Program Officer, Philanthropic Services

Position Summary

The Program Officer will support the strategy and operations of the Young Adults Forward Fund as the relationship lead for a portfolio of grantees. The Program Officer will be responsible for grantmaking, capacity building, project management, community engagement and progress towards collective outcomes for the fund.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Portfolio Management
  Managing grantmaking, program-related investments, relationships and projects related to a common set of strategic outcomes and budget
  Effectively communicating status of portfolio and potential improvements to team and donor family
  Overseeing grant and program-related investment opportunities and maintaining long-term supportive relationships with partners
  Cultivating new relationships and advancing funding opportunities towards meeting fund objectives
  Working to strengthen organizational capacity of grantees and sector

• Evaluating portfolio grants and outcomes to guide and advance fund objectives
  Serving as a thought-partner and content expert to team, donor family, grantees and other partners

• Grantmaking and Monitoring
  Ensuring that grants are strategically aligned and invested to achieve maximum impact towards shared outcomes
  Conducting due diligence of organizations including review and analysis of grant proposals, organizational documents, financial information, site visits and interviews with other funders and relevant agencies
  Making funding recommendations to team and donor family
  Producing grant agreement data, reviewing progress reports and payment requests, and maintaining ongoing communications with grantees
  Working with grantee partners to report results by using effective outcome measures to assess the impact of grants

• Strategy Development and Implementation
  Implementing mission, vision and strategic objectives of the Young Adults Forward Fund
  Tracking progress towards strategic objectives, designing new objectives as necessary and course correcting while driving towards common outcomes
  Collaborating with varied breadth of internal and external partners to achieve strategic objectives
  Communicating results to multiple audiences and spurring collective action towards common objectives

• Driving strategy by maintaining depth and expertise in the fund’s areas of interest
  Partner Relations and Community Engagement
  Providing excellent service and support to donor family, grantees and other partners
  Creating and strengthening relationships with grantees, partners, consultants, and various constituency groups, including service providers, policy and advocacy organizations, government agencies, local and state-level elected policymakers, civic and business leaders, etc.
  Representing the team at events and on relevant committees, commissions, and boards
  Engaging community members and prospective grant seekers to provide clarification of fund priorities and processes

• Communications
  Communicating, presenting and facilitating expertly with team, donor family, partners and other stakeholders about fund priorities, activities, and progress
  Responding to external requests for information about the fund and its priorities
  Working in collaboration with partners to produce relevant materials for systems change and/or sector-wide work

• Research and Special Projects
  Conducting, proposing, and monitoring research related to fund’s strategy and donor interests
  Utilizing research and evidence base to guide strategies and inform partners
  Building on research projects to identify solutions related to collective outcomes
  Ensuring that research is disseminated and presented to appropriate stakeholders
  Designing, managing, and facilitating special projects and collective impact work

• Facilitation and Convening
  Strategically convening stakeholders to develop and accomplish a shared agenda that moves forward fund objectives
  Planning and facilitating meetings with team, donors and external stakeholders
  Representing the fund at community events and meetings with foundation partners, constituencies, and stakeholder groups
  Planning and supporting events as needed

DESIRED EDUCATION

Bachelor’s degree from an accredited 4-year university required
Master’s level degree in a field related to the job preferred

EXPERIENCE

• Leadership Skills:
  Ability to execute skilled judgement in the best interests of the fund for the present and future
  Ability to work collaboratively and effectively with individuals of diverse backgrounds and beliefs
  Ability to set vision and motivate partners towards a shared strategy
  Ability to lead a team towards a common vision and set of outcomes

• Work Experience:
  Minimum of five years of experience managing or leading mission-driven programs; preference for experience in a relevant field (housing, homeless services, youth development, economic opportunity and/or mental health)
  Previous experience with developing and working with program budgets and understanding of nonprofit financial models
  Experience with grantmaking or complex project management to achieve results

• Project Management Skills:
  Experience in managing project working teams and/or consultants to achieve results
  Excellent analytical skills, organizational skills and attention to detail
  Experience leading and managing projects, prioritizing work effectively and adjusting to multiple demands

• Communication Skills:
  Excellent writing, math and oral communication skills with the ability to write clear concise analyses and narratives
  Ability to prepare and deliver effective presentations and to comfortably interact with diverse audiences
  Excellent ability to facilitate group discussions towards collective understanding and consensus

• Technical Knowledge:
  Mastery in one or more strategic focus areas of the family fund (i.e. housing, economic mobility, mental health, strategy development, evaluation, etc.)
  Substantive knowledge of best practices in fields of interest to the foundation, familiarity with non-profit financial statements, loan and mission-related investment programs, public policy and legislative process, public and private funding streams related to the foundation’s domains of work, and a working understanding of outcome measures and evaluation methodologies aimed at assessing program effectiveness

• Financial Budgeting and Administrative Skills:
  Experience and strength in tracking expenses against a budget and performing analytics on spending by category
  Familiarity with nonprofit financials as well as social capital markets (government and private funding streams)

• Community and Field of Interest Knowledge:
  Knowledge of the Los Angeles County nonprofit community, familiarity with diverse neighborhoods throughout the region, and experience in working effectively with diverse and broad-based community constituencies

• Technology Skills:
  Internet competency and strong computer proficiency, including mastery of the Microsoft Office software suite and a familiarity with database software, is required
  A willingness and ability to learn appropriate database, spreadsheet and other computer programs

• Teamwork & General Skills:
  Ability to work well independently and as a team member
  Ability to take initiative and follow tasks through to completion

COMPENSATION

A competitive base salary, performance bonus, and benefit plans including medical, dental, vision, life, long term disability, and 401(k) with company match. Base salary range: $100,000 - $130,000.

Equal Opportunity Employer

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