Full-Time Program Officer
Job Description
The David and Lucile Packard is a family foundation that is guided by the enduring business philosophy and personal values of Lucile and David Packard, who helped found one of the world’s leading technology companies. Their approach to business and community participation has guided our philanthropy for more than 50 years. Today, their children and grandchildren continue to help guide the work of the Foundation. The Foundation makes grants at the local, state, national, and international level.
The Foundation works on the issues their founders cared about most, which are improving the lives of children; enabling the creative pursuit of science; advancing reproductive health; conserving and restoring the earth’s natural systems; and supporting and strengthening an array of local nonprofit organizations. A staff of 120 conducts the day-to-day operations and a Board of Trustees oversees the work of the Foundation. For 2016, the Foundation expects to make grantmaking awards of over $300 million. David and Lucile Packard passed on to the Foundation the following core set of values: integrity; respect for all people; belief in individual leadership; commitment to effectiveness; and the capacity to think big.
Population and Reproductive Health
The Population and Reproductive Health (PRH) program of the Foundation funds innovative work that addresses population growth and promotes positive reproductive health. PRH prioritizes women, girls, and young people because of the disproportionate impact of poor reproductive health on their lives. The program currently focuses its work at the global level, regionally in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), nationally in the United States, and on selected initiatives in Louisiana and Mississippi.
In Sub-Saharan Africa, lack of access to quality reproductive health information and services as well as social and economic pressures on women often lead to early marriage, early childbearing, and large family size. In many Sub-Saharan countries, roughly 25-40 percent of the population is below 15 years of age, posing a challenge to governments to provide educational and economic opportunities as well as appropriate sexual and reproductive health information and services. The inequities and obstacles to care, combined with a rapidly growing youth population, exacerbate poor health outcomes and weaken already overburdened systems.
With its many partners, PRH makes adolescent sexual reproductive health, sexuality education, family planning/contraception, and comprehensive abortion care more widely available, leading to improved lives through healthy spacing of births, safe abortion, and reduction in maternal deaths. By meeting reproductive health needs, the program contributes to greater economic opportunities and prosperous communities. The program places a special emphasis on quality of services and serving and engaging young people, who constitute the population with greatest need and have the highest potential for building a movement that can sustain change. The Foundation often works for years within challenging places where the needs are greatest.
The Sub-Saharan Africa subprogram aims to:
• Expand access to quality family planning/contraception and reproductive health services, including safe abortion and post-abortion care.
• Expand access to comprehensive sexuality education in schools and communities and improve access to youth-friendly sexual and reproductive health services in the public sector.
• Build local and regional movements to advance political and financial support for family planning/contraception, sexuality education, and abortion care.
In Sub-Saharan Africa, the Foundation makes investments in the region of Oromia, Ethiopia and at the national level in Ethiopia and in Kenya, Rwanda, and Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo. In addition, the Foundation funds strategic regional advocacy initiatives.
Program Officer
The Packard Foundation is seeking a Program Officer in the Population and Reproductive Health program. The Program Officer is responsible for the creation, oversight, and management of the program’s grantmaking portfolio and budget to advance the Sub-Saharan Africa subprogram strategy. The position develops ongoing relationships with recipient organizations and provides expertise/technical assistance to these organizations. It works closely with a team in Ethiopia to support their cultivation and management of grantmaking opportunities in the region. The Program Officer interacts with the Foundation’s Board of Trustees/committees, nonprofit representatives, and other key internal and external stakeholders to provide leadership, identify gaps, and develop effective solutions. The Program Officer will report to the PRH Program Director, join a team of nine staff members based in Los Altos, and work with a team of advisors based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The position is based in downtown Los Altos, California and requires extensive international and domestic travel.
