Job Details

About the Foundation
Delle Maxwell and Pat Hanrahan started the Maxwell/Hanrahan Foundation in 2018 to support individual scientists, teachers, conservationists and creators whose diverse perspectives enable us to discover new things about ourselves and our world.

The Foundation supports people who:

• Explore and ask through fieldwork in natural sciences.
• Create and captivate as they promote mastery in art and craft.
• Teach and try as they support students in public education.
• Conserve and connect as they encourage care for the natural world.

• Assist the Executive Director and Program Officer in developing and managing grants, particularly for the Resilient Ecosystems portfolio.
• Research potential grantees, evaluate proposals, draft grant summaries through online research; schedule and track outcomes, and enter grants into the grants management system.
• Support ongoing grant management: provide initial review of reports, schedule calls, answer questions about our reporting processes, and support reporting conversations and documentation with grantees.
• Elevate organizational or programmatic questions and challenges.
• Apply judgment, discretion and trust-based philanthropy principles in grantee interactions.
• Provide program management support for new awards: organize and participate in advisory committee meetings, draft and send communications to nominators.
• Assist in conducting due diligence on award nominees in existing and new awards.

• Serve as the primary contact for grant reports and payment inquiries.
• Research, select, and draft content for Foundation communications, including blog posts, press releases, social media, and the website.
• Support efforts to highlight and engage award winners, including developing videos, promotional materials, and supporting in-person awards events.
• Respond to requests for information and resources or elevate to the appropriate Foundation contact.
• Actively participate in and support internal and external meetings: draft agendas, prepare supporting materials, take notes, and contribute to discussions.
• Cultivate an inclusive network of partners and stay informed on key issues in our fields of interest.
• Represent the Foundation to external audiences, including foundations, non-profits, awardees and community leaders.

• Research potential grantees and perform landscape analyses relevant to the Foundation's focus areas.
• Conduct research to support program strategy in collaboration with the Executive Director and other program staff.

• Grantmaking & Program Operations: Skilled at supporting senior staff with high-volume grant processes, including research, data entry, report review, and grantee communications. Comfortable managing transactional details while understanding broader program goals.
• Project Management & Organization: Exceptionally detail-oriented, with the ability to track multiple priorities, meet deadlines, and ensure work is completed to a high standard. Skilled at managing up and keeping program staff on track.
• Flexibility & Adaptability: Comfortable supporting multiple staff members, shifting priorities, and handling emerging needs in a lean, evolving organization.
• Communication & Professionalism: Strong written and verbal communication skills. Able to interact with staff, founders, and external stakeholders with maturity and discretion. Able to build trust and represent the Foundation professionally.
• Trust-Based Philanthropy: Understands and applies principles of trust-based philanthropy while ensuring compliance with grantmaking policies and procedures.
• Initiative & Independent Work Ethic: Takes ownership of tasks, works independently, and exercises sound judgment about when to escalate issues.
• Teamwork & Relationship Management: Comfortable in a teamwork-heavy environment and contributing to a collaborative, inclusive workplace. Strong interpersonal skills to work closely with leadership, internal teams, grantees, and external partners.

• Experience: Minimum 3 years of professional experience in grantmaking, nonprofit operations, program administration, project management or a related field with high-volume transactional work. Prior foundation or regranting experience is highly desirable.
• Education: Open to various educational backgrounds. Strong preference for candidates with prior professional office experience handling responsibilities like writing professional emails, presenting to senior staff, and managing deadlines.
• Commitment to the Mission: Broad interest in the Foundation's work in science, art, craft, teaching, and environmental protection, with an ability to engage thoughtfully across these areas.
• Career Trajectory Fit: This is a critical position supporting a small team; it is not designed to be a pathway to a Program Officer position in the near term. Ideal candidates will see the opportunity for professional growth within the Program Associate role.

• An initial 30-45-minute video interview with CEA Recruiting
• A 75-minute video interview with members of the Maxwell/Hanrahan hiring team
• An in-person interview day with 2-3 sessions with the Maxwell/Hanrahan staff team