Milken Institute

Associate Director, Program & Grants Management

Milken Institute$95K — $115K *
Education, Government & Non-Profit
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Graduate degree in public health, life sciences, public policy, business administration, or a related field.
  • 5-7 years of experience in grants management, philanthropy, or program management.
  • Familiarity with the philanthropic, scientific, and health funding ecosystem.
  • Strong project management skills and ability to handle multiple priorities.
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills, especially in developing executive-level materials.
  • Experience with grants management software and program evaluation frameworks.
  • Mission-driven mindset focused on philanthropy, science, health, and social impact.

Responsibilities

  • Build and manage a system to consolidate and track award cycles.
  • Maintain the funding application and review process with project leads.
  • Manage communications and materials for applicants and stakeholders.
  • Lead the contracting and award process with external recipients.
  • Oversee internal grant disbursement processes in collaboration with Finance.
  • Engage with award recipients for compliance and reporting support.
  • Partner with project leads to design funding programs and strategies.
  • Design success metrics and evaluate program performance for strategic insights.

Benefits

  • Health Care Plan (Medical, Dental & Vision)
  • Retirement Plan - 403b (5% match)
  • Paid Time Off (Personal, Vacation, Sick & Public Holidays)
  • Family Leave (Maternity & Paternity)
  • Fertility Support
  • Flexible Spending Account (FSAs)
  • Training opportunities via LinkedIn Learning and annual mentor program
  • Employee Assistance Program and wellness resources.
Full Job Description
Responsibilities

  • Build and manage a centralized system to consolidate and track all aspects relating to award cycles - across the full Strategic Philanthropy pillar.
  • Build and maintain the funding application, solicitation, and review process in close collaboration with project leads.
  • Manage external communications, proposals, and materials for applicants, awardees, and stakeholders throughout each funding cycle;
  • Lead and manage external contracting and award process with funding recipients by engaging with academic institutions, nonprofit organizations, and individuals, through close collaboration with internal program teams, Milken Institute leadership and legal counsel, as appropriate.
  • Lead internal grant and prize disbursement processes, partnering with Finance and Accounts Payable to ensure seamless fund distribution.
  • Lead awardee/recipient engagement, serving as point of contact to support compliance, reporting, and relationship management throughout the award lifecycle of the funding relationship.
  • Partner with project leads and funding partners to translate philanthropic goals into program design and architecture (award topic, funding mechanism, eligibility requirements, grant terms, timelines, scope) across grants, prizes, and co-funding opportunities.
  • Maintain program documentation (playbooks, standard operating procedures) to support institutional knowledge across cycles.
  • Support project leads on partner management across the pillar, including leading engagement with advisory boards, review panels and other partner stakeholders to support meeting facilitation, materials development, funding recommendations and follow-up actions as needed.
  • In coordination with project teams, design success metrics, evaluation frameworks and track portfolio performance across grants and prize funding mechanisms, providing analysis to inform strategic decision-making across the pillar.
  • Develop executive-level communications and literature in partnership with the communications team to convey program findings, funding opportunities, and strategic updates, building awareness of Milken Institute Strategic Philanthropy and expanding engagement across advisory boards, philanthropists, researchers, and the broader nonprofit and philanthropic ecosystem.
  • Duties as assigned.


Requirements

  • Graduate degree in public health, life sciences, public policy, business administration, or a related field.
  • 5-7 years of experience in grants management, philanthropy, program management, or a related field.
  • Experience managing grant or prize funding cycles from design to closeout.
  • Familiarity with the philanthropic, scientific and health funding ecosystem, including knowledge of key funders, research institutions, and philanthropic organizations operating in the space.
  • Familiarity with funding mechanisms and nonprofit structures.
  • Strong project management skills with the ability to manage multiple funding cycles and partner relationships simultaneously.
  • Experience partnering with Finance or Accounts Payable on fund disbursement or compliance processes.
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to develop executive-level materials for diverse audiences.
  • Proficiency in grants and program management platforms or CRM systems, such as SurveyMonkey, Docusign, Asana and Airtable or comparable program-management platforms.
  • Experience designing or contributing to program evaluation frameworks/success metrics.
  • Analytical data skills with experience tracking and reporting on program or portfolio performance.
  • Collaborative, detail-oriented, and able to work across internal teams and external partners.
  • Desire and aptitude to develop thought leadership pertaining to philanthropic funding, including measures and stories of impact that further the mission of funding partners and the Milken Institute.
  • Comfort representing the Milken Institute and the strategic philanthropy team at external events and within professional networks.
  • Mission-driven with an interest in philanthropy, science, health, and/or social impact.


Working Conditions & Travel Requirements

This position will work in a professional office environment on a hybrid schedule consisting of three (3) days per week reporting in-person to the Washington, DC office location (Tuesday - Thursday), with the remaining two (2) days working remotely. Please understand, this schedule is subject to change at the Institute's sole discretion.

This person will also be required to travel occasionally to other offices and/or venues to assist with events as needed, requiring occasional work outside of traditional hours. Additionally, this position requires interacting virtually on a regular basis with Milken Institute staff based in other locations in the United States and around the world.

Note

The statements herein are intended to describe the overall nature and level of work being performed by employees and are not to be construed as an exhaustive list of responsibilities, duties, and skills required of personnel so classified. Furthermore, they do not establish a contract for employment and are subject to change at the discretion of the employer.

We are interested in qualified candidates who are eligible to work in the United States. Please note, we are not sponsoring visas at this time, being authorized to work in the U.S. is a precondition of employment.

Please submit resume and cover letter illustrating how your experience and skills will contribute to the department and any unique qualities you bring to the position. If applying via Indeed, please upload your resume and any supporting documentation as one attachment. Any application that does not include both a resume and cover letter will be rejected. If you are unable to complete this application due to a disability, contact our Human Resources department to ask for an accommodation or an alternative application process.

Benefits

  • Health Care Plan (Medical, Dental & Vision)
  • Retirement Plan - 403b (5% match)
  • Life Insurance (Basic, Voluntary & AD&D)
  • Paid Time Off (Personal, Vacation, Sick & Public Holidays)
  • Family Leave (Maternity & Paternity)
  • Fertility Support
  • Short-Term & Long-Term Disability
  • Flexible Spending Account (FSAs)
  • Pet Insurance Discount
  • Training & Development:
  • LinkedIn Learning - over 15,000 self-guided classes offered
  • Annual Mentor Program
  • Wellness Resources:
  • Employee Assistance Program
  • CALM app membership

About Milken Institute

The Milken Institute is a non-profit, non-partisan think tank determined to increase global prosperity by advancing collaborative solutions that widen access to capital, create jobs and improve health. The Institute's work is guided by the belief that when the power of capital is unleashed, it can transform sectors and change the world. The Milken Institute was founded in 1991 by Michael Milken, who is a financier and philanthropist. The Institute is headquartered in Santa Monica, California, and has offices in Washington, D.C., London, Singapore, and Abu Dhabi.
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