Responsibilities
Grantee Relationships and Program Management
• Working with the regional team based in Addis Ababa and others, lead the identification of potential new grantees, track and monitor current grantees, and develop new opportunities in the region
• Continue to collaborate with and nurture the relationship with a small team of advisors in Addis Ababa
• Provide oversight for the development, monitoring, learning, and evaluation of the PRH grants in the region
• Manage a diverse portfolio of recipient organizations with offices in the U.S., Europe, and in Sub-Saharan Africa
• Contribute to the refinement of a system of monitoring, learning, and evaluation to assess the impact of grants
• Support Foundation grantees and prospective grantees on all aspects of the grantmaking process, including the development of proposals and new initiatives. Provide technical assistance to grantees, in conjunction with the regional team, and/or recommend helpful resources in conjunction with the Foundation’s Organizational Effectiveness Program
• Identify opportunities in Mission Investing (MI) for grantees working in conjunction with the Foundation’s MI team
• Other projects and duties as assigned
Subject Matter Expertise and General Advancement of PRH
• Nurture, strengthen, and facilitate collaboration and information exchange among nonprofit organizations, community leaders, and funders who support reproductive health programs in Sub-Saharan Africa
• Track information and trends in the areas of family planning/contraception, safe abortion, and reproductive health and rights in Sub-Saharan Africa and follow literature and work related to adolescent reproductive health and comprehensive sexuality education globally
• Represent the Foundation at meetings, forums, and public presentations, as appropriate
Team Leadership and Board Relations
• Work closely with others to create a cohesive PRH team both in Los Altos and in partnership with the advisors based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
• Work as a team and encourage the professional development of the Sub-Saharan Africa Program Associate, in coordination with the Program Operations Manager
• Provide supervision and encourage the professional development of the Sub-Saharan Africa Program Research Analyst, in coordination with staff at the Bixby Center, U.C. Berkeley
• Ensure the grantees and PRH team are current on reproductive health issues and best practices
• Collaborate with the program director to craft effective sessions for quarterly Board meetings and program committee meetings and twice-yearly presentations of PRH programs to the Foundation’s Trustees
• Lead the planning and execution of site/country visits by Foundation executives and Trustees
Professional Qualifications
The ideal candidate will be an expert in the core issues that the PRH program funds, including comprehensive abortion care, family planning/contraception, and comprehensive sexuality education. The Program Officer must possess exceptional interpersonal skills to work effectively with colleagues as well as individuals in government, private sector, international institutions, public policy organizations, think tanks, and academic institutions engaged in the international arena. The Program Officer should be creative, innovative, and skilled in understanding and meeting the ever-evolving challenges facing the international development community.
Key professional qualifications and personal attributes include the following:
• Expert in sexual and reproductive health and rights within the philanthropic, nonprofit, and public sectors. Supportive of abortion rights with demonstrated knowledge in comprehensive abortion care, sexuality education, and family planning/contraception
• Experience working in Africa (ideally in Ethiopia and other Sub-Saharan Africa countries) and with local reproductive health organizations
• A demonstrated record of success and a minimum of 7-10 years of work experience working with multilateral, bilateral, and development organizations, NGOs, foundations. and other nonprofit enterprises, and/or international government leaders in developing countries
• Exceptional ability to articulate and realize an inspired vision, to motivate others, and to lead and work collaboratively with a team of staff and external partners
• Experience working with community-based organizations and grassroots leaders in bridging sectors and effecting change
• Program management with a focus on evidenced-based grantmaking in the $5-15M annual range
• Proven ability to manage the details of multiple and varied grantee relationships in a respectful way and to enable the work of the grantee, removing roadblocks and serving as a partner. In-depth understanding of the work and challenges of grantees
• Knowledge of and experience in evaluation-based approaches
• Meticulous adherence to compliance, due diligence, and cost-effective processes. Strong stewardship of Foundation assets
• French language skills strongly preferred
• An advanced degree in the public health, public policy, public administration, or related field is required or equivalent education and work experience
Personal Qualifications
• Excellent verbal and written communicator with an appreciation of formal written communications and polished email messages. Capacity to communicate persuasively, orally and in writing, in a range of settings
• Innovative thinker who comes up with big, bold, creative, and outside-the-box ideas
• A deep commitment to the mission of the Foundation and the vision of the PRH program
• Focus on values, facilitative leadership, effectiveness, strategy, and integrity
• Highly organized with a demonstrated record of meeting deadlines and responding in a timely manner
• Respectful and skilled listener, convener, and networker
• Capacity to learn from experience, adapt as needed, generate and co-generate new ideas, and work with others to shape emerging projects
• Ability to succeed and thrive in a highly dynamic setting, embrace risk and ambiguity, and take start-up projects from concept to completion
• Natural talent for bridging differences, finding common ground, and building relationships with diverse colleagues and partners. Diplomatic and dynamic collaborator who is able to navigate and build relationships. Natural advocate with strong interpersonal skills
• Independent and decisive leader with a point of view, who demonstrates initiative, responsiveness, and thoughtfulness. Comfort in admitting what s/he does not know and asking for input
• Self-sufficient, flexible, practical, and amiable team member with a sense of humor and humility
• Ability and flexibility to travel extensively internationally and domestically (approximately 8-10 trips per year)
Physical Requirements
Candidate must have the ability to communicate via voice telephone, read and understand written communication, and generate written communication manually and using a computer. Candidate must also be able to work at a desk for long periods of time (2-3 hours), lift and move documents and supplies (not to exceed 25 lbs.), and bend to file or retrieve documents.
Benefits and Compensation
The Foundation offers excellent benefits and a salary that is commensurate with related work experience. The position is located in downtown Los Altos, CA and is full-time and exempt.