About Us
Driven by a passion to solve the climate crisis, The Sunrise Project (TSP) is a team of experienced change-makers with a mission to scale social movements to drive the global transition beyond fossil fuels. With affiliated programs and staff in the United States, Europe and Asia, we have developed a unique model of grant making and campaigning that supports networks of organizations to drive powerful change towards our mission.
We have a dynamic and nimble organizational culture. We’re serious about supporting our people to thrive as we tackle the urgent climate challenge. TSP supports networks of organizations to work together to achieve outcomes that would not be possible by individual organizations acting alone. Last year we gave over 30 million dollars to over 200 partners globally and we are projected to double our yearly giving in the coming years. We expect all roles to actively support the capacity building of our networks and partner organizations.
We believe that a diversity of experiences and perspectives will help us build stronger strategies, teams and movements. We take the broadest possible view of diversity and encourage First Nations people, people of color, people living outside of cities, people living with disabilities, neurodiverse, and LGBTQIA+ people to apply. We are continually working on becoming a better workplace for everyone. Find out more here.
About The Role
The Senior Grants Administrator is responsible for TSP’s grantmaking operations, through all stages of the process, by managing and monitoring all grants authorized by TSP and ensuring accuracy and consistency. The Senior Grants Administrator will provide guidance to program colleagues on grants administration and procedures, support efforts to promote trust-based granting relationships and support relationship building and engagement with external stakeholders. Reporting to the Global Grants Director, the Senior Grants Administrator will contribute to strategy development, is responsible for ensuring data integrity, design customer support to external parties, and support internal staff. The position will work closely with the Senior Grants System Administrator, provide coaching to the Grants Administrator and will be a key stakeholder in the project delivering the migration to a new grants management system (GSM).
About You
You are a key member of the Grants team taking the lead in developing and recommending policies and procedures related to the grantmaking process for the efficient and effective implementation of TSP’s policies and procedures. You are a team player and a highly organized systems design and implementation professional, with strong analytical and information and data management skills. You are a leader that centers user needs, experience, and capacity building in your work. You are great at project management, time management, planning, and delivery, and you enjoy supporting a team’s capacity in these areas as well. You possess strong trouble-shooting and analytical skills, and are passionate about data, designing and continually improving grant management processes and systems. You’re passionate about leveraging your first-rate grant management skills to help solve the climate crisis.
Key Responsibilities
The Senior Grants Administrator provides both strategic and tactical leadership in the following areas:
Grants administration and workflow process optimization
Manage all components of the grants workflow, including: application and award processes (approvals, vetting, preparing award letters and grant agreements, contracting, etc.), database management, grant review, reporting timelines, grant documentation, requesting payment and grant compliance
Apply in-depth knowledge of cloud-based grants management software to optimize grants management systems, processes and workflows from start to finish
Identify opportunities to optimize existing grant workflow and collaborate with other colleagues to implement, ensuring continued quality and timeliness across all aspects of the grant cycle
Lead in compiling and finalizing dockets and memos for approval by different audiences at TSP - leadership, Board of Directors and Grant Committee
Support the Finance team to track planned grant expenditure, track significant changes and ensure complete and accurate records of all TSP’s expenditures
Ensure compliance with and manage staff’s understanding of TSP’s country-based legal and tax requirements
Support the Senior Grants System Administrator to provide training and technical assistance.
Maintain accurate and secure data
Participate as a key stakeholder in the migration to a new grant management system (GMS)
Stakeholder support, team training and capacity building
Build, maintain and support key relationships and partnerships with the operations team, program teams and grantees, ensuring clear and regular communication about deadlines, workflow expectations or changed processes.
Support TSP’s learning and evaluation by working alongside the Senior Grants System Administrator to ensure the grants management system (GMS) runs optimally, assuring data integrity and troubleshooting
Work with program colleagues to ensure grantmaking inquiries are responded to appropriately, provide technical assistance on grant application guidelines when needed, and ensure compliance with reporting requirements
Guide program staff through grantmaking policy transitions
Provide coaching and training to staff to help them better understand the TPS’s compliance and due diligence requirements and why these requirements are in place.
Contribute to delivering trainings for TSP’s stakeholder on topics such as compliance, risk, policies, internal processes, and systems related to grants management
Contribute to conducting ongoing grants administration, program and foundation management research, including analyses of grant reports and program trends.
Other organizational priorities
Participates in and/or lead cross-organizations initiatives, as needed, to achieve TSP’s goals
Backfill/supports peer Grants colleagues during periods of heavy workload, as needed
Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned
Required skills, knowledge and experience
The successful candidate will have:
A Bachelor’s degree and/or minimum five years of grants and contracts or related work experience, or equivalent demonstrable experience for this role
Work experience in philanthropy
Advanced systems skills, especially professional database management experience, working in complex data systems, (i.e. Fluxx, Givingdata, Salesforce)
Ability to communicate approaches for relaying technical, budgetary and program details to staff, consultants, grantees and applicants in a clear and user-oriented manner
Ability to facilitate smooth communication and work flow process across operations, finance, public affairs and program functions
Proven analytical skills – translating data into user-friendly products
Excellent reporting skills with advanced knowledge of Excel
Demonstrated experience in implementing effective workflow, policies and procedures
Skilled in working with internal staff to balance the tension between system and process needs
Desirable skills, knowledge and experience
Ability to think critically, act decisively, and synthesize program and operational issues
Willingness to take initiative, high level of self-motivation and ease working independently or as part of a team
Ability to juggle multiple competing priorities and consistently deliver
Ability to independently bring tasks and projects to successful and timely resolution
Skilled in managing up and across and building resilient collegial relationships
Ability to objectively analyze a situation and evaluate pros and cons of any course of action
Ability to draw connections between what we do and how we do it and concern with the impact of the TSP’s work
The ability to easily interact with a wide range of people and styles
A generous and curious nature, coupled with a sense of humor, and grace under pressure
Job requirements
You must have full working rights for the country in which you will be working. The Sunrise Project is unable to sponsor applicants for employment visas.
Employment background checks are required.
Intermittent travel with advanced notice may be required.
Flexibility to adjust work hours to accommodate multiple time zones
COVID-19 vaccinations may apply in accordance with local legislation and/or Sunrise policy
How Sunrise supports its staff
The Sunrise Project Inc. (Sunrise Inc.) is committed to creating a workplace that supports our staff to do their best work and develop professionally. We have the following in place to help us achieve that, noting pro rata will apply for part time staff and/or temporarily appointed-fixed term staff:
401(k) & employer match
100% employer paid health, vision and dental coverage
Five weeks of vacation leave
Paid Parental Leave that is gender-neutral & inclusive of all types of families, incl. Parental Return To Work & Keeping In Touch Program
Life Leave (up to 40 days p.a. for significant personal reasons)
Flexible Working Policy
Floating public holidays (cultural leave)
Employee Assistance Program
VIDA - An AI tool to support your health and wellbeing.
Generous allowances for:
Workspace Benefits incl: Macbook & accessories, initial $2,000 for home workspace and IT equipment + $800 every 2 years + up to $75/mth phone/data/internet.
Shared office support
Regular all-org and team meetings & retreats
Learning & Development Program incl. a professional development budget for you
Coaching & manager support with regular 1:1 meetings
Annual performance & development reviews with 360 feedback
A co-developed work plan to ensure clarity on your role & key responsibilities
We provide our staff with a voice on issues that concern them via consultation, eg JEDI caucuses, working groups, slack channels, surveys and meetings.
How to apply
We recognize that racism, sexism, ableism, hom*ophobia, classism and other forms of discrimination creates structural barriers that impact opportunities to formal education and experience. When assessing candidates we look at more than the jobs you've been paid to do but the range of ways you've picked up skills and knowledge throughout your life. This is why we assess candidates on how well they respond to application questions and don’t require a cover letter.
There will be 3 short answer questions with a 250 word limit per question.
