Position Overview
This position plays a pivotal role in ensuring the successful implementation of the MALU Grantmaking Initiative, aligned with federal, state, and organizational goals. The position is responsible for strengthening the operational backbone of the MALU Grantmaking Initiative by helping to ensure excellence in grant management, accountability, and compliance. This role helps to serve as a support bridge across program, finance, compliance, and external stakeholders, building or maintaining structure, closing operational gaps, and ensuring that systems, processes, and people are aligned with Kupu’s mission, federal requirements, and program goals. The position will collaborate with internal teams and community-based organizations to drive the program's objectives in areas such as Expanded Tree Canopy, Community Awareness and Engagement, Career and Workforce Development. In addition, the candidate will bring flexibility, attention to detail, be willing to problem solve and improve processes, be objective in decision-making, and have strong integrity.
Program Goals
Kupu, in partnership with its broad network, will implement MALU Subawards to fulfill federal, state, and organizational urban and community forestry (UCF) goals. MALU Subawards will award local community-based organizations demonstrating proficiency in one or more of five areas.
- Expanded Tree Canopy: MALU will emphasize that subawardees implement strategic tree planting, augmenting and maintaining tree canopy, green infrastructure, and controlling pests, thus contributing to healthier communities, food security, enhancement of unique native biodiversity, and increased resiliency to climate change.
- Community Awareness and Engagement: Through multi-pronged public awareness and eduction campaigns, MALU will uplift the value of urban canopies and forest ecosystems as essential contributors to sustainability and resilience and inspire community involvement and support for tree planting and care.
- Career and Workforce Development: People from disadvantaged communities need access to training and meaningful career opportunities as much as government, non-profits, and businesses need a qualified and motivated workforce. MALU will help build a pipeline that satisfies both these needs through recruitment, training, and placement.
Essential Functions and Responsibilities
- Conduct oneself with aloha and drive Kupu’s culture.
- Conduct oneself with integrity, credibility, professionalism, and unwavering commitment to Kupu’s mission.
Grant Management and Compliance
- Lead the compliance review and of MALU subrecipients, ensuring alignment with federal requirements, award terms and conditions and program goals.
- Assist in the subrecipient risk assessment process and risk monitoring, as appropriate.
- Contribute to and support the entire grant lifecycle, from proposal submission to closeout, and ensure compliance with federal, state, and organizational regulations.
- Maintain comprehensive documentation to support compliance efforts (e.g. no cost extensions, internal memorandums, budget modifications, corrective action plans, etc.)
Risk Management and Operational Integrity
- Assist in identifying and/or addressing potential risks to the program's success or compliance requirements, such as federal regulation issues, or legal liabilities.
- Develop strategies to mitigate risks by working collaboratively with Kupu Compliance and leadership.
Evaluation and Monitoring
- Implement and manage a systematic evaluation and monitoring framework for subrecipient performance.
- Monitor subrecipient activities, goals, and obligations.
- Collaborate with consultant to ensure clear communication and feedback loops with subrecipients, particularly around payment timing/delays and expectations
- Provide constructive feedback to subrecipients based on evaluation and monitoring findings, identifying areas for improvement and best practices.
- Utilize evaluation/monitoring results to inform program enhancements, policy recommendations, and strategic decision-making.
- Work with consultant(s) on developing and carrying out monitoring and audit plans to ensure subrecipients adhere to program expectations and federal regulations.
- Identify and address any issues of non-compliance promptly and ensure proper documentation is maintained in an organized manner
Training and Capacity Building
- Identify subrecipient knowledge or organizational structure gaps and training needs; work with Kupu consultant(s) to provide subrecipient support in the areas identified.
- Support the program in ensuring that subrecipients are clear on grant compliance, reporting requirements, and evaluation expectations.
- Integrate evaluation findings into training materials to foster continuous learning and improvement.
Program Implementation and Operations
- Collaborate with community-based organizations to facilitate the implementation of MALU Subawards in the areas of Expanded Tree Canopy, Community Awareness and Engagement, Career and Workforce Development,
- Serve as one of the primary liaisons between subrecipients, Kupu, and consultant(s) while building and maintaining strong relationships.
- Maintain clear internal and external communication across Kupu departments, consultants, and subrecipients.
- Support the Senior Program Director in ensuring programmatic matters are resolved, while reinforcing accountability, compliance, and best practices.
- Establish and enforce file management systems and documentation standards.
- Ensure consistent written follow-ups and documentation of courses of action.
- Identify bottlenecks and assist with improving program inefficiencies.
Financial Oversight
- Work closely with the finance team to manage and track subrecipient budgets, ensuring proper fund utilization.
- Conduct financial reviews and analysis related to the MALU Subawards program.
Reporting and Documentation
- Manage subaward agreements.
- Ensure subrecipients comply with reporting expectations, including accurate and timely reporting.
- Prepare accurate and timely reports on program activities, outcomes, and compliance for submission to federal and organizational entities.
- Maintain detailed records of program-related activities, instances of non-compliance, and related documentation.
- Ensure proper documentation is gathered and maintained to demonstrate compliance and audit requirements, which may include email communication or written guidance from funders, internal memos explaining compliance incidents, backup documentation for unusual or one-off circumstances, communication with subrecipients, or other documentation summarizing important decisions and courses of action.
Other
- Maintain healthy communication with all Kupu departments including Program, Finance, and Compliance.
- May assist with special projects or other duties as assigned.
Minimum Qualifications:
- With bachelor’s degree: Minimum two years’ experience in areas of nonprofit management, accounting/finance, law, or related fields, ideally in a nonprofit setting
- With High School Diploma: Minimum five years’ experience in areas of nonprofit management, accounting/finance, law, or related fields, ideally in a nonprofit setting
- Proven experience in project/grant management and compliance.
- Excellent organizational, and communication skills.
- Experience working with community-based organizations and diverse stakeholders.
- Knowledge of career and workforce development initiatives.
- Ability to navigate complex systems and advocate for positive change.
- Experience in building and improving systems and processes.
- Available full-time Monday through Friday, as well as occasional weekends and evenings
- Ability to research and implement guidance and regulations.
- Demonstrate excellent written and verbal Communication skills. Ability to present information to internal and external stakeholders.
- Demonstrate sensitivity, understanding, and the ability to effectively interact with individuals (internal and external) from diverse cultural, socioeconomic, disability and ethnic backgrounds.
- Demonstrate a high level of accountability, responsibility and dependability.
- Demonstrate teamwork through cooperation and collaboration with others.
- Ability to work independently.
- Demonstrate a positive attitude, self-discipline and self-awareness.
- Ability to manage time, structure tasks, establish priorities and set goals.
- Intermediate level of Computer skills (Microsoft Office environment) including Excel, Word, email, and internet research
- High level of interpersonal skills, integrity and the ability to keep information confidential.
- Ability to periodically travel to trainings, site visits, conferences, or organization events.
- Ability to meet Kupu’s Criminal History Background Requirements
Preferred Qualifications:
- Proficiency with Salesforce
- Self-motivated with an ability to follow through and complete assigned projects.
- Detail oriented with good analytic and communication skills.
- Experience in a nonprofit setting.
- Experience with Federal Funding requirements and reporting.
- Experience or interest in environmental conservation.
Physical Requirements
Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
- Must be able to occasionally lift and carry up to 10 lbs.
- Must be able to talk, listen and speak clearly on telephone.
- Must be able to occasionally stand; walk; sit, use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, tools or Controls; reach with hands and arms; climb stairs; balance; stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl; and talk or hear.
- Specific vision requirements of the job include close vision, distance vision, Color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and the ability to adjust focus.
