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Climate Action Senior Program Officer 🔥


Location Flexible, Remote Possible!

About California Volunteers:

California Volunteers, Office of the Governor is the state office tasked with engaging Californians in service, volunteering and civic action to tackle our state’s most pressing challenges while lifting up all communities.

From the California Climate Action Corps, the country’s first statewide climate corps program, to the #CaliforniansForAll service initiative launched in response to COVID-19 to establish a volunteer corps to support the state’s response to emergencies and disasters, California Volunteers plays an integral role in tackling the state’s problems.

Led by the state’s Chief Service Officer, Josh Fryday, California Volunteers is supported by a bipartisan 25-member Commission and a team of experts driven by a mission to empower and mobilize all Californians to volunteer and serve in their communities.

Position Description:

The Climate Action Senior Program Officer (Officer) is part of a cross-functional team responsible for the design and successful implementation of the California Climate Action Corps Initiative. The Officer is responsible for a portfolio of AmeriCorps programs that collaborate to achieve California Volunteers’ strategic collective impact goals related to climate action, while ensuring grant monitoring and compliance and program effectiveness through coaching and shared learning. Additionally, as part of the Climate Action Team, the Officer assists with creating statewide opportunities to foster meaningful service experience and esprit de corps among AmeriCorps Fellows as well as support efforts to further develop, evaluate, and scale the California Climate Action Initiative. The Climate Action Senior Program Officer is accountable to the Deputy Director of State and National Service for program monitoring and support and to the California Climate Action Director, while collaborating with the Climate Action Team to ensure strategic objectives are met. 

The Senior Program Officer is expected to:

  • Maintain advanced knowledge and understanding of AmeriCorps rules, regulations, policies, standards, and trends;
  • Have extensive knowledge of nonprofit program management and organizational development.
  • Produce high quality work, needing little correction or oversight;
  • Exhibit superior written and verbal communication skills;
  • Be highly responsible and accountable and have an outstanding work ethic;
  • Demonstrate excellent judgment and integrity;
  • Demonstrate critical thinking and able to apply in complex situations;
  • Possess outstanding interpersonal and relationship skills, including flexibility and poise working with diverse organizations and individuals
  • Be flexible, resourceful, a team player and self-starter able to prioritize and manage multiple tasks with a positive, solutions-oriented approach
  • Be a proactive, forward-looking thinker, who actively seeks opportunities and proposes solutions;
  • Contribute to discussions and decisions regarding quality and process improvement;
  • Act in a leadership capacity and accept increasing levels of departmental responsibility.

Duties:

40%    Grant Compliance Monitoring and Support

·        Manage and monitor a complex portfolio of AmeriCorps grantees to ensure compliance and accountability with all applicable state and federal laws, rules, regulations, and contract provisions; Escalates complex issues to the Deputy Director as needed;

·        Provide technical assistance and program development guidance to assigned portfolio grantees throughout the grant life cycle, ensuring all aspects are carried out in compliance with CV and federal program policies and guidance; 

·        Relay legal and regulatory requirements for programmatic management of federal grants to grantees;

·        Maintain grant oversight by ensuring timely, accurate, and complete submission of all reporting requirements, to include Performance Progress Reports and all responses to CV monitoring requests.

·        Conducts grant monitoring activities including program-readiness support, check-in calls, file reviews, site visits, progress report reviews, etc.

·        Prepare written and verbal reports of completed grant monitoring activities, findings, and results, including recommending appropriate resolution to address grant compliance issues;

·        Support grantees to implement timely corrective action plans to ensure programs achieve desired outcomes and promote grant compliance, identifying opportunities for staff or grantee training to drive program improvements.

·        Assist/coach assigned programs to success, including tracking and analyzing grantee performance data;

·        Review and verify accuracy of AmeriCorps program design and application, ensuring all aspects meet CV and federal standards;

·        Provide input on program successes and challenges, including conducting grantee performance review and assessment, providing relevant information to programs, CV management, federal agencies, Commissioners, and other stakeholders, as needed;

·        Collaborate with fiscal staff on issues related to grant status and subgrantee monitoring.

30%   Program Support and Training

·        Provide intensive support to a portfolio of climate-focused AmeriCorps programs from design through readiness for implementation;

·        Coach and support programs to ensure meaningful program impacts and member service experiences by establishing performance growth targets in partnership with program staff;

·        Provide training and technical assistance to assigned programs and program staff;

·        Create opportunities for collaboration among programs and facilitate a learning community for grantees to exchange ideas and share best practices and resources, while working collectively to address climate change;

·        Present and facilitate training at conferences, webinars, and meetings;

·        Provide timely response to grantee requests;

20%   Communicating Impact and Collaboration

·        Collaborate with the Climate Action Team to ensure grantees’ program delivery are meeting strategic objectives;

·        Collaborate with the Communication Team to amplify program impacts and service opportunities, including assisting with creating content for press releases, logistics for significant program events, and talking points for CV leadership;

·        Provide guidance and problem-solving support, and act as a training resource for newer staff;

·        Assume a leadership role in identification of best practices; present at conferences and on training and technical assistance calls;

·        Actively participate in strategic discussions regarding policy, procedures, and organizational philosophy;

·        Lead working groups to advance knowledge or application of CV and federal guidelines, policies, and processes on program delivery, monitoring, compliance, data analysis, performance management, risk assessment, and related operational goals and objectives;

·        Manage complex special projects as assigned.

10%    Outreach & Initiative Development

·        Collaborate with the Grants Manager to develop and issue funding opportunities for climate-focused initiatives;

·        Assist with outreach and promotion of climate focused funding opportunities;

·        Lead the review process of AmeriCorps grant applications for assigned initiative or focus area, including providing written recommendations to inform funding decision-making;

·        Complete and incorporate grantee performance review and assessment into grant review;

·        Prepare written feedback on the quality applications reviewed

Qualifications:

  • Bachelor’s degree
  • Experience in program development and management of direct service programs
  • Strong written and oral communications skills
  • Analytical skills
  • Ability to work an irregular often demanding schedule with occasional travel
  • Ability to manage multiple projects at one time, particularly those that are high-profile and time-sensitive
  • Expertise in environmental or climate issue areas preferred 
  • Computer literate                                                   
  • AmeriCorps alumni encouraged to apply

 Location:

This position's location is not limited to Sacramento, California. California Volunteers' office is located in Sacramento. However, California Volunteers will accommodate applicants who wish to work remotely temporarily as a result of COVID-19, or permanently. Therefore, California Volunteers will consider applicants throughout the state who are interested in this position.

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