We will be reviewing applications on a rolling basis and encourage candidates to apply early!

What we’re looking for

TAF is seeking a Senior Grants Manager to oversee the direction, promotion and management of our grants program. If you’re a critical thinker with proven stakeholder relationship experience, excellent attention to detail, and a natural curiosity and aptitude for learning new concepts and processes, we’d love to hear from you! Previous grants management experience and technical knowledge of climate change solutions are assets, but not essential for you to succeed in this role.  

This is a full-time, permanent position reporting to the Director of Strategy and Grants.

About The Atmospheric Fund (TAF)

TAF is a regional climate agency with a $90 million endowment fund to invest in innovative low-carbon solutions in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA) and scale them up for broad implementation. We are experienced leaders and we collaborate with stakeholders in the private, public and non-profit sectors. We advance the most promising concepts by investing, providing grants, influencing policies and running programs. We’re particularly interested in ideas that offer benefits in addition to carbon reduction such as improving people’s health, creating local jobs, boosting urban resiliency, and contributing to a fair society.

We are a registered non-profit, with a Board of Directors appointed by the City of Toronto, made up of City councillors and citizens. Learn more at taf.ca.

Working at TAF

Talk to our staff and they will tell you that working at TAF comes with amazing advantages. We’re on the leading edge of urban climate change solutions and our work makes a tangible difference. We build meaningful relationships with all kinds of stakeholders – from thought leaders advancing new concepts and approaches to the people who implement change on the ground. Join our dedicated and collaborative team to contribute to the value and impact of our work.

Building an inclusive community with a shared purpose is critical to our work and mandate. We are EqualX30 signatories and believe that teams work best when the people within them are diverse in background and approach, including diversity of race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, national origin, age, and all the other fascinating characteristics that make us different.

Virtual Office Update: TAF staff are currently working from home due to the COVID-19 pandemic and will transition to a hybrid work model in 2022. In the hybrid model, staff will be expected to work an average of two days a week in our downtown Toronto office, and the balance of the week remote-working. 

COVID-19 Vaccination Policy Update: As an agency of the City of Toronto, TAF has adopted the City’s Mandatory Vaccination Policy, and will require proof of vaccination from all new employees, unless they are unable to obtain a vaccine for a reason related to a protected ground set out in the Ontario Human Rights Code. 

Position Responsibilities

Grant Program Design and Development

• Co-develop TAF’s overall grants strategy in response to our evolving strategic directions, key opportunity areas, and emerging trends.

• Lead the engagement of colleagues and community stakeholders to implement TAF’s strategy for project investment.

• Lead the continuous improvement of TAF’s grants program, drawing on best practices in philanthropy, the experience of grant-making peers, and insights from our own grant-making.

• Identify, procure, and promote new capacity-building services intended to strengthen the design and delivery of TAF-funded projects.

• Ensure that TAF’s grant-making program remains in compliance with the requirements of our funders.

Grant Program Management and Reporting

• Administer the grant application, review, reporting, and contract processes.

• Provide timely, straightforward, and diplomatic responses to grant-seekers.

• Review project reports to assess progress towards project deliverables, providing constructive feedback to grantees.

• Implement strong processes to ensure the smooth program administration, including effective budget and cashflow management.

• Provide support for and ensure the smooth functioning of TAF’s Grants and Programs Committee.

Grant Cultivation

• Demonstrate leadership in identifying and advancing high-impact granting opportunities.

• Design and deliver targeted calls for grant proposals.

• Identify and advance collaborative funding opportunities with other grant-makers.

Community Liaison and Advisory Support

• Deliver well-prepared, strategic, and compelling presentations.

• Serve as an advisor to community groups in the project development, application review and project implementation phases.

• Facilitate knowledge transfer by capturing the outcomes and learnings of TAF-funded projects.

Other

• Represent TAF in the community with excellence and in a manner consistent with TAF’s professional standards and reputation as a rigorous and collaborative grant-maker.

• Participate actively as a TAF team member at staff meetings, retreats and through ad hoc staff working groups.

• Oversee the Office Co-ordinator's grant-related work to ensure the smooth functioning of TAF’s grants program and support their professional development.

 The kind of candidate we’re looking for

• Post-secondary education in environmental studies, applied sciences, public policy or a similar discipline, or equivalent experience through professional or other activities.

• Strong working knowledge of (and lots of passion for) urban climate solutions and concepts including technical, policy and behaviour change approaches.

• At least five years’ experience managing a complex, multi-year program or project, including planning, implementation, and evaluation.

• Proven stakeholder relations expertise, including managing relationships with a wide variety of community stakeholders.

• Exceptional ability to think critically and plan strategically.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with confidence in public speaking to a wide range of audiences.

• Excellent organizational, administrative, and problem-solving skills.

• Ability to exercise mature judgement, initiative, diplomacy and tact.

• Familiarity with social innovation approaches (e.g., partnership brokering, design thinking, developmental evaluation) and how to apply them for the purposes of improving outcomes.

• Natural curiosity and aptitude for learning new concepts and processes.

• Ability to manage uncertainty, adapt to quickly changing circumstances and pursue new opportunities and new directions as needed.

• Advanced working knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite and SalesForce.

Perks

In addition to your salary, you'll benefit from:

• Paid time off:

  • 15 vacation days per calendar year, pro-rated for partial years of employment.

  • A generous and compassionate personal leave policy.

  • TAF-wide office closures on 13 City designated and statutory holidays, as well as the three business days between Boxing Day and New Years’ Day.

• Comprehensive extended health, vision and dental benefits package after successful completion of your probationary period.

• Contribution to your retirement savings plan after successful completion of your probationary period.

• Support for your virtual office during pandemic, including hardware and stipend for internet and other expenses.

• Access to financial support and time off to pursue relevant professional development.

• The Intangible Stuff:

  • In consultation with your supervisor, flexible work hours and work-from-home options (beyond COVID-19).

  • Work that directly helps to reduce carbon emissions and improve people’s health, create new green jobs, boost urban resiliency, and contribute to a more fair and just GTHA.

  • Staff socials and lunches, picnics, and many other activities.

  • Team-wide trainings and learning.

  • Input to and participation in TAF’s strategic planning.

  • A work environment that’s seeking to be open and inclusive, supported by a staff-led Social and Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Committee

Next steps

All you need to do is start the process by clicking on the blue button on the top right.

No CV/resume is required for the process. You’ll answer some questions that are related to your day-to-day job. You don't need to finish the application in one sitting - you can save your progress and will receive a personalized link to return to your application until the closing date.

After the job closes, your answers will go through our sift process: all answers will be anonymised, randomised and then reviewed by a panel of reviewers.

If you are shortlisted, we’ll invite you to the next step, which includes an interview that will be conducted through a videoconference. Also, we love giving and getting feedback, so at the end of the application process we'll share how well you performed and will welcome your comments on the process.