Program Manager

ABOUT US 

Inatai Foundation is a growing 501(c)(4) philanthropic organization committed to working with communities to shift the balance of power to ensure racial justice and equity across Washington and beyond. We are hiring a Program Manager to join our expanding team. 

Cultivating a staff team that embodies the diverse experiences of Washington communities is essential to these aspirations. We strongly and sincerely encourage applications from people of color; individuals who are immigrants, bilingual, and multicultural; d/Deaf people and people with disabilities; members of LGBTQIA+ and gender non-conforming communities; and people with other diverse backgrounds and lived experiences. 

Visit our About Us page to learn more about our work, approaches, and values. You may also browse our Join Inatai page to understand our hiring process, work culture, and benefits.  

POSITION SUMMARY

The Program Manager advances Inatai’s 50 Year Vision by ensuring the Strategy and Impact division’s 

grantmaking operations run smoothly, consistently, and with care. Under the guidance of the portfolio director, this role provides day to day oversight of operational and administrative implementation across the division, strengthening systems that support timely decisions, clear coordination, and strong partner experiences. The Program Manager bridges the work across divisions to operationalize Strategy and Impact owned strategies and to align practices with our racial justice, equity, and statewide grantmaking. This role is a key connector, helping translate strategy into reliable execution so our teams and community partners can focus on building statewide power for racial justice and equity.  

The Program Manager supports the coordination across teams involved in grantmaking to support shared processes, clear communication, and consistent follow-through. They oversee day-to-day logistics for department operations and event engagement and provide operational support to the Vice President of Strategy and Impact, Portfolio Director, Strategy and Impact operations team, foundation staff, and grantee leaders. Their work strengthens internal alignment and delivers streamlined experiences for team members and grantees.   

This is a full-time, exempt position. Inatai is proud to be a statewide organization, and we know there are talented leaders everywhere in our state. As we grow and learn, we know that we are better partners to communities and more strategic grantmakers when we have team members rooted in place and bringing their lived and learned experiences to our work. We are prioritizing the following counties in Washington State to ensure we are fully living up to our commitments to geographic equity: 

• Asotin County 

• Clallam County 

• Cowlitz County 

• Grays Harbor County 

• Klickitat County 

• Lewis County 

• Okanogan County 

• Skagit County 

• Walla Walla County 

If you have strong community roots and a passion for making a local impact, we’d love to connect! Leadership lives in every corner of Washington, and we’re excited to meet talented professionals who want to strengthen their communities. 

We currently have offices in Seattle and Pasco. Team members connected to an office are expected to work in the office. Team members may be permitted – with supervisor approval – to work remotely up to two days per week. Periodic early morning, evening, and weekend hours will be required, and statewide and regional travel should be expected. 

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES

Grantmaking Operations and Administration 

Grantmaking systems and consistency 

• Document, and support the implementation of clear grantmaking operations across Strategy and Impact so our work is consistent, values aligned, and easy to follow. 

• Strengthen shared practices that support transparency, internal accountability, and timely, well documented decisions. 

Training and customer service 

• Coordinate onboarding and training so team members can use grantmaking systems, tools, and protocols with confidence. 

• Provide day-to-day operational support to grantmakers and partners with clarity, care, and follow through. 

Improvement and operational guidance 

• Recommend improvements to grantmaking workflows by listening for friction, incorporating feedback, and reducing unnecessary burden for staff and grantee partners. 

• Serve as a thought partner to leaders on operational choices that support equitable, responsive, and trust based grantmaking. 

Information management 

• Oversee grant files and records management in Microsoft Teams and SharePoint, ensuring accuracy, confidentiality, and appropriate access. 

• Promote practices that uphold compliance, accessibility, and shared norms for information stewardship. 

Event Engagement Logistics  

Cross divisional logistics leadership 

• Lead cross-divisional logistics for approximately 100 to 150 event engagements annually, supporting internally hosted and externally attended engagements. 

• Coordinate travel, registrations, accessibility needs, vendor logistics, and run of show support to ensure smooth execution and equitable experiences for community partners and staff. 

Process standardization and learning capture 

• Document and implement event engagement processes that reflect Inatai’s values and internal accountability standards. 

• Build simple systems to capture, organize, and route learning from events, including relationship information, emerging opportunities, and implications for strategy. 

