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Awards Associate

Maxwell-Hanrahan Foundation

San Francisco, CA
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About the Foundation 

The mission of the Maxwell/Hanrahan Foundation is to support innovative people working in hands-on science, art and craft, teaching and protection of the natural world.

The Foundation supports people who: 

  • Explore and ask through fieldwork in natural sciences. 

  • Create and captivate as they promote mastery in art and craft. 

  • Teach and try as they support students in public education. 

  • Conserve and connect as they encourage care for our food systems and the natural world. 

 

Our current programs include Craft, Diversity & Inclusion in Art, Design and Computing, Earth Science, Field Biology, Food, Public School Teachers, and Resilient Ecosystems.

Learn more about us at www.maxwell-hanrahan.org. 


Position Summary

The Awards Associate administers the Foundation’s growing portfolio of internally managed individual awards programs, which currently includes Earth Science, Field Biology and Food. All of our awards celebrate remarkable individuals working in under-appreciated and hands-on fields. The Foundation selects awardees for the impact and originality of their work to date, as well as the momentum an award could provide at a critical career junction. The awards are one-time and unrestricted, intended to provide awardees with funding, attention and support. 

Reporting to the Executive Director and working closely with Program Officers, the Awards Associate leads project management and award operations for multiple concurrent awards cycles. Responsibilities include coordinating nominations, nominators, and selection committee processes; conducting due diligence; developing program materials and communications; organizing wraparound support for awardees; and improving our processes over time. 

This is an exciting opportunity to be part of a growing, early-stage family foundation. The team has the flexibility to experiment, refine and expand programs that directly support individuals making an impact in their fields. 


Key Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

Award Operations (85%)

For 3-4 or more internally-managed awards processes 

  • Serve as point person and operational lead for our in-house awards processes.

  • Support the development of multiple, overlapping award cycle timelines. Create project management structures for multiple team members to contribute to awards processes, using Monday.com or other platforms, as needed.  

  • Project manage the nomination processes and serve as the primary point of contact for external nominators. In coordination with the award lead, draft nomination and review forms and supporting documentation using Submittable.com or other platforms, as needed. Review nominations for eligibility.

  • Organize the due diligence process for nominees and conduct additional research, as needed. 

  • Coordinate the review of nomination packets by selection committees and answer logistical and process questions. Coordinate selection committee meetings: create drafts of agendas, prepare materials, participate in meetings, oversee meeting logistics, and document minutes. 

  • Serve as primary awardee point of contact in gathering information from awardees and answering their questions, including coordinating award letters, communications materials, and survey responses. 

  • Collaborate with the awards leads in gathering input from internal and external advisors to adjust processes and documentation over time. 

  • Identify opportunities to improve design and efficiency across multiple in-house processes, while sharing lessons and practices from awards administered by external partners.

Award Communications and Wraparound Support (15%)

  • Serve as the primary point of contact for our current year and past years’ awardees. 

  • Organize, collaborate with internal and external partners, and help coordinate communications and announcements around each awardee cohort, including draft press releases, letters to host institutions, website content and social media starter content.  

  • Support efforts to highlight, engage and celebrate award winners beyond the initial announcement, which may include developing videos, photos or other documentation of awardees’ work, and promotional materials–at the awardee’s discretion. 

  • Provide opportunities for optional networking and learning between awardees, which may include organizing and providing project management for in-person or virtual awards events, meet-ups or panels at other conferences, meetings, webinars, online communication platforms, or other networking opportunities. 

  • Coordinate in-person convenings of Maxwell/Hanrahan awardees, hosted by the Foundation. 

  • Work with award leads to assess awardee needs and identify streamlined coaching, training and wraparound support opportunities. 

  • Lead implementation of awardee support initiatives and manage partnerships with outside providers, as needed.

Complete other duties as assigned.


Key Competencies

Please view this list as guidance. If you do not meet all of the items on this list and have skills and experiences that would be an asset to the role, please apply.

  • Program operations: Skilled at collaborating with senior staff on high-volume nomination and selection processes involving research, data management, report review, and communications. Comfortable managing details while understanding broader program goals. Organizes and synthesizes information to support effective decision-making. Applies new knowledge and feedback to improve processes and outcomes.

  • Project management & organization: Exceptionally detail-oriented, with the ability to proactively coordinate across stakeholders, anticipate needs, and keep projects on track and on time. Consistently produces high-quality, accurate work and manages time and resources effectively to meet deadlines.

  • Process design & continuous improvement: Ability to document, refine, and improve workflows over time with commitment to increasing impact, efficiency, clarity, fairness, and equity across concurrent processes.

