Job Type: Full-time, remote
Location: Sacramento, California
Salary: $92,000-$107,000/year
Application Due Date: September 9, 2025 (applications received after this date may still be considered)
Description:
About the Wildfire Program:RLF’s Wildfire program supports policy change and increased public funding for wildfire resilience in communities and ecosystems across the Western United States. Our program engages in grantmaking, coalition-building, policy development, advocacy, and capacity-building. We work at the federal level and in California, Washington, Colorado, and Montana.
The Position: We are seeking Program Managers to provide programmatic support across RLF’s wildfire resilience initiatives. Program Manager duties span a range of activities and include building wildfire expertise, overseeing grants and contracts, contributing to strategy development, creating communications materials, participating in coalitions, planning events, and managing projects.
Role Flexibility: Each Program Manager will not necessarily be required to fulfill all listed duties and responsibilities. We look forward to learning more about candidates’ specific strengths and interests through the application process to determine the best fit and division of responsibilities.
This position is full-time and exempt. This is a remote position with preference for a home base in the Western U.S. The Program Manager will be required to travel domestically on occasion.
Position Scope, Responsibilities, and Core Duties:
Program management and development
Oversee and improve program management for the team. This includes creating and implementing systems to ensure the team is meeting milestones and deadlines on significant projects, budget management support, and management of tracking and reporting toward program progress.
Organize virtual meetings of staff and consultants. Work with staff to research, prepare, and assemble materials for meetings. Facilitate meetings where appropriate. Ensure that meetings have clear agendas, timelines, and outcomes. Ensure that necessary materials are circulated in advance of meetings.
Organize annual in-person team retreats.
With support from consultants, plan and execute on larger convenings of RLF grantees and collaborators.
Assist in creating dockets and appropriate materials for presentations (including reports, maps, tables, graphs, database reports, and PowerPoint presentations) to the Board, partners, and funders.
Coordinate with staff to develop internal and external written program materials (e.g., one-pagers, presentations, program summaries or reports, etc.).
Support program staff with strategic planning and program development and implementation.
Provide occasional scheduling support for colleagues.
Project implementation support
Remain current on emerging issues and trends in the wildfire resilience field.
Support, participate in, and/or staff (consultation, facilitation, convening, etc.) wildfire resilience policy coalitions and other collaborative efforts.
Represent RLF’s wildfire team at in-person convenings as needed to fulfill duties.
Perform policy research and analysis and prepare and review documents as requested. Ensure the accuracy and quality of written products.
Grants and contracts management
Manage a portfolio of grants and contracts and coordinate with other staff in managing program budgets.
Assist in refining grantmaking strategies, designing grants and contracts, conducting due diligence, and working with potential grantees and contractors to develop proposals and scopes of work.
Facilitate and coordinate the grant reporting process with grantees, including establishing and maintaining data collection systems and facilitating processes for staff contributions.
Synthesize grantee reports and work with staff to develop grant reports for funders that document project and program activities, progress, outcomes, and impacts achieved.
Support staff in maintaining grant files and documentation systems.
Review and provide feedback on funder and grantee proposals managed by colleagues, upon request.
Other
Performs other duties and special projects as assigned.
Qualifications:
Note: These qualifications are guidelines, not hard and fast rules, so if you have 75% of the qualifications listed, we encourage you to apply. Experience can include paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work and lived experiences that helped you to build the competencies, knowledge, and skills needed for this position. Applying gives you the opportunity to be considered.
Issue area expertise
Expertise (3+ years) in western wildfire resilience, conservation, climate change, or related fields.
Comfortable and eager to work within a complex policy, stakeholder, and political space, and familiar with the environmental challenges and opportunities facing the West.
Commitment and ability to quickly develop expertise on land management and community risk aspects of wildfire resilience.
Commitment to and interest in learning policy development, advocacy, and implementation skills. Previous experience with public policy and funding a plus.
Core work standards
Strong work ethic, good judgement, attention to detail, and a consistent commitment to thoroughness and quality.
Positive attitude and a commitment to being part of and building a positive work environment.
Excellent interpersonal skills, collaborate well with others, and can represent and speak on behalf of RLF with audiences including policymakers, donors, grantees, and consultants.
Program and project management and organization
Exceptional project management and organizational skills.
Creative and flexible self-starter who can anticipate and respond to rapidly changing priorities, objectives, and situations.
Ability to work effectively on teams and across program matrices.
Ability to develop timelines and track milestones.
Ability to plan, coordinate, and facilitate meetings. Experience planning and executing larger meetings (75+) a plus.
Experience with administering or managing grants or contracts a plus.
Strategic and analytical skills
Aptitude for creating and implementing programmatic processes aligned with organizational policies and procedures. Approach work with an eye for process improvement and systems thinking.
Comfort with identifying solutions to complex problems.
Ability to develop, improve upon, and track programmatic progress and outcomes.
Communications and writing
Demonstrated experience managing and organizing extensive documentation and written information.
Ability to analyze and synthesize information from multiple sources into a lucid, cohesive written product, with an understanding of tone, style, and audience.
Outstanding editing skills. Critical eye for grammar, punctuation, and syntax.
Travel
Western-US based candidates preferred. Position includes occasional travel to locations across the West.