Communications and Relationship Coordination  

• Maintain a high quality of customer service that prioritizes Inatai’s accountability to grant-funded organizations and strengthens internal team members’ trust in Inatai’s processes, tools, and strategies 

• Ensure external communications from grant leaders, grant-funded organizations, and other community members are routed appropriately and responded to quickly, with kindness and clarity 

• Maintain shared accountability for the impact@inatai.org  and sponsorships@inatai.org email addresses, and any other communications channels that may be required to support the organizations that Inatai is accountable to 

• Document and update responses to frequently asked questions and common topics that Inatai receives from internal and external stakeholders 

Project Management and Department Operations  

• Partner across departments to ensure scheduling, planning, and communication are aligned, transparent, and supportive of Strategy & Impact goals. 

• Build and oversee cross-training across teams on grantmaking processes and workflows 

• Stay aware of trends in program and project management, and apply this knowledge to changes in policy and practices 

Influence and Convening Support  

• Provide logistical support for internal and external stakeholders for convenings of varying sizes of participants 

• Coordinate with internal partners across divisions to ensure adherence to policies and alignment in practices for convening 

Requirements

Work experience 

• Required: Minimum of 6 years of program management experience, with some experience in grantmaking or philanthropic settings.  

• Preferred: Background in project management methodologies and travel support. 

Education and/or certifications  

• Preferred: PMP Certification 

Other skills 

• Strong cross-collaboration skills and an ability to partner with different teams throughout the organization 

• Ability to juggle multiple priorities and deadlines, and work with team members to problem solve  

• Excitement for event engagement processes, with a strong focus on customer service 

Additional qualifications

• Contribute one’s own ideas, perspectives, and lived experiences to the emerging culture of the Foundation  

• Assume other responsibilities and explore new opportunities that arise with evolving needs and aspirations 

• A deep commitment to equity and racial justice and strong alignment with our organizational values and 50-Year Vision 

• Ability to authentically connect the foundation’s mission and aspirations with one’s own personal experiences 

• Demonstrated ability to cultivate relationships and work effectively and respectfully with politically, ideologically, culturally, and geographically diverse people and communities 

• Knowledge of, or a strong desire to learn about, the needs of communities across the state who are most impacted by structural inequities 

• An understanding of the foundational role that racism, ableism, sexism, and other forms of bias and oppression play in perpetuating inequity 

• Experience with various equity, justice, and power-building strategies, including a demonstrated ability to connect with these issues on a personal and organizational level 

• Humility and curiosity, and an understanding of how these qualities are connected to success in this role 

• Demonstrated capacity for self-reflection 

• Strong verbal, non-verbal, and written communication skills combined with the ability to listen deeply and authentically 

• Proficiency with Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and SharePoint) and Adobe (Acrobat DC) and ability to adapt to new technologies 

• Willingness to take part in occasional meetings and events outside of core business hours 

• Enthusiasm for traveling throughout Washington and engaging with communities that may be different from your own (travel is estimated at 25-30% for this position) 

Benefits

COMPENSATION

In addition to a positive and flexible work culture, we attract, retain, and motivate exceptional people with an equitable and competitive compensation package. Salary ranges are set according to an explicit compensation policy, and relevant data are reviewed when setting ranges for each position. The salary range for this position is $98,000 to $120,000. A compensation enhancement is provided to employees with indigenous or advanced language proficiency in more than one language that they utilize to advance the Foundation’s work across Washington.  

We offer a comprehensive benefits package that includes fully paid medical/dental/vision coverage for employees and dependent children (and partial coverage for partners and spouses), a 12% retirement contribution, generous time off (29 days of flexible paid time off, eight paid holidays, and a year-end office closure from December 25 to January 1), paid family and medical leave (12 to 18 weeks), a transit pass (where available), and support for ongoing professional development.  

TO APPLY 

Please submit your resume and a cover letter expressing your specific interests through our online application portal. Priority will be given to applications submitted by May 14th, 2026. You will receive an automatic acknowledgment of your application once you submit your materials, and you can expect updates from the Foundation every two to three weeks once the priority deadline has passed. 

We are committed to creating conditions where all candidates can fully express their talents and potential and invite you to let us know if there are any accommodations that we can provide to support you in your pursuit of this role. 

Thank you for your interest in joining Inatai Foundation!