OCDI Program and Grants Associate

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position description

Oceans 5 is an international funders’ collaborative dedicated to stopping overfishing, establishing marine protected areas, and advancing ocean-based climate solutions. Founded in 2011, the organization has provided over $200 million in grants, engaging more than 150 organizations across as many regions and countries. Its activities are guided by a Board of Advisors representing the world’s leading marine philanthropic institutions, and it is staffed by seasoned professionals in eight countries who speak 22 languages. Oceans 5 is a sponsored project of Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors.

Oceans 5 manages directed funds at the request of its donors, each dedicated to grantmaking in complementary areas of marine conservation and climate policy. It is known for its ability to respond quickly to time-sensitive opportunities, its low overhead and efficient operations, and its capacity to coordinate across a diverse network of philanthropic partners and ocean conservation organizations.

About OCDI

The Ocean-Climate Diplomacy Initiative (OCDI) is a directed fund operated by Oceans 5. It works to elevate the role of the ocean within the global climate agenda — supporting the political work of turning ocean-climate ambition into agreements, frameworks, and commitments.

Ocean-climate solutions have historically been underrepresented in formal climate policy. Closing that gap requires more than good science — it requires sustained diplomatic engagement, political will, and the organizational capacity to coordinate across governments, institutions, and civil society. OCDI advances this work by funding a portfolio of organizations and advocates that build the evidence base for ocean-climate solutions, strengthen the capacity of governments and coalitions to champion them, and push for their recognition in international agreements and national climate plans. The initiative operates at both the multilateral and national levels, engaging across the full spectrum of ocean-climate issues — from offshore wind and shipping decarbonization to coastal ecosystem protection, community resilience, and emerging carbon removal approaches.

Position Summary

The Program and Grants Associate will serve as the administrative and operational backbone of OCDI, ensuring that the initiative’s grants, contracts, reports, advisory committee functions, and external coordination are managed accurately and on time. The role has three primary areas of responsibility: (1) administering the grantmaking processes, including maintaining the grants database; (2) coordinating OCDI’s engagement across the broader ORCA funder community; and (3) managing the OCDI Advisory Committee and key external meetings and events.

This position reports directly to the Director of the Ocean Climate Diplomacy Initiative, and works closely with OCDI program staff and liaises regularly with Oceans 5 and Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors (RPA) staff to ensure data integrity, timely processing, and compliance with legal and fiscal requirements. It is well suited to a detail-oriented operational professional who thrives at the intersection of relationship management, systems administration, and mission-driven philanthropy.

This is a fully remote position. Working hours must allow for team collaboration and meetings within US and European time zones. Occasional travel to Board and staff meetings will be preferred but not required.

Key Responsibilities

Operational and Administrative Support

• Maintain OCDI’s shared operational infrastructure, including drives, calendars, templates, and knowledge management tools.
• Support travel logistics for senior staff as needed, including arrangements, calendar updates, and expense reporting in compliance with RPA policies.

Grants and Database Administration

• Serve as the operational lead for OCDI’s grants database (Monday.com; Fluxx), ensuring accurate and current records for all active and pending grants, including disbursements, reporting deadlines, deliverables, and compliance status.
• Process grant approvals in coordination with grants and program staff, tracking each grant through the full lifecycle from initiation to close-out.
• Liaise with grantees on reporting requirements, documentation, and compliance; track submission deadlines and follow up proactively to ensure timely receipt of materials.
• Flag discrepancies and maintain data integrity across across Fluxx, Monday.com, and financial records.
• Liaise with staff to maintain accurate data in the AirTable system for incoming funder milestones; provide reminders to OCDI staff on upcoming proposal, report, and payment deadlines.
• Support the preparation of narrative grant summaries and portfolio updates for OCDI funders and internal review.

ORCA Community Coordination

OCDI is the diplomacy pillar of ORCA and works across all other ORCA pillars — each led by a different institution(s) with their own priorities, grantees, and staff. Keeping OCDI connected and aligned with the broader ORCA community is a significant and ongoing responsibility requiring consistent, organized outreach and follow-through.

• Coordinate regular OCDI check-ins with counterparts at each of the other ORCA pillars, including preparation of agendas and summaries.
• Maintain a working calendar of ORCA-wide convenings, pillar meetings, and cross-fund coordination calls; ensure OCDI staff are prepared and represented at each.
• Track information flows across ORCA pillars — capturing relevant updates from other pillars, circulating OCDI materials as appropriate, and flagging items requiring program staff attention.

Advisory Committee and Events Management

• Serve as the primary coordinator for the OCDI Advisory Committee, including scheduling meetings, preparing agendas and briefing materials, tracking action items, and managing follow-up communications.
• Maintain a forward-looking calendar of Advisory Committee meetings; coordinate logistics across multiple time zones and institutional schedules.
• Manage logistics for OCDI-convened events (domestic and international), webinars, and external engagements, including invitations, platform or venue coordination, materials preparation, and post-event documentation.
• Liaise with OCDI partners (grantees and consultants) to confirm participation and ensure materials are accurate, appropriately framed, and distributed on time.
• Draft and edit meeting summaries, readouts, and other internal communications capturing decisions and commitments.

Qualifications

Required

• Minimum two years of experience in nonprofit administration, operations, logistics, executive assistance, and/or grants management; experience with fiscally sponsored projects is strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated experience managing committee or board logistics, including materials preparation, scheduling, and follow-up.
• Demonstrated experience planning events, including in international contents; comfort navigating the logistical and cultural complexity of multi-country convenings.
• Experience coordinating across multiple organizations and time zones, with a track record of maintaining relationships and information flows across complex networks.
• Proven experience administering databases and grantmaking processes; familiarity with Monday.com, Fluxx, or similar platforms is highly desirable.
• Proven experience managing contracts and vendor payments.
• Highly proficient in Google Workspace, Microsoft Office Suite (Excel), and data management systems; experience with Monday.com or similar project management platforms is highly desirable.
• Meticulous attention to detail with excellent organizational and time management skills.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills; ability to draft professional meeting materials, summaries, and correspondence.
• Ability to identify gaps in systems or processes, take initiative to problem solve, and develop practical solutions.
• Strong interpersonal skills; able to interface with senior diplomats, funders, grantees, and vendors professionally and respectfully.
• Demonstrated commitment to environmental sustainability, equity, and justice.
• Proficiency in English required.

Preferred

• Familiarity with international climate policy, ocean policy, or related fields.
• Familiarity with drafting talking points, policy positions and memos.
• Experience supporting high-level individuals, advisory groups/champions networks, or senior advisors in a philanthropic or policy context.
• Experience working within or alongside multi-funder collaboratives or philanthropic partnerships.
• Experience with accounting, CRM, or grantmaking software.
• Bachelor’s degree preferred; Associate’s degree required.

Compensation & Benefits

Oceans 5 is a sponsored project of Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors (RPA), an equal opportunities employer that values diversity. RPA does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.

Compensation will be commensurate with experience and accomplishment. For prospective candidates from the United States, the salary range will be $65,000–$80,000. RPA offers a competitive benefits package including health coverage, retirement benefits, paid sick leave, vacation, and holidays, commensurate with experience, accomplishment, and regional markets and statutes.

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