What are the responsibilities and job description for the Grants Technology & Data Analyst position at The Commonwealth Fund?
The Organization
The Commonwealth Fund — among the first private foundations started by a woman philanthropist, Anna M. Harkness — was established in 1918 with the broad charge to enhance the common good. Today, the mission of The Commonwealth Fund is to promote a high-performing health care system that achieves better access, improved quality, and greater efficiency, particularly for society’s most vulnerable, including low-income people, the uninsured, and people of color. The Fund carries out this mandate by supporting independent research on health care issues and making grants to improve health care practice and policy.
Our Values and Commitment to Equity
The Commonwealth Fund envisions a health care system that values and benefits all people equally — one that combats racism and pursues equity, in treatment and outcomes as well as in leadership and decision-making. We believe this requires an alliance of people and institutions across society working together to recognize and value the lived experience of all individuals; ensure the delivery of compassionate, affordable, quality health care; and strive for equitable outcomes for all.
We aspire to racial equity, diversity, and inclusion in how we work. We place great value on the varied backgrounds and experiences our staff bring to our organization and encourage employees to bring their full selves to the workplace. We look for talented, nimble, empathetic, and supportive team players who are ready to roll up their sleeves, create impactful change, and celebrate accomplishments.
Department Summary
The grants management office provides administrative and financial management support for all the Commonwealth Fund’s grantmaking activities. Grants management is centralized with many administrative responsibilities shared with the program staff across each program area. The team is engaged in all aspects of the Fund’s grant making process, including budget planning, program planning, project development, financial and compliance monitoring, completed grant reporting and evaluation, and historical archiving of completed grant materials. The grants management team includes the Senior Vice President, Grants Management; Director, Grants Management; Grants Technology & Data Analyst (open), Grants Associate (open); Senior Grants and Contracts Administrator (part-time); and a Manager, Special Projects, who works across departments and administers the Fund’s Matching Gifts Program.
General Position Description
Reporting to the Director, Grants Management, the Grants Technology & Data Analyst is a new role created to own the technical layer of our grants management function. As our grantmaking has grown in complexity, so too has our reliance on Salesforce and the range of technologies that support our work — and we are creating this role to ensure that complexity is managed with expertise and intentionality. This person will serve as the primary administrator of our Salesforce instance, which has been custom-built (not NPSP/Nonprofit Cloud) to support our grants programs and workflows. They will manage and maintain automation built in Salesforce Flow, partner with our external Salesforce consultant on configuration work, support technology projects from initiation through staff adoption, and build the reporting and data infrastructure our team depends on to make decisions and meet external obligations.
This person will work in close partnership with the Director of Grants Management, who sets strategic direction on grants-management technology priorities and initiatives The primary value this role brings is in execution: taking well-scoped projects and running with them — managing timelines, coordinating stakeholders, and developing training. For someone who has ideas of their own and wants room to propose and lead projects over time, that opportunity exists as well. This is an ideal role for a hands-on, curious technologist who is energized by figuring out how systems work, finding solutions others say aren't possible, and seeing projects through from start to finish. The ideal candidate will bring strong technical skills combined with follow-through and clear communication. In addition, the Grants Technology & Data Analyst will take on a portion of core grants administration responsibilities, serving as a grants management liaison to one or more programs and supporting the Fund’s grant review process.
Specific Responsibilities
Salesforce Administration
Core Competencies & Qualifications
Position is hybrid and based in our NYC location, with an expectation to be in the office two days a week.
Salary and How to Apply
The starting salary for this position is $90,800 - $113,500 depending on professional experience.
Employment at The Commonwealth Fund is based upon personal capabilities and qualifications without discrimination because of race, color, religion, sex, sexual preference, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, medical condition, disability, or any other protected characteristic as established by law.
The Commonwealth Fund — among the first private foundations started by a woman philanthropist, Anna M. Harkness — was established in 1918 with the broad charge to enhance the common good. Today, the mission of The Commonwealth Fund is to promote a high-performing health care system that achieves better access, improved quality, and greater efficiency, particularly for society’s most vulnerable, including low-income people, the uninsured, and people of color. The Fund carries out this mandate by supporting independent research on health care issues and making grants to improve health care practice and policy.
Our Values and Commitment to Equity
The Commonwealth Fund envisions a health care system that values and benefits all people equally — one that combats racism and pursues equity, in treatment and outcomes as well as in leadership and decision-making. We believe this requires an alliance of people and institutions across society working together to recognize and value the lived experience of all individuals; ensure the delivery of compassionate, affordable, quality health care; and strive for equitable outcomes for all.
We aspire to racial equity, diversity, and inclusion in how we work. We place great value on the varied backgrounds and experiences our staff bring to our organization and encourage employees to bring their full selves to the workplace. We look for talented, nimble, empathetic, and supportive team players who are ready to roll up their sleeves, create impactful change, and celebrate accomplishments.
