Thriving Communities Rural & Remote Program Officer

General Overview

The RE-AMP Network is a collaborative network of more than 120 nonprofits and foundations across ten Midwestern states. RE-AMP works to equitably eliminate greenhouse gas emissions in the Midwest by 2050.

Our mission is to set collective strategy and enable collaboration on climate solutions in the Midwest. We envision a Midwest in which we all have access to the energy we need to live, move, work and play; and where we produce and use it in an equitable and just way that protects our health, wellbeing and environment. We work to create a Midwest where those who are most impacted from energy production and consumption are centered in those decisions.

Position Overview

The RE-AMP Network seeks a full-time Rural & Remote Program Officer who will facilitate our coordination and support for the Great Lakes Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmaking Program. This grantmaking program aims to strengthen the capacity of underserved communities to address the environmental and public health challenges they have historically faced, as well as current and future challenges. This is a collaborative program with the Environmental Protection Agency, whereby the EPA has selected grantmakers to serve as intermediaries for EPA funding. RE-AMP and our partners the Minneapolis Foundation, Midwest Environmental Justice Network, and NDN Collective (The Partnership) have been chosen to administer the program in Region 5 of the EPA, an area that includes Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Wisconsin, and 35 tribal nations.

We’re seeking a highly collaborative team player who has experience working in and with rural communities and managing federal grants who can help us support grantees on program implementation and grant compliance for grantees in our grantee portfolio.

The Rural & Remote Program Officer will report to RE-AMP's CEO while also working collaboratively with other TCGM program team members to achieve the intended mission of the TCGM. The Program Officer is responsible for building and maintaining relationships with grantees, providing technical assistance, monitoring grant progress, and maintaining healthy respectful relationships within the TCGM Partnership.

This is a full-time temporary EPA funded position with a planned start date of July 1 with an initial term of 4 months, with the potential to extend until September 30, 2027. Some travel may be required, such as to regional meetings and some local travel (e.g. day-trips).

KEY PRIORITIES AND PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Serve as the liaison between the TCGM program and the RE-AMP Network
• Work with the Program Director and TCGM team to manage and support up to 35 TCGM grantees at various stages of their project timeline (onboarding, continuing, closing out). This requires:
  • Building and maintaining relationships with grantees
  • Responding to grantee inquiries regarding grantmaking policies and procedures
  • Working collaboratively with grantees to revise budgets and work plans to meet federal guidelines and funding timelines
  • Scheduling and preparing for virtual onboarding, quarterly reports, and closeout meetings with grantees, which includes reviewing materials and completing a quarterly reporting form
  • Writing post-meeting grant progress reports
  • Inputting updates into the grants management system (including: quarterly reports, work plan changes, extensions, and budget revisions)
  • Monitoring project timelines, deliverables, and budgets to ensure compliance
  • Providing program-related technical assistance to awarded organizations / grantees as needed
• Strategize within the TCGM Partnership and collaborate with partners to: respond to changing federal grant requirements; Identify challenges or risks in program delivery and recommend solutions; Respond to ongoing grant changes that need to be communicated directly to grantees
• Stay updated on changes to federal guidelines, regulations, policies and procedures that directly affect the implementation of TCGM-funded projects
• Serve as content expert in the TCGM portfolio area (rural), including organizing and synthesizing supporting data and new findings for the Program Team, Partners, Foundation leadership, and external stakeholders.
• Maintain a working knowledge of the field of environmental justice and current federal policies; stay updated on relevant trends and best practices

RE-AMP is a fiscally-sponsored project of the Minneapolis Foundation, which hosts all of our staff. This is a remote position that may be located anywhere in the ten state RE-AMP region, which covers Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.

Qualifications:

• Experience working in and with rural communities in the Midwest
• Experience with federal grants, particularly through the EPA
• Demonstrated commitment to racial equity
• Project management experience
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Excellent collaboration and interpersonal skills
• Ability to work independently within a team
• Creative problem-solving
• Love of learning
• Experience working in the nonprofit sector

If interested, please include a cover letter and resume. In your cover letter, please briefly explain your experience working in or with rural communities and your experience with federal grants.

Compensation package includes health care, dental, and generous paid time off, including sick time, holidays, and three weeks other paid time off for first-year employees.