Climate change, the energy transition, an increasing urbanisation, and the impact of AI on society, energy and cities rank among the greatest challenges of our time – and they are front and centre to the work of the Toni Piëch Foundation (TPF). Located in Switzerland but engaged internationally, the foundation's mission is to shape and visualise the future of energy generation and regenerative cities and to speed up the transition towards renewable energy and clean construction – always including communication and storytelling.

The Toni Piëch Foundation is about solutions: Solutions that already exist and need attention as well as those that need to be further developed, implemented and monitored. Solutions of all kinds – technical solutions as well as political, societal or financial solutions. With its partners, TPF supports projects that foster a bigger conversation about a livable future, from whole-life-carbon and heat pumps to urban resilience and AI risk awareness. These times offer an opportunity for identifying future-oriented trends and fast-tracking solutions. TPF contributes to it by focusing on climate action, the energy transition and the future of cities & construction and by looking at areas of importance not covered yet by anyone else. We need visionary but also visible and imaginable future scenarios. How will ‘a new normal’ look like? What are the benefits? How will we live? How will future cities look like? Interested? We are looking forward to receiving your application!

Responsibilities:

The Programme and Research Manager supports the Managing Director in implementing the work programme agreed by the Board of the Toni Piëch Foundation and is responsible for the day-to-day grant management of all projects. Working closely with the Managing Director, the position prepares decisions and makes sure they are carried out. In a small team, the role is broad: it combines project management, board reporting, administration, communications, research, and representation, based on well-established processes and templates. With this entry-level position, the foundation invests in the next generation of climate and environmental professionals.

The responsibilities involve:

• Reviewing invited funding proposals and preparing recommendations; drafting grant agreements from existing templates
• Operational contact for grantees: monitoring work plans and deliverables, checking that payment conditions are met, and preparing payment releases and project closure for approval
• Preparing reports, budget overviews and presentations for the biannual board meetings, including drafting the annual report and the proposed work programme and budget
• Monthly budget monitoring, including flagging deviations, and preparing the annual accounts together with the accountants and the secretariat
• Coordinating the foundation's external communication, including the website (MODX CMS), project articles and the public annual report
• Research on topics and current developments; depending on the candidate's profile, larger research pieces and substantive support to projects
• Joining network meetings with partners and other foundations to scan new topics and identify potential partners
• Representing the foundation at project events and conferences (e.g. UN events, Climate Weeks), alongside or on behalf of the Managing Director
• Supporting the Managing Director in daily operations

Required qualifications and skills:

• University degree in a relevant field and a strong interest in the future of cities, clean construction, renewable energy, climate change, and sustainability
• Ability to deliver on time and under pressure and to look at projects from the communication lens
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English and German
• Flexible to work within sometimes tight schedules
• Strong relationship management skills with the ability to manage various stakeholders with potentially competing priorities
• A structured and thorough way of working, and a good sense for working within the foundations and philanthropy sector
• Ability to work both independently, in a self-reliant spirit, and as part of a small, remote team
• Confident use of MS Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint)
• Flexible working hours, i.e. able to attend occasional evening/weekend meetings and undertake regular international travel

What we offer:

• Remote position, with co-working spaces explicitly supported
• Structured onboarding with established processes and close collaboration with the Managing Director
• Competitive NGO salary