Partnerships & Program Lead: Building Partnerships and Programs for Scalable Climate Action

San José, Costa Rica

Partnerships & Program Lead: Building Partnerships and Programs for Scalable Climate Action

Application link: https://noteforms.com/forms/partnerships-program-lead-job-application-w5whnh

Have you built a career in partnerships, programs or funding and want to apply those skills to meaningful climate impact?

Open Earth Foundation is a California-based nonprofit on a mission to create groundbreaking technology that helps combat the climate crisis.

Our flagship platform, CityCatalyst, supports cities around the world with data-driven climate planning and delivery.

We’re a diverse, global team working remotely and collaborating with partners worldwide to make real change possible.

With strong funding and a powerhouse team of innovators, we’re ready to tackle big challenges for a resilient Earth for generations to come and we need the planet’s brightest minds to help solve them!

Priority will be given to applications submitted by January 23rd.

Your mission, should you choose to accept it:

As a Partnerships & Program Lead on our team, you will:

Work closely with the Head of BD to grow CityCatalyst through strategic partnerships, identifying funding opportunities for program expansion and repeatable delivery models.
Help translate overall strategy into concrete partnerships, grant proposals, programs and delivery workflows.
Blend partnership development, grant writing, account management and program design.
Play a key role in shaping how CityCatalyst collaborates with cities, funders and delivery partners and help refine its product–market fit to scale globally.

This position is remote and international as our organization works across different time zones.

Schedule flexibility is expected with a willingness to collaborate in overlapping core hours for meetings from 8 am PST to 11 am PST (GMT-8).
Availability to work with overlapping hours across U.S., Latin American and European time zones is preferred.

The following requirements describe our ideal candidate. If you don't meet some of the requirements, you're encouraged to apply anyway.

The ideal candidate: passionate about collaborative climate solutions

Cares deeply about leveraging partnerships and programs to drive real-world climate impact.
Enjoys working with cities, funders and technical teams.
Comfortable balancing strategy with hands-on execution.
Confident operating in fast-evolving environments with shifting priorities.
Values clarity, collaboration, and steady progress.
Excited to work in a mission-driven, globally distributed organization.

Responsibilities: help turn partnerships and funding into scalable climate impact

Lead account and program management to ensure strong partner relationships, clear delivery timelines and successful expansions.
Identify and pursue grant and funding opportunities by drafting LOIs, concept notes and full proposals aligned with CityCatalyst deployments.
Co-design and support the sale of scalable, multi-city or multi-country programs using repeatable narratives and delivery models.
Collaborate with the Head of Business Development to test and refine funding and business models that support product–market fit.
Support sales outreach and relationship-building with key stakeholders, consultants and other partners
Translate CityCatalyst’s technical and data-driven capabilities into clear, compelling narratives for partners and funders
Feed structured feedback from partners and funders into Product and Technical teams to inform roadmap and program design.
Participate in live demos, senior-level presentations and partner discussions as needed.
Support negotiation and review of MOUs, contracts and partnership agreements.
Maintain visibility into the partnerships and funding pipeline to support prioritization and decision-making.

Interpersonal skills: a clear communicator and trusted collaborator

Strong written and verbal communication skills, particularly for high-stakes proposals, presentations and partner discussions.
Fosters trust by delivering on commitments, communicating clearly and managing relationships effectively.
Comfortable facilitating high-stakes discussions, meetings and presentations.
Organized, proactive and able to manage multiple opportunities in parallel.
Enjoys collaborating across disciplines, cultures and time zones.

Qualifications:

6+ years of experience in partnerships, business development, program management, consulting, climate finance or fundraising.
Professional fluency in written and spoken English.
Strong experience with grant writing, funded programs or institutional partnerships.
Experience working with cities, public institutions or multi-stakeholder initiatives.
Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field (Master’s degree preferred).
Experience working effectively in a fully remote, globally distributed team.

Skills that will make you stand out:

Experience securing funding for city-level or regional climate initiatives.
Familiarity with city networks or global climate frameworks (e.g., C40, ICLEI, GCoM).
Entrepreneurial mindset and comfort designing business opportunities and partnership frameworks.
Experience with open-source platforms or digital public infrastructure.
Knowledge of data-driven or AI-enabled tools in climate action.
Experience working across Global North and Global South contexts.
Fluency in English and Spanish or Portuguese.

Compensation and benefits:

Salary range: $60,000–$80,000 USD (depending on experience, role scope, and location).
Fully remote role with overlap across U.S. and European time zones.
Occasional travel for team retreats and partner meetings.
Opportunity to contribute to meaningful, mission-driven work with global impact.
Commitment to equity, inclusion, openness and collaborative ways of working.

OEF is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. We celebrate diversity, equity and inclusion in teams, and believe people should align their work with their purpose. Join us if you love Earth.

We look forward to hearing from you!