PDC Contract Opportunities

Project Associate

Contract Term: 6 months (35 – 40 hours/week)
Location: Remote, U.S.-based
Reports to: Project Manager, Philanthropy Data Commons

About the Philanthropy Data Commons

The Philanthropy Data Commons (PDC) is a collaborative initiative that is building shared, consent-based data infrastructure for the philanthropic sector. The PDC enables funders, changemakers, and data intermediaries to securely connect and exchange data—reducing redundancies, improving transparency, and strengthening collaboration across philanthropy.

Over the past four years, the MacArthur Foundation has supported the PDC’s steady evolution from ideation to early implementation. Under the leadership of Co-Directors Elizabeth Kane and John Mohr and hosted by Mac Services, a small Operations Team of expert consultants continues to advance this work and develop the PDC as a trusted, field-serving data infrastructure and fostering collaboration across the sector to ensure its long-term sustainability.

Role Overview

The Project Associate will play a pivotal role in advancing the Philanthropy Data Commons at an exciting moment in its evolution. As PDC embarks on a formal transition to a long-term home and scales its shared data infrastructure, this role offers the unique opportunity to be involved in the initiative’s day-to-day operations, cross-sector collaborations, and strategic growth.

Reporting to the Project Manager, the Project Associate will work closely with the PDC Co-Directors and Operations Team to support coordination across three key workstreams – Technology Development, Governance, and External Relations. The Associate will help connect the dots across this complex ecosystem: coordinating with external partners, onboarding new data contributors, and supporting the creation of key materials such as communication collateral, funder reports, and other project documentation.

Key Responsibilities

  • Support the Project Manager in driving day-to-day execution across PDC’s three workstreams and ensuring milestones are met and workstreams stay aligned.
  • Assist with project execution related to the PDC’s future transition, including governance development, documentation, and coordination with key advisors.
  • Coordinate timelines, deliverables, and cross-team workflows, anticipating needs and helping move the project forward.
  • Support outreach and engagement with current and prospective data contributors, funders, and partners, maintaining clear and organized follow-up documentation.
  • Support the onboarding of new partners and data contributors, liaising across teams to ensure smooth integration into PDC’s shared infrastructure.
  • Contribute to the development of communications collateral such as newsletters, one-pagers, and slide decks that tell PDC’s story to funders, partners, and the broader field.
  • Support logistics, prep materials, and documentation for PDC-led webinars, demos, workshops, and sector convenings.
  • Help maintain project management systems (e.g., ClickUp, Teams, SharePoint) to ensure up-to-date documentation.
  • Assist in preparing internal progress updates, reports, and briefing materials for leadership.
  • Schedule and facilitate regular team meetings; take detailed notes and track follow-up actions.

Qualifications

  • 3–5 years of relevant experience in project coordination, program operations, or consulting, preferably within social impact.
  • Demonstrated ability to manage and support complex, multi-stakeholder projects and keep parallel workstreams moving efficiently.
  • Strong written and verbal communication skills; able to produce clear, structured documents and summaries.
  • Experience collaborating across cross-functional teams and managing relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
  • Familiarity with digital collaboration and project management tools such as ClickUp, Teams, Google Workspace, and SharePoint.
  • Self-motivated, detail-oriented, and capable of working independently in a fully remote environment.
  • Understanding of philanthropy, data sharing, or nonprofit infrastructure is preferred but not required; a willingness to learn quickly and engage thoughtfully is essential.