Program Officer
Position Summary
The Program Officer serves as a key staff member, providing strategic and tactical program-related leadership to accomplish the Foundation’s mission. Program officers work with community leaders to promote economic betterment, build social infrastructure and improve quality of life. These individuals also serve as a critical resource to the Board, providing support on Program Team planning, projects, initiatives, and communications. The individual who assumes this role will report to the Director of Programs and manage a portfolio of annual and multi-year grants. The Program Officer works with everyone at the Foundation. As such, this person will need to bring a blend of tact, diplomacy, joy, and creativity to the position. The Program Officer provides an invaluable resource, advising program and other key Foundation staff on proposals and the work of grantees. In addition, the Program Officer serves to link the Foundation to valuable external resources, maintaining an active line of inquiry with other Foundations, the broader philanthropic community and targeted affinity groups. Candidates who demonstrate the experience and background may be considered for the position of Senior Program Officer, which carries additional management level responsibilities.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Program leadership
- Review and manage Tier 1 (grants up to $25,000), Tier 2 (grants over $25,000) and the Homelessness Initiative. Assist the Vice President of Programs with monitoring workloads, outcomes and opportunities
Grant portfolio management
- Evaluate and monitor a diverse portfolio of grants and initiatives as assigned. Work closely with staff to maintain accurate records and ensure grantee compliance.
- Prepare formal recommendations for individual grants and initiatives for presentation to Foundation leadership.
- Advise the President and Vice President of Programs on program-related agenda items for Board and Grants Committee meetings.
Homelessness Initiative
- Serve as a partner to the Vice President of Programs and the Senior Fellow on Homelessness to identify strategic objectives and direction.
- In collaboration with the Senior Fellow on Homelessness, initiate and contribute to the design, implementation and oversight of homelessness and housing initiatives. May lead workgroups to design and manage projects to achieve key team objectives.
- Manage the internal Homelessness Initiative grant process.
Opportunity development
- Proactively survey and monitor the local, state, regional and national environments and identify and develop the best practices, innovations and key relationships necessary to create strategically consistent deal structures. Analyze, prepare and present investment recommendations to Board and CEO.
Building Field Capacity
- Identify needs and develop a cadre of established nonprofit partners and intermediaries who can function as long-term partners with whom the Foundation can work to affect desired strategic outcomes.
- Provide technical assistance as needed.
Public Policy
- Monitor the field for all public policy-related developments to help further the Foundation’s homelessness and housing goals.
- Work with the communications team to develop a strategy and related information resources that inform the public, opinion leaders and policymakers about significant issues and trends.
Leadership
- Provide intellectual and operational leadership, working closely with the Foundation’s leadership team
- Serve as a resource to staff to identify professional development opportunities for individual team members and staff as a whole.
- Represent the Foundation at public meetings and events, as needed.
- Represent the Foundation’s interests on boards, committees and special projects at the local, state and national levels, as assigned.
Special projects
- As assigned by the Director of Programs and/or Vice President of Programs
Qualifications
- Alignment with the Foundation’s missions and values.
- A professional or master’s degree in an area of Foundation interest preferred; a bachelor’s degree is required. The Foundation’s primary interests are arts and culture, community development, health and social services, including homelessness and housing.
- A minimum of five years of increasingly responsible work experience in a specific subject-matter area and/or sector of importance to the Foundation. Proven experience in the philanthropic or public sectors and with homelessness/housing preferred.
- Highly effective at written and oral communication, possessing the ability to communicate in a manner that will advance the Foundation’s values, mission and goals.
- Fluency with the Microsoft Office suite, including Outlook, Word, Excel, SharePoint and Teams.
- Knowledge of the structure and operational nature of foundations desired. Staff and/or board-level nonprofit experience a plus.
- Demonstrated experience collaborating with partners to achieve collective impact is an advantage, as is experience in impact investing.
- Demonstrated leadership and management skill, including ability to manage internal and external teams effectively and to supervise external professional consultants.
- Proven research, financial and analytical skills, including ability to critique business plans and render sound judgments on the relative risk of investments.
- Agility and creativity as a dedicated team player who enjoys people, fosters a collegial atmosphere with all staff, and proactively stewards interaction of ideas leading to action.
- Demonstrated ability to plan and think strategically, set realistic goals and objectives, and balance multiple priorities in a very fast-paced environment.
- High energy level, confident, team and customer-service oriented, with a sense of humor.
- Commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion as a core value.