Senior Program Officer, Foster Youth

Senior Program Officer, Foster Youth

Senior Program Officer, Foster Youth 150 150 ConradNHF.careers@jobtarget.com
Conrad N. Hilton Foundation
Published
May 25, 2021
