Skip to main content
Back to all jobs

Grant Operations Manager (2 years, fixed-term)

Hybrid
Full-time
Fixed-term

Your Role in a Nutshell

As Grant Operations Manager at the adidas Foundation, you play a central role in ensuring that the Foundation’s grantmaking is delivered in a way that is clear, reliable, and supportive for partners and communities the Foundation serves. By translating the Foundation’s mission, programmatic goals, and compliance requirements into well-designed systems and workflows, you help create efficiency and smooth integration across the full partnership lifecycle. 

The role holds operational ownership of the Foundation’s grant management infrastructure, ensuring that grants can be managed transparently, efficiently, and in an audit-ready, consistent manner, from intake to contracting, reporting, and close-out.

Through thoughtful system design and continuous improvement, the Grant Operation Manager enables internal teams to concentrate on decision-making and impact. At the same time, partners benefit from simplified, accessible processes, with the aim to minimize manual workload, allowing them to focus on their essential on-the-ground work. Together, these endeavors support the Foundation’s broader simplification efforts and strengthening trust and long-term collaboration with our partners.

Key Stats

Country of Employment: Germany
Office Location: Nuremberg (up to 80% mobile work within Germany per month)
Contract Term: 2 years, fixed-term 
Working Hours: 35 hours per week (full-time)

Your Day-To-Day

1. Grantmaking System Configuration & Management
  • Own the operational setup and continuous improvement of the Foundation’s grant management system
  • Configure and maintain workflows, grant lifecycle stages, document structures and accessibility, reporting cycles and functionalities, automations, notifications and user permissions, in line with the Foundation’s partnership lifecycle
  • Translate process requirements across Foundation internal teams into system logic and workflow design, ensuring processes are intuitive, proportionate, and supportive for internal and external users
  • Maintain standardized and clean data structures, naming conventions, and document architecture across grants records
  • Maintain platform governance, including user roles and access rights, workflow cleanup and removal of outdated stages, forms, or permissions, and conduct operational process improvements to streamline grantmaking and enhance user experience
  • Act as product owner and primary point of contact for Foundation team and system vendors, including issue escalation, bug tracking, and solution design for identified gaps
2. Grant Lifecycle Operations
  • Manage and coordinate the end  to-end system administration of grant cycles, including the system administration of RFPs and open calls by operationalizing criteria, application forms, review stages, and scoring workflows
  • Ensure that grant status, decision points, and conditions are correctly captured in the system to maintain clear audit trails
  • Manage contract cycles, close-out and archiving processes, ensuring completeness of records and readiness for retention
  • Ensure first level checks on applications, reports and data for completeness, timelines, and formats
  • Design and maintain workflows that compile and surface complete partner reporting packages for review by relevant teams across Programs, MEAL, and Finance, reducing duplicative requests and improving clarity for partners
3. User Enablement & Support
  • Serve as the administrative point of contact for partners and internal teams regarding system access, submission processes and timelines, supporting a smooth, predictable, and accessible user experience
  • Develop and maintain system guidance materials and onboarding documentation for internal teams and partners
  • Train internal teams and partners on how to use the grantmaking system effectively, where required

The People You'll Work With

  • adidas Foundation’s department heads and broader team 
  • Program Partners, Community Representatives 
  • Non-Profit Organizations, Coalitions and Associations 
  • Funders & donors 
  • External vendors and consultants

What Makes You Awesome

  • A results-driven and self-motivated team player with compassion, integrity, trust, and perseverance, eager to work in a hands-on startup environment 
  • Profound experience supporting system implementations and process redesign, including the operational setup of grant management lifecycles, RFPs, and selection processes within a grantmaking context.
  • Strong coordination, documentation, and workflow management skills, with confidence working in grant management systems and digital tools to design, operate, and maintain end‑to‑end processes
  • Exhibits sound judgment, tact, humility, and discretion, with extensive interpersonal skills to build trust-based relationships across diverse communities, stakeholders, and cultures
  • Strong organizational and project management skills with the ability to prioritize work, pay high attention to detail and data quality, and meet deadlines 
  • Strong English presentation and communication skills (verbal and in written), with composure in conveying information clearly to other stakeholders. Additional language knowledge is a plus

Your Fundamentals

  • Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience (e.g., Social Sciences, International Development, Business Administration, Information Systems, Operations Management or equivalent) 
  • Minimum of 3-5 years of relevant experience in grant management or program operations within philanthropy, NGOs, or similar grant-making or funding-based organizations
  • Hands‑on experience with setting up and maintaining grant management systems (e.g. Fluxx, Amp Impact, or comparable platforms)  
  • Experience working in organizations or programs related to sports-for-good, sustainability or international development is an advantage

To Apply:
Interested candidates should submit a resume, and cover letter exclusively through our job platform. To ensure a fair and equal process for everyone, please understand that we cannot engage in individual conversations. Applications will be accepted until 30th April 2026, 11:59 PM (CEST). 

Your Future Working Environment

  • Experience and thrive in a dynamic, true startup environment and be part of building a non-profit organization from its early years onwards
  • Competitive compensation in line with industry standards for the non-profit sector
  • Flexible work arrangements (based on 35 hours full-time) with up to 80% mobile work within Germany
  • 30 days annual leave plus up to 30 days working from elsewhere (subject to individual's country of citizenship, work permit and employer approval
  • Continual enhancement of benefits during and beyond 2026
Please note that relocation, visa sponsorship and permanent cross-border employment are currently not possible.

About us

Welcome to the adidas Foundation! We are an independent nonprofit organization with the mission to harness the transformative power of sport to tackle pressing social and environmental challenges worldwide. As an initiative launched by adidas AG in Herzogenaurach, we believe in the unparalleled ability of sport to unite communities and drive positive change in the face of global issues such as conflict, inequality, discrimination, and climate change. Envisioning a world where everyone has access to the life-changing benefits of sport and physical activity, the adidas Foundation strives to create a brighter future for both people and the planet. Through direct action, capacity building, and advocacy, we collaborate with like-minded partners across the globe to bring our vision to life. Learn more about us here!

While maintaining a strong connection with adidas AG, our primary funding source, we operate with full autonomy to strategically allocate resources toward fulfilling our charitable mission.  We drive impactful initiatives, including grants for nonprofit organizations worldwide, support local projects aligned with our mission and empower social entrepreneurs through grants and seed funding. Our collaborations with essential service providers guarantee the successful execution of initiatives, ranging from refurbishing community football pitches to conducting impact assessments. From local initiatives to our partners around the globe: Our aim is to empower communities worldwide. Additionally, we actively contribute to research and advocacy efforts, furthering our overarching goals. By offering expertise and support to stakeholders within the sport-for-good sector, we foster collaboration and collective progress towards achieving our mission.

If you are passionate about leveraging sport for positive change and want to be part of a dynamic organization committed to making a difference, consider joining us in our mission. We welcome applications from all individuals, regardless of gender identity and expression, personal background, beliefs, preferences, and abilities. Together, we can create a world where the transformative power of sport is accessible to all, changing lives and shaping a better future for generations to come.