Vice President, Programs

Rainier Climate is a new philanthropic organization focused on addressing climate change. Co-founded by Sam Ballmer, Connie Ballmer, and Steve Ballmer in 2024, Rainier Climate will focus on providing philanthropic funding to non-government organizations pursuing strategies that operate at the speed and scale needed to dramatically cut greenhouse gas emissions.

As it scales to become one of the largest climate philanthropies globally, Rainier anticipates supporting work in many parts of the world and on a range of strategies such as forests and land use, clean energy, clean transportation, industrial decarbonization, energy efficiency, and super pollutants. The organization also anticipates supporting work in climate cross-cutting areas such as strategic communications, climate finance, legal, movement building, advocacy, and public policy.

As Rainier Climate continues to build its team in Bellevue, Washington, we are launching the search for its inaugural Vice President of Programs. Rainier is taking on one of the most urgent and complex challenges of our time with a global lens and an unusually broad field of play. Its work spans multiple geographies, sectors, strategic levers, and cross-cutting approaches. This is a rare opportunity to help shape how significant philanthropic capital is deployed at the depth, breadth, and pace required by the climate crisis.

It is a role for a senior leader who is energized by big strategic questions and systems-level change, but equally motivated to roll up their sleeves with a small, high-caliber team to drive a funding strategy positioned at the pinnacle of the funder ecosystem and capable of making outsized global impact.

Reporting to and working closely with the President, the VP will translate organization-wide strategy into ambitious portfolio plans, clear outcomes, and disciplined execution across the program team in service of Rainier’s mission to address climate change. Partnering with the President to shape and refine Rainier’s strategic approach, the VP will help ensure alignment with the Cofounders, organizational goals, and emerging opportunities.

This role is designed to lead cross-portfolio coordination, program execution, and support the development of high-quality grant recommendations to the Cofounders and President. Serving as a thought partner to the President and to the Program Directors, the VP will assess what is and is not working across portfolios, identify needed adjustments or pivots, surface risks and tradeoffs, and ensure quality of execution across the team.

The VP will lead, manage, and mentor a high-performing team of eight Program Directors and, over time, a small team of Program Associates. The role will drive performance, continuous improvement, and strong execution across Rainier’s grantmaking—from idea generation and diligence through recommendation and learning. As part of a lean organization, the VP will be hands-on and work closely with the President and Vice President, Operations to drive strategy, execution, culture and values, and the systems and processes that support organizational performance.

• Working with Program Directors, translate Rainier’s organization-wide strategy, as set by the Cofounders and President, into clear, innovative, and forward-looking portfolio plans.
• Lead strategy development and refinement across portfolios, ensuring Rainier’s approaches are ambitious, measurable, and responsive to an evolving climate landscape.
• Lead cross-portfolio coordination by building effective mechanisms for shared planning, knowledge exchange, and collaboration across sectors and geographies.
• In partnership with the Vice President, Operations, ensure that annual planning, impact assessment, learning, and program management processes enable strong execution and continuous improvement.
• Ensure high-quality grant recommendations and program delivery by strengthening diligence, analysis, and assessment of strategic fit, execution quality, and potential impact; surface pivot recommendations to the Cofounders and President when adjustments are needed.
• In collaboration with the Vice…