Work at Wild Animal Initiative

 

Applications closed

As of 14 July 2022, we are no longer accepting applications for this position.

This is an archived copy of the job description for your reference.

Basics

Job title: Grants Coordinator

Department: Science - Grants Program

Application deadline: June 5, 2022

Application materials:

Please submit an application using this form. The form will ask you to attach two PDFs:

  • A 1- to 2-page resume (PDF) concisely describing your educational, professional, and other relevant experiences.

  • A 1- to 2-page cover letter (PDF) that (i) includes a brief personal statement outlining how your past experience is relevant to the position and (ii) responds to the following questions:

    • What interests you and makes you a good fit for coordinating Wild Animal Initiative’s grantmaking program, helping to select high-value projects to fund, and preparing proposals for research grants?

    • What criteria do you consider to be the most important for selecting research projects for Wild Animal Initiative to fund, and why?

Application process timeline:

  • Stage 2 (paid work test): Mid June.

  • Stage 3 (video interviews): Mid July.

  • Target start date: August 1, 2022.

About our mission

Wild Animal Initiative is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit working to understand and improve the lives of wild animals. 

Even in nature, most wild animals struggle to survive every day. Unfortunately, preserving habitats or species does not guarantee that animals themselves have good lives. At Wild Animal Initiative, we believe we have a responsibility to act to improve the well-being of wild animals, whether they live in captivity or somewhere else. 

Yet, responsible action requires sound science. There is still so much we don’t know about which animals are sentient, what their lives are like in the wild, and how we can responsibly help them. Our work supports the study of wild animal welfare by funding cutting-edge science, supporting the careers of researchers in the field, and contributing original research.

The success of our mission depends on the diversity of our team. We are looking to work with people that approach our mission as an inherently inclusive endeavor and celebrate the differences of others. We strongly encourage people of every color, religion, age, origin, class, citizenship, parental status, disability status, genetics, veteran status, sexual orientation, and gender to apply. Note that we are unfortunately not able to sponsor work visas at this time and require candidates to already be eligible to work in the jurisdictions where they live or will live by the start of their employment.

Please feel free to reach out to Hiring Manager Emily Sharp at emily.sharp@wildanimalinitiative.org if:

  • You have any questions about our hiring process or open positions;

  • You would like to help us find excellent candidates to join our team; or

  • You are interested in working with us in a capacity we’re not currently hiring for (in which case, a resume and some details about your professional interests would be helpful to receive).

Thank you for considering Wild Animal Initiative as the next part of your vocational journey, we hope to hear from you!

Terms of employment

Location:

  • Full-time remote

  • Must be able to meet with colleagues in Eastern Time (US) and European time zones most days of the week and to meet with colleagues in Pacific Time (US) a few times a week.

  • Note: We are not able to sponsor work visas and are only considering applicants who are eligible to work in the country they plan to live and work in.

Reports to: Science Director Vittoria Elliott

Travel:

  • Travel within the United States and Europe required about 2-8 times per year for staff retreats, conferences, and stakeholder meetings.

Salary:

  • $48,384.00 to $59,136.00, depending on the approximate cost of living in your area. For a complete description of how we set and raise salaries, see our salary algorithm.

Benefits:

  • Comprehensive health and dental insurance.

  • Four weeks of paid vacation, 12 additional holidays, and two weeks of sick leave.

  • A fully remote work environment that allows you to choose when and where you work.

  • A friendly, open work culture that encourages feedback, collaboration, experimentation, and evidence-based innovation.

  • Opportunities for advancement as our team and programs continue their growth trajectory.

  • Note: This benefit structure is what we use for our US staff and largely similar to what we offer to many non-US staff, but may be different depending on the legal requirements of the country you work in.

Responsibilities

Position mission statement:

As Wild Animal Initiative’s Grants Coordinator, you will facilitate our grantmaking and help develop science proposals to other donors. You will coordinate the use of grant-management systems and software; improve our systems for smoothly receiving and selecting grants that meet selection criteria; verify budgets; administer grant agreements and other relevant documentation; manage grantees’ needs and reporting processes; and prepare technical content and budgets for WAI proposals to other donors. You will help to improve our grantmaking process and efficiency and contribute positively to an inclusive work culture.

Supervisory responsibilities:

  • None currently, but if you are interested and capable, it is possible that  your responsibilities could evolve to include managing other grantmaking staff as opportunities arise.

Core Responsibilities:

  • To support Wild Animal Initiative’s grantmaking program. 

    • Application process: 

      • Support grants program communications.

      • Identify places to advertise and share calls for proposals. 

      • Coordinate calls for proposals, grantee submissions, and the grant review process, collaborating with our research, operations, and communications staff where necessary. 

    • Proposal review: 

      • Support the grant review process by ensuring WAI is upholding grant selection criteria.

      • Develop materials and content to facilitate internal and external review.

      • Provide input on grant selection.

    • Grantee administration and coordination: 

      • Coordinate grant administration, grantee management, and reporting. 

    • Grantee communications: 

      • Help coordinate between grantees and our research, operations, and communications staff to support grantee engagement in meetings, content development, etc. 

    • Grantmaking process: 

      • Identify and implement process improvements to streamline, automate, and improve efficiency.

  • To support Wild Animal Initiative’s research grant application process.

    • Grant opportunities: 

      • Identify grants for which WAI should apply.

      • Coordinate our grant application process.

      • Manage milestone deadlines and efficiently consult and inform relevant coworkers.

      • Review research grants from other donors for fit.

    • Proposal development: 

      • Draft grant proposal outlines.

      • Coordinate with relevant coworkers for the provision of content, and support the relationships between WAI staff and research grantmakers.

Qualifications

This role will require you to have the following qualifications:

  • Ability to thrive in a remote work environment while working effectively as part of a remote team.

  • Excellent time management and organization skills, and ability to set and meet deadlines.

  • Ability to use spreadsheets or project management software.

  • Ability to develop project budgets.

  • Sufficient knowledge and understanding of wild animal welfare or related disciplines to objectively evaluate projects based on agreed selection criteria and to prepare content for WAI proposals to other donors.

  • Ability to manage processes performed by others (including leadership) by being proactive about communicating deadlines, monitoring progress, and providing reminders when helpful.

  • Ability to write clear and concise proposal content.

  • Ability to use, or willingness to learn, Google Drive, Airtable, grantmaking software, and Asana. 

This role might also benefit from you having some of the following qualifications. You should still apply even if you don’t have any of these qualifications:

  • Ability to problem-solve and willingness to find creative solutions, when needed.

  • Motivated by a desire to improve the lives of wild animals.

  • Familiarity with the use of offline and online grantmaking software and web-design software. 

  • Demonstrated ability to prepare successful science proposals and experience applying for research grants.

  • Ability to effectively research, identify, and evaluate grant opportunities.

  • Interested in and capable of managing other grantmaking staff as opportunities arise.

Credentials and experience:

  • Note that we do not require any specific academic credentials or prior work experience for you to be considered for this position, as research shows that such requirements can diminish the quality of candidate pools by deterring from applying individuals who would otherwise be a great fit for a role.

Feel free to email emily.sharp@wildanimalinitiative.org with any questions about the role or the application process.