BuildUS - Senior Program Manager

Senior Program Manager 

Position Description 

About BuildUS

The IRA, BIL, and CHIPS present an unprecedented opportunity to make real progress on economic and climate objectives to benefit workers and communities at scale. And the urgency is real—economic inequality, climate change, and threats to our democracy are serious and accelerating. But to take advantage of the opportunity and make progress on these major challenges, workers and communities need significant support. Too many communities lack the resources and political power to take advantage of these opportunities on their own. 

BuildUS has a vision to grow a fairer economy, stronger democracy and cleaner energy future that advance equitable prosperity through successful implementation of federal legislation. BuildUS is committed to three core goals: accelerating economic opportunities that advance the clean energy transition, building worker and community power and developing the public will to make government work better for everyone. BuildUS particularly seeks outcomes that benefit our nation’s multi-racial working class. 

BuildUS is currently conceived as a time-limited pooled fund (currently $50 million) that uses grant-making, convening and relationships in creative ways to accelerate and deepen the way federal policy supports people to develop and drive an economy that works better for everyone. This position is likely to exist for a minimum of two years, possibly longer. 

Our current program areas include:

Workers: Grow the infrastructure of key national and southern-focused efforts building near-term worker power and improving job quality in the EV and clean energy manufacturing and construction sectors. 

Communities: Support coalitions of place-based actors who are advancing economic opportunity and climate outcomes using federal resources, promoting local ownership and building community power. 

Communications: Developing a new economic narrative of how people can drive an economy that works better for everyone by partnering with the government through storytelling, amplification, message development and coordination among key communicators. 

Across these areas, we are increasingly focused on places where these opportunities hit the ground, advancing cross-cutting tools and support organizations, strategic communications and exploring market-shaping opportunities. 

BuildUS is a small, highly collaborative and entrepreneurial start-up looking for experienced and committed program staff to join our team. The Program Manager will report to a Managing Director or Executive Director. BuildUS is a sponsored project at the Amalgamated Charitable Foundation. 

About the position

• Manage portfolio and place specific grant-making and program activity to support our goals including leading grantee partners through proposal and compliance process, tracking progress, responding to grantee information/reports and advising on renewals.
• Ensure clear outcomes and learning opportunities in support of our grant-making and other program work.  
• Identify and distill relevant lessons and reflections, assessment from data and knowledge gathered from the field to advise on  and propose course corrections and/or new directions as needed.  
• Develop and maintain collaborative and productive relationships with grantees and peer funders. 
• Work to understand needs and opportunities that organizations and workers face in implementing federal resources and seek to develop solutions in partnership with other organizations working in the space and with grantee partners.  
• Participate in organizational strategy development with a focus on grantmaking in consultation with the Managing Director and staff team to support innovative and impactful efforts to support federal implementation that grow economic and climate opportunities and worker and community power.
• Prepare and present information to organizational leadership and board members in partnership with colleagues.  
• Communicate what we are learning to our peers and partners through thought leadership, including developing articles, blogs, and points of view. 
• Foster and support a culture that promotes trust, respect, equity, and integrity.
• Build out BuildUS network with nonprofit and advocacy organizations, unions, business executives, policy makers and regulators, grassroots networks, media and storytellers, and academics and researchers.
• Represent BuildUS in external forums.
• Contribute to administrative work and organizational development as needed. 

Qualifications, Skills, and Personal Attributes

• Minimum of six years of relevant experience in social change efforts and initiatives in the field in at least one of the following areas: worker justice and organizing, climate or climate justice organizing, community organizing, campaign and coalition building, community economic development or community development finance. 
• Grant-making experience strongly preferred.
• A track record of high-quality work.  
• Demonstrated interest and ability to cross programmatic silos and social change strategies.  
• Experience with specific related federal policy or federal grants programs preferred.
• Knowledge of and/or applied experience in organizational development, organizational life cycles, business cycles, and nonprofit financial management. 
• Strong organizational and project management skills.
• Strong relationships and a diverse and respected peer network in their field.
• Excellent writing and oral communication skills. 
• Flexibility and adaptability in an ever-changing environment.
• Brings a sense of joy and humor to their work.
• Low-ego; committed to advancing the whole rather than themselves.
• Fluency in social justice and equity principles, with the ability to integrate these principles into programmatic strategies and operations.
• Ability to travel 25-35% of time.  

Compensation and Benefits 

The targeted starting salary range for this position is $135,000-$155,000 annually, based on experience. ACF offers a generous benefits package including health insurance (with 100% of the premiums paid for employees, spouses, domestic partners, and qualified family members), significant paid time off and a 401(k)-retirement plan with employer match. 

The priority deadline to apply is Friday, September 6, 2024. This search is being supported by NRG Consulting Group. Please contact [email protected] with any questions.