Program Associate International Programs Programs Westlake Village, California Description Position at Conrad N. Hilton Foundation The Program Associate will work as a part of the program team to support the implementation of the Foundation's Safe Water strategy. The Program Associate holds a variety of responsibilities related to research, analysis and coordination of programmatic and administrative activities. The primary focus is the coordination of grant-making activities for the Safe Water program team as well as acting as a liaison between program staff, grantees and external consultants. S/he will provide support for key operational and administrative areas of the team, including: project tracking, financial and budget, help monitor grant progress and provide input into grant-making decisions, communications and knowledge sharing, coordination of meetings and contribution to project reports, and planning. This position will also assist the team with general administration functions including the coordination of convenings. This position will work closely with the Sr. Program Officer/Program Officer in the Safe Water strategy and as a member of the team, the Program Associate will need to travel internationally and domestically, participate in project and department-wide activities, meetings, conferences, etc. S/he will participate in programming discussions, and will be conversant with the Foundation's approaches. Key Responsibilities: Coordinate the Grant-making & Reporting Process * Participates in and provides insights in strategic grant planning, budgeting and portfolio coding. * Participates in proposal research, summaries and proposal budget during the review process * Review and provide technical assistance to grantees on completing application and budget materials * Manage GivingData entries (documentation, coding, data entry, etc.) and the scenario planning pad * Works closely with SPO/PO in producing board write-ups and presentation materials, including dashboard analytics, to the board * Work closely with SPO/PO to review and analyze grantee progress reports, monitor grantee work plans and budgets, generate progress analyses, and facilitate/trigger payments (PRAs?) * Provide assistance on grant modifications (budget modifications, no-cost extensions) * Participates in peer review process of board write-ups * Conduct 1-2 site visits per year to understand grant portfolio, help monitor progress and provide input on program direction Program Liaison * Maintains collaborative relationships with grantee partners, peer funders and external stakeholders on grant making and reporting processes, as well as organizing external events * Interfaces with grants management to comply with internal audit and grant tracking procedures and grant-making processes (such as grant reporting, payment and reporting schedules, givingdata entry) * Provide support for key operational and administrative areas of the team, including: project tracking, coordination of meetings, vendor/consultant contract agreements, and contribution to project reports, grant oversight, and planning Communications and Learning * Participates in planning and leads logistics of annual learning convening of grantees, stakeholders and monitoring, evaluation and learning partners (MEL) * Maintains and ensures integrity of monitoring data in Givingdata and help produce dashboards/analytics on grant portfolio * Provides support to PO in the implementation of the Safe Water communications strategy and collaborates with the communications team on different communications and knowledge sharing efforts (blog, tweeter, newsletter, etc.) * Coordinates with team members to develop content for the Foundation website and on other platforms * Performs program related research and special projects (as needed) to identify trends in the field and best practices, as well as store and communicate information Program Administrative Support * Provides support to Sr. Program Officer/Program Officer with travel, appointments, contacts, correspondence, reports and maintenance of information * Coordinates external program related events such as meetings, conferences and presentations Education / Training Required: * Bachelors Degree in International Studies, Public Health, Public Policy or related field Desired: * Masters in Business Administration, Public Policy/Health, Finance or Int'l Development. The Safe Water Team values multi-disciplinary approaches to building sustainable water services, therefore, is looking to add a member who has an interest, background or knowledge set in a complementary area; this may be finance, enterprise approaches, health systems, behavioral change, etc. Experience/Technical Skills Required: * Minimum 3-5 years of relevant work experience in the non-profit sector or a private entity with a social mission * Skilled writer with ability to produce communication products for a variety of audiences * Comfortable working with complex budgets and work plans; understands non-profit financials and budgets; highly attentive to detail * Solid organizational skills, able to effectively manage and prioritize work-flow to meet deadlines * Works well independently and collaboratively within a team and demonstrates a high degree of initiative, resourcefulness and flexibility to meet needs of the role * Curious, values learning and continually seeks information and look for new approaches to processes and practices * Strong critical thinking skills to analyze and summarize reports * Strong interpersonal skills and cross-cultural competency; adept at interacting with a range of diverse stakeholders in a professional, collaborative and diplomatic way * Comfortable with traveling (1-2 site visit trips per year and domestic travel) and in rural settings across sub-Saharan Africa * Can do attitude, sense of humor and commitment to being a part of a team that's passionate for building safe water services! * Excellent computer skills to include Microsoft Office and database experience Desired: * An understanding of grant-making and the nonprofit sector are desired. International field experience is highly desired and familiarity working in the developing world, and knowledge of health systems * French language proficiency is a plus Competencies: * Collaborates * Communicates effectively * Action oriented * Interpersonal savvy * Optimizes work processes * Nimble learning