Application Guide
How to Apply for Senior Awards Officer
at 350.org
🏢 About 350.org
350.org is a global grassroots climate movement operating in over 188 countries, dedicated to reducing carbon emissions below 350 parts per million. Unlike traditional NGOs, it prioritizes local organizing and people-powered campaigns to end fossil fuels and promote clean energy. Working here means joining a passionate, inclusive team committed to justice and systemic change.
About This Role
As Senior Awards Officer, you will lead post-award management for 350.org's global restricted grants portfolio, ensuring complex institutional awards are implemented, monitored, reported, and closed out effectively. This role is critical for maintaining donor compliance, optimizing grant impact, and supporting the organization's climate campaigns worldwide. You'll be the backbone of grant operations, enabling frontline teams to focus on activism.
💡 A Day in the Life
A typical day might involve reviewing financial reports from country teams, preparing a donor report for an EU grant, troubleshooting a compliance issue with a subaward, and updating the grants management system. You'll collaborate with program managers across time zones, ensure deadlines are met, and contribute to strategy discussions on improving grant efficiency. Expect a mix of analytical work and virtual meetings, all in service of supporting climate campaigns.
🚀 Application Tools
🎯 Who 350.org Is Looking For
- 5+ years of experience in post-award grants management, preferably with international NGOs or climate organizations, handling restricted funds from institutional donors like governments, multilateral agencies, or large foundations.
- Strong knowledge of donor regulations (e.g., USAID, EU, UN, DFID) and compliance requirements, with a track record of managing complex budgets, subawards, and financial reporting.
- Excellent project management skills, able to juggle multiple awards across different time zones and currencies, and proficiency with grant management software (e.g., Salesforce, Fluxx, or similar).
- Commitment to climate justice and 350.org's mission, with experience working in multicultural, remote teams and a collaborative, solutions-oriented mindset.
📝 Tips for Applying to 350.org
Highlight your experience with specific institutional donors (e.g., USAID, EU, UN agencies) and quantify the size and complexity of grants you've managed (e.g., 'managed a $5M multi-country award').
Demonstrate familiarity with 350.org's campaigns and values by referencing recent victories or initiatives in your cover letter, showing you're not just a grants generalist but mission-aligned.
Emphasize remote work proficiency: mention tools you've used to coordinate across time zones (e.g., Slack, Asana, Zoom) and how you ensure compliance in decentralized teams.
Address the global nature of the role by showcasing experience with multi-currency budgets, foreign exchange risk, and compliance with diverse national laws.
Use the application to show you understand the distinction between pre-award and post-award: focus on monitoring, reporting, and closeout, not proposal writing.
✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter
['Your specific experience managing post-award processes for complex institutional grants, including monitoring, reporting, and closeout, with examples of successful audits or donor reviews.', "How you've navigated donor compliance across multiple countries and currencies, and your ability to translate regulations into practical guidance for program teams.", "Your passion for climate action and alignment with 350.org's grassroots, justice-centered approach, ideally with a personal anecdote or connection to the movement.", 'Your ability to work remotely and collaboratively with diverse teams, highlighting communication skills and cultural competence.']
Generate Cover Letter →🔍 Research Before Applying
To stand out, make sure you've researched:
- → Explore 350.org's current campaigns and recent victories (e.g., divestment movements, Keystone XL) to understand their grassroots model and how grants support these efforts.
- → Familiarize yourself with 350.org's funding sources: look at their annual reports to identify key institutional donors and the types of restricted grants they receive.
- → Research the countries where 350.org operates and the unique compliance challenges in those regions (e.g., foreign agent registration, local NGO laws).
- → Understand 350.org's organizational values and justice commitments, as they are central to their work culture and may be discussed in interviews.
💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics
Based on this role, you may be asked about:
⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Focusing too much on pre-award or proposal writing experience rather than post-award management, as this role is specifically about implementation and compliance.
- Being vague about donor regulations: avoid general statements like 'familiar with donor rules' without naming specific donors and regulations you've worked with.
- Neglecting to show passion for climate justice: 350.org is a movement, not just a nonprofit, so candidates who seem only technically qualified but not mission-driven may be overlooked.
📅 Application Timeline
This position is open until filled. However, we recommend applying as soon as possible as roles at mission-driven organizations tend to fill quickly.
Typical hiring timeline:
Application Review
1-2 weeks
Initial Screening
Phone call or written assessment
Interviews
1-2 rounds, usually virtual
Offer
Congratulations!