Department Summary
The grants management office provides administrative and financial management support for all the Commonwealth Fund’s grantmaking activities. Grants management is centralized with many administrative responsibilities shared with the program staff across each program area. The team is engaged in all aspects of the Fund’s grant making process, including budget planning, program planning, project development, financial and compliance monitoring, completed grant reporting and evaluation, and historical archiving of completed grant materials. The grants management team includes the Senior Vice President, Grants Management; Director, Grants Management; Grants Technology & Data Analyst (open), Grants Associate (open); Senior Grants and Contracts Administrator (part-time); and a Manager, Special Projects, who works across departments and administers the Fund’s Matching Gifts Program.
General Position Description
Reporting to the Director, Grants Management, the Grants Technology & Data Analyst is a new role created to own the technical layer of our grants management function. As our grantmaking has grown in complexity, so too has our reliance on Salesforce and the range of technologies that support our work — and we are creating this role to ensure that complexity is managed with expertise and intentionality. This person will serve as the primary administrator of our Salesforce instance, which has been custom-built (not NPSP/Nonprofit Cloud) to support our grants programs and workflows. They will manage and maintain automation built in Salesforce Flow, partner with our external Salesforce consultant on configuration work, support technology projects from initiation through staff adoption, and build the reporting and data infrastructure our team depends on to make decisions and meet external obligations.
This person will work in close partnership with the Director of Grants Management, who sets strategic direction on grants-management technology priorities and initiatives The primary value this role brings is in execution: taking well-scoped projects and running with them — managing timelines, coordinating stakeholders, and developing training. For someone who has ideas of their own and wants room to propose and lead projects over time, that opportunity exists as well. This is an ideal role for a hands-on, curious technologist who is energized by figuring out how systems work, finding solutions others say aren't possible, and seeing projects through from start to finish. The ideal candidate will bring strong technical skills combined with follow-through and clear communication. In addition, the Grants Technology & Data Analyst will take on a portion of core grants administration responsibilities, serving as a grants management liaison to one or more programs and supporting the Fund’s grant review process.
Specific Responsibilities
Salesforce Administration
- Serve as the primary administrator of the Foundation's Salesforce org, including user management, data integrity, security settings, and system configuration
- Manage and troubleshoot automation built in Salesforce Flow, coordinate with our external consultant on enhancements and configuration work
- Evaluate requests and independently assess what is feasible within Salesforce, providing clear guidance to staff
- Maintain documentation of system configuration, data model, workflows, and training documentation
- Monitor system health and proactively identify opportunities to improve performance, usability, or data quality
- Manage integrations between Salesforce and other tools used by the Grants Management team (e.g., document management, email, grant portal tools)
- Evaluate new technology solutions as needs arise, including researching options, assessing feasibility, and making recommendations
- Serve as a bridge between the Grants Management team and the Foundation's IT function, advocating for grants-related technology needs and ensuring follow-through
- Build and maintain reports and dashboards in Salesforce to support grants operations, program staff, and leadership
- Ensure data quality and consistency across the Salesforce org, develop and enforce data entry standards
- Support data requests from internal stakeholders and external audiences (e.g., auditors, board reporting, regulatory compliance)
- Coordinate asynchronous and in-person grant review processes including scheduling biweekly grant reviews and Board Meeting activities throughout the year
- Conduct review of all submitted application materials and complete compliance, legal, and financial due diligence on all applicants based on department guidelines
- Ensure all required materials are available to reviewers on the grant record and that reviewer ratings are circulated prior to meeting
- Cross train on other grants administration tasks as needed
- Support grants management technology projects from scoping through implementation and staff adoption, including creating timelines, coordinating stakeholders, and ensuring accountability
- Develop training materials and deliver training to staff when new systems or processes are introduced
- Support staff through technology transitions, serving as a resource and troubleshooter during rollout periods
- In coordination with the Fund's Director of Information Technology and External IT Advisor, support organization-wide data governance, AI, and technology strategy initiatives. May include coordinating logistics, researching options, supporting policy rollout, and helping staff use tools and follow guidelines
Core Competencies & Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree required
- Three to five years minimum relevant work experience
- Salesforce Administrator certification or equivalent demonstrated experience
- Familiarity with Salesforce Flow sufficient to manage, troubleshoot, and understand existing automation, even if not building from scratch
- Experience building reports and dashboards in Salesforce
- Demonstrated ability to manage or be part of a core team managing technology projects end-to-end, including stakeholder communication, timeline management, and documentation
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with a passion for and high level of proficiency in data management and analysis
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to explain technical concepts to non-technical audiences
- Experience creating training materials and supporting staff adoption of new systems or processes
- Comfort working independently with significant ownership in a small organization
- Strong technical skills, including proficient use of databases and Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, and PowerPoint)
- Ability to multi-task, prioritize, and follow through to effectively manage work and meet multiple tight deadlines Exceptional attention to detail and organizational skills
- Good judgement and the ability to act independently within standard guidelines
- Flexibility and skill in working as a team member
Position is hybrid and based in our NYC location, with an expectation to be in the office two days a week.
Salary and How to Apply
The starting salary for this position is $90,800 - $113,500 depending on professional experience.
Employment at The Commonwealth Fund is based upon personal capabilities and qualifications without discrimination because of race, color, religion, sex, sexual preference, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, medical condition, disability, or any other protected characteristic as established by law.
Salary : $90,800 - $113,500