Operations Specialist, Strategic Philanthropy

The Strategic Philanthropy Department of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians (the Tribe) executes on the mandates of the philanthropic endeavors of the Tribe, giving locally, regionally and nationally in both programmatic and operational capacities. The Tribe is active in donating funds for a variety of projects in the California Inland Empire region as well as nationally for qualified Native American nonprofits. Nearby cities and towns receive support from the Tribe in the way of charitable donations for cultural, social, and economic projects to benefit the common good of the communities in which they live and work.

The Operations Specialist is responsible for performing a broad range of operational, data collection and analysis, and project monitoring and oversight duties for the Tribe’s charitable giving program. The Operations Specialist is required to exercise independent judgment in making day-to-day decisions in an environment where systems for performing data collection and analysis are limited. They are responsible for supporting the operations, systems, and evaluative efforts of the Tribe’s charitable giving program. This position requires a high level of discretion regarding the appropriation of proprietary and confidential department and program information. This position will be the primary administrator of the Tribe’s grant system. This position also requires a strong attention to detail and a positive professional presence with applicants in the performance of their duties. In addition to managing the department database, the Operations Specialist will be responsible for creating reports and will serve as the first point of contact for grantees and/or individuals seeking technical assistance with the grant application process and/or general information about the Tribe’s charitable giving program.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

• Coordinate processing of all grantee funding applications, production of grant reports and internal evaluative reports, and management and oversight of database.
• Reviews event request recommendations (under $5,000) and provides research, analysis, evaluation and required documentation to department and Business Committee members as requested.
• Organize and oversee applicant grant application and program evaluation data and run reports as needed.
• Participates in community meetings, regional and/or national site visits to support a Program Officer/lead participant, including Executive Team members as required.
• Supports the Manager with analyzing and forecasting departmental budget
• Compile and analyze external community data to support Program Officers including evaluation and forecasting.
• Serves as the lead liaison between IT support and grant management software.
• Develops and distributes agendas for internal Department meetings. Supports Inter-Department meetings and conduct follow-up as needed.
• Works closely with the Accounting Department in processing all grant payments and issuing checks and correspondence to grantees.
• Coordinate and arrange meetings, prepare agendas, reserve and prepare facilities and transcribe minutes of meetings.
• Maintain a strong working knowledge of the Tribe’s online application system and serve as the first point of contact for nonprofit applicants seeking technical assistance and support.
• Distribute reporting forms to grantees in a timely manner.
• Maintain a working knowledge of the Tribe’s program areas of health, education, community and economic development, and special projects.
• Maintain a strong knowledge and application of the charitable-giving guidelines, including the application process, deadlines and qualifying criteria.
• Assist Program Officers with grantee follow-up as needed.
• Produce slate of funding recommendations for review and approval, and supporting documents essential for final approval of requests.
• Supports Manager with meeting budget objectives, including payment processing, budget reconciliation and maintaining department inventory and office supplies.
• Ensures electronic documentation from all grant activities are completed in compliance with grant agreement.
• Process in-kind requests.
• Perform other duties as assigned to support the efficient operation of the department.

Education/Experience/Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• Minimum of three (3) years of experience in philanthropic, government or nonprofit program coordination.
• Equivalent combination of education and progressive, relevant and direct experience may be considered in lieu of minimum educational/experience requirements indicated above.
• Must be highly organized, detail-oriented and able to handle multiple projects and deadlines simultaneously.
• Experience with MicroEdge GIFTS highly desired.
• Ability to multi-task with strong organizational skills and ability to work well under deadlines required.
• Advanced level experience with Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) required.

Certificates/Licenses/Registrations

• At the discretion of the San Manuel Tribal Gaming Commission you may be required to obtain and maintain a gaming license.
• A qualified candidate/employee must have a valid driver’s license with an acceptable driving record as determined by the company’s insurance carrier.

San Manuel Band of Mission Indians and San Manuel Casino will make reasonable accommodations in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.

As one of the largest private employers in the Inland Empire, San Manuel deeply cares about the future, growth and well-being of its employees. Join our team today!

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