Clean Energy Fund, Grantmaking and Capacity Building Manager (Coordinator III)

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The Position

Job Appointment: Full time, Regular.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00-5:00 pm. Alternate schedules may be available.

Work Location: Hybrid. Position reports to the Vanport Building, 1810 SW 5th Ave.Remote work must be performed within Oregon or Washington. For more information, click here .

Benefits: Please check our benefits tab for an overview of benefit for this position.

Language Pay Premium Eligible: This position is eligible for Language Pay Differential for qualifying employees.

Union Representation: Non-represented.

Application Material: Please click APPLY to submit your application via the City of Portland’s online portal. You will need respond to the supplemental questions and attach a résumé.

Position Summary

The Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund (PCEF) team at the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability (BPS) is seeking a Grantmaking and Capacity Building Manager (Coordinator III). This is a management position responsible for directly supervising a growing team that currently includes two staff members. The manager provides leadership, oversight, and accountability for PCEF’s capacity building programs and grant solicitation processes that advance community-driven climate action and support social and economic justice.

This position offers the unique opportunity to contribute to a dynamic, fast-paced team tasked with the stewardship of more than $1 billion in funding over the next five years. The fund invests in projects that reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, build community resilience, and advance equity in the areas of energy efficiency, and renewable energy, transportation decarbonization, green infrastructure, and regenerative agriculture, as identified in the Climate Investment Plan .

As a crucial member of the team, you will play a key role in leading grant solicitations and providing oversight of active grants and contracts that are creating impactful, innovative, and catalytic climate action in our underserved communities. Effective management of the grant solicitation process will involve working collaboratively across other functional teams, cultivating robust relationships with grantees and applicants, providing guidance and technical assistance, and conducting thorough monitoring to ensure the successful implementation of processes and projects for the greatest environmental and social benefits. The ideal candidate has strong project management experience, a solid understanding of public sector grantmaking best practices, and the ability to support diverse staff, partners, grantees and contractors with professionalism, cultural responsiveness and clarity to ensure they are successful in implementing their projects and programs.

What You’ll Get To Do

  • Collaboratively design and manage all steps in the solicitation cycle, including outreach, application development, application review coordination, scoring panel support, and award recommendation development.
  • Provide day-to-day direction, coaching, and supervision to staff responsible for capacity building initiatives and program support.
  • Ensure project managers have clear expectations, consistent tools, and well-defined procedures to be successful.
  • Maintain and refine tracking tools, documentation protocols, and reporting structures to ensure accountability and high-quality program delivery.
  • Lead the coordination of grant proposal evaluation processes, assess alignment with program requirements, and contribute to award recommendation processes.
  • Work across PCEF teams, grantees, contractors, and community partners to support shared learning, identify best practices, and strengthen program outcomes.
  • Identify barriers, gaps, and opportunities for continuous improvement across PCEF’s grantmaking and capacity building functions.

The ideal candidate for this position will have these attributes:

  • Lived Experience: Direct experience with marginalized communities and demonstrated understanding of the impacts of historic racism and disinvestment.
  • Socially Intelligent: Ability to communicate with others in a way that creates ease. Effective in communicating with people in various roles and of diverse backgrounds.
  • Collaborative and Inclusive: Comfort in sharing power, working together toward collective goals, and guiding others through conflict resolution with a trauma-informed perspective.
  • Empathetic Understanding: The ability to approach difficult conversations and sensitive topics with professionalism, compassion, and an awareness of the impact of equity and justice issues on communities.
  • Equity-driven: Committed to advancing systemic changes that address historic and current discrimination. Familiarity with evaluating processes through an equity lens and creating offerings and solutions that remove barriers and deliver more equitable outcomes.
  • Engaged with the Community: An outgoing professional who values partnership and stakeholder relationships. Develops and supports relationships to get things done.
  • Experience in climate fields: Experience supporting programs connected to one or more of the following categories: energy efficiency and renewable energy, transportation decarbonization, regenerative agriculture and green infrastructure, and workforce and contractor development.

About The Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund

As a first-in-the-nation community-led climate fund, PCEF’s mission is to broaden community resilience and economic opportunity through climate action that advances social justice. By partnering with community organizations, government agencies and businesses engaged in the climate and justice movements, PCEF enables local solutions to many of the city’s most urgent challenges. For more information visit the PCEF website .

About The Bureau Of Planning And Sustainability

The Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability (BPS) is a leader in land use planning, climate action, environmental stewardship, and urban design. BPS centers racial equity in its work and is dedicated to creating a Portland that is more equitable, healthy, prosperous, and resilient.

The bureau oversees a world-renowned waste and recycling system and leads the U.S. in its commitment to open data and protecting communities in the application of technologies. Staff collaborate with partners on neighborhood, economic, historic, and environmental planning and provide research, policy and technical services to advance energy efficiency and renewable energy, as well as policies and actions to address climate change

Studies have shown that women, non-binary people, and Black, Indigenous, and other people of color are less likely to apply for jobs unless they meet every one of the qualifications listed. BPS considers lived experience, and transferrable skills as qualifying unless an item is labeled as required. We are most interested in finding the best candidate for the job, and the best candidate may be one who comes from a less traditional background. We strongly encourage you to apply.

Virtual Zoom Meet & Greet Opportunity

Come meet the hiring manager and the senior recruiter! We'll be talking about the position duties and responsibilities, day to day life in the role, review the announcement, discuss how to apply, and answer questions you may have about the position.

Monday, December 8th, 2025

12:00 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)

Zoom Meeting Link: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/pc1inRW1SlKDaQFFzQMB-Q

  • Please note: AI Notetaking apps will not be allowed into virtual sessions hosted by the Bureau of Human Resources Recruitment Team. If you need accommodations as defined by the American Disabilities Act, then please contact the Recruiter for assistance.

Have a question?

Contact Information

Tamela Ressler, Recruiter

Bureau of Human Resources

Tamela.Ressler@portlandoregon.gov

To Qualify

The Following Minimum Qualifications Are Required For This Position

  • At least two years experience in public and/or private grantmaking with the ability to apply grantmaking best practices to guide the design, oversight, and implementation of grant solicitations.
  • Experience managing a high volume of projects, tracking budgets, and communicating effectively with multiple internal and external partners.
  • Experience supporting systems and practices that address past and current discrimination using a strong equity lens and promoting workplaces and partnerships that are respectful, inclusive, and culturally responsive.
  • Experience supervising staff using trust-building methods, including setting expectations, providing coaching and feedback, and supporting staff development and performance.
  • Ability to apply relevant codes, regulations, permitting requirements, administrative rules, and policies, and to use independent judgment, solve problems, and take initiative within established procedures.

The Recruitment Process

STEP 1: Apply online between December 1, 2025 - December 22, 2025

Required Application Materials

  • Résumé
    • Note: Do not include your age, date of birth, or the dates you attended or graduated from school. Only provide this information if it is specifically requested to meet job requirements or to follow federal, state, or local laws or rules.
    • Answers to the Supplemental Questions (click on the Questions tab to preview the questions)

    Optional Application Materials

    • Veteran’s Preference documents (e.g., DD214-Member 4, VA Benefit Letter) must be submitted by the closing date.
    • Update: As of March 3, 2025, if you have already submitted veteran documents and qualified for preference, you do not need to resubmit them for future recruitments.
    • To update or remove veteran preference for this recruitment or from your profile, contact the recruiter listed in the job announcement.

    Application Tips

    • Your responses to the supplemental questions should include details describing your education, training and/or experience, and where obtained, which clearly reflects your qualifications for each of the numbered items in the "To Qualify" section of this announcement.
    • Your résumé should support the details described in your responses to the supplemental questions.
    • How We Determine Pay: The City of Portland is covered by the Oregon Equal Pay Act . Your salary is determined based on the experience listed in your resume that is directly related and equivalent to the position for which you are applying. It is strongly encouraged to include any transferable experience (paid or unpaid regardless of how recent) to ensure your offer is reflective of all your relevant experience.
    • Do not attach any additional documents. Do not attach a cover letter, it will not be reviewed.
    • All applications must be submitted via the City's online application process by the closing date and time.
    • E-mailed and/or faxed applications will not be accepted.
    • You can use AI tools to assist with your job application, but please make sure to personalize your responses to supplemental questions. Avoid copying and pasting. We encourage using AI to generate ideas and then tailor them to reflect your own experiences and skills.

    Step 2: Minimum Qualification Evaluation: December 23, 2025 - January 2, 2025

    • An evaluation of each applicant's training and paid and unpaid experience, as demonstrated in their résumé and supplemental questions, weighted 100%.
    • Your résumé and responses to the supplemental questions will be the basis for our evaluation of your qualifications for this position. Incomplete or inappropriate information may result in disqualification.
    • You have 14 days from the notice of the minimum qualification evaluation results to let us know if you would like to review and discuss your evaluation result. Please read the City of Portland Administrative Rule 3.01 for complete information.
    • Additional evaluation may be required prior to establishment of the eligible list and/or final selection.

    Step 3: Establishment of Eligible List: Week of January 5, 2026

    • Candidates who meet the minimum qualifications will be placed on the equally ranked eligible list.

    Step 4: Selection (Interview): Mid-to-Late January 2026

    • Hiring bureau will review and select candidates for an interview

    Step 5: Offer of Employment: February 2026

    • Some positions will require those offered employment to complete and sign a criminal background statement before being considered for employment.

    Step 6: Start Date: TBD

    • A start date will be determined after all conditions of employment have been met.
    • Timeline is approximate and subject to change.

    Additional Information

    Click here for additional information regarding the following:

    • Veteran Preference
    • ADA, Pregnancy, and Religious Accommodations
    • Work Status
    • Equal Employment Opportunity

    An Equal Opportunity Employer