sight of purpose.
  • Rooted in the belief that Indigenous Peoples and local communities are leading the way in healing our planet.
  • Willing and able to travel– to sit with partners, to listen, and to learn from them. (Estimated travel is 20-40%, domestic and international.)

Experience You Bring

  • 5-7 years program or grant management experience required;
  • Background in a locally run nonprofit or community-based organization domestically or internationally;
  • Hands-on experience with grant management, due diligence procedures, and reporting;
  • Lived or working experience with Indigenous Peoples in the Americas or local communities globally;
  • Strong writing and organizational skills; and
  • Ease of working across teams and time zones.

Our Team Culture and Values

  • Responsibility: HPF is responsible for doing everything we can to help mitigate and adapt to the challenges facing Earth by serving the Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities we are in partnership with.
  • Respect: Our partners are already using the tools to mitigate the climate and biodiversity crises, as it is how they have always lived. They do not need to be told what to do, as they have always been the leaders in these efforts, because living in right relationship with nature has always been the original solution.
  • Transparency: We share all our results, outcomes, and best practices with anyone and everyone where it does not harm our community partners.
  • Trust: Our relationships are built on trust.
  • Reciprocity: In the tradition of Indigenous Peoples everywhere, we believe both sides in any relationship have something to offer: Our grants are not charity—they are evidence of our belief that indigenous communities already have the necessary skills and knowledge to care for the places where they live.
  • Confidentiality: Given that we work with communities in places which can be remote, fragile, and sometimes disputed, their trust in us includes our not sharing any information which could jeopardize their safety in any way.
  • Listening: HPF listens to our partners, first and always. We serve them and are extremely careful and conscientious to ensure we do not impose any external values or assumptions on them and their work.
  • Kinship: All of these are values of kinship, which is our operating system with our partners.

In addition to these core values of Home Planet Fund, we operate with humor and try to have fun and get outside into nature.

Compensation and Benefits

The annual salary range for the position starts between $125,000 and $150,000 commensurate with experience. HPF also offers a comprehensive package of benefits.

Location and Travel

This is a highly flexible, remote role with occasional travel to our offices in Ventura, CA, and travel to our field sites and partner communities around the world.

How to Express Interest

Calibrated Search, who specializes in partnering with mission-driven nonprofits and companies, has been retained by HPF to assist in this confidential hiring process. To express interest in this role, please share your candidate materials HERE.

To nominate candidates and/or ask questions, please email [email protected] with “HPF Programs and Grants Manager” in the subject line.

HPF is committed to the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion as important components of workplace culture. HPF is an equal opportunity employer, and we strongly encourage members of traditionally underrepresented communities to apply, including women, immigrants, people of color, indigenous, LGBTQ+ individuals, and those with disabilities. Reasonable accommodations will be made so that qualified disabled applicants may participate in the process. Please advise in writing at the time of application.