  • Flexibility & adaptability: Comfortable supporting multiple staff members, shifting priorities, and handling emerging needs in a lean, evolving organization. Remains flexible and open to new ideas and is able to adjust effectively to changes in work processes, team dynamics, and organizational goals. 

  • Communication and relationship management: Strong written and verbal communication skills. Ability to build and maintain strong, trust-based relationships with diverse external and internal stakeholders, balancing responsiveness with professionalism and discretion.

  • Initiative & work ethic: Proactively takes ownership of tasks, is able to work independently and collaboratively, and demonstrates strong critical thinking and sound judgment in resolving problems, making timely decisions, and knowing when to escalate issues.

  • Teamwork: Comfortable in a collaborative, team-oriented environment and works in support of shared goals. Builds positive working relationships, contributes to an inclusive workplace, and is open to feedback and new ideas to resolve challenges and improve outcomes.

 

Qualifications

  • Experience: Minimum 5 years of professional experience in grantmaking, awards or fellowships, nonprofit operations, program administration, project management or a related field with high-volume, detailed, process-oriented work. Prior foundation or individual awards/grants/fellowships experience is highly desirable.

  • Education: Open to various educational backgrounds. Strong preference for candidates with prior professional administrative experience handling responsibilities like project management, writing professional emails and documentation, presenting to senior staff, and managing deadlines.

  • Commitment to the mission: Broad interest in the Foundation’s work in science, art & craft, teaching, and environmental protection, with an ability to engage thoughtfully across themes.

  • Career trajectory: This is a critical position supporting a small team; it is not designed to be a pathway to a Program Officer position in the near term. Ideal candidates will see the opportunity for professional growth within the Awards Associate role.     

 

Physical Duties 

The physical demands described are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. 

While performing the duties of this position, the employee is required to:

  • Spend extended periods of time working at a computer.

  • Occasionally lift up to 15 lbs.

 

Position Details

Location and Schedule 

The Foundation operates on a hybrid work schedule, with an expectation of being in the office at least 25% of the time per quarter (approximately 2-3 days per week). Candidates must live in the San Francisco Bay Area and must be legally authorized to work in the United States. 

Compensation and Benefits

The starting annual salary range for this position is $101, 000-$113, 000, depending on skills and experience. The full range for this position is $101, 000-$151, 000 and reflects long-term growth potential within the role.

The Foundation offers an excellent benefits package, which includes 6 weeks paid time off, 100% employer paid platinum health care plan for employees (75% for dependents), a 401k plan with 7% employer match, an annual wellness stipend, student debt relief, 5:1 donation matching, and home office setup and ergonomic support. In addition, we are proud of a supportive work culture that honors work-life balance and promotes the professional development of staff.


To Apply

CEA Recruiting is assisting Maxwell/Hanrahan Foundation with this search. To be considered for the position, please visit our career portal to submit a resume, thoughtful cover letter, and salary expectations. Please note that applications submitted without a cover letter will not be considered. Preference will be given to applications received before June 29, 2026. The position will remain posted until filled.

Each application is personally reviewed by our hiring team. Please write your application in your own words. We typically reach out to candidates selected to advance in our process within 3-4 weeks from when the application is submitted. Only candidates selected to advance will be contacted prior to the successful completion of this search. All candidates will be notified when the search has closed.

For questions about completing the application form or technical concerns, you may contact tamara@ceaconsulting.com. We regret that due to the high volume of applications we receive, we are not able to provide individual responses on the status of your application or feedback to candidates who do not advance to interviews. To ensure your application is reviewed and you receive notifications about the process, please use only this career portal to submit your application materials. Your attention to these details will inform our evaluation of your candidacy.

We anticipate the interview process will include: 

  • An initial 30-45-minute video interview with CEA Recruiting

  • A 75-minute video interview with members of the Maxwell/Hanrahan hiring team

  • An in-person interview day with 2-3 sessions with the Maxwell/Hanrahan staff team

Throughout the process, we will make sure there is sufficient time for you to ask us questions. Interviews can be scheduled outside of normal business hours, if needed. With your permission, we ask final candidates to provide references. Employment is contingent on a satisfactory background check. Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records. We are committed to keeping you informed of your status throughout the process. 

Awards Associate, Maxwell / Hanrahan Foundation 

The Maxwell/Hanrahan Foundation is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to creating a workplace that celebrates and reflects the diversity of our grantees and our community. Applicants who contribute to this diversity are strongly encouraged to apply. 

CEA Recruiting works with leading environmental nonprofits, foundations, and businesses to recruit top talent and design effective organizational staffing strategies. For more information, visit www.cearecruiting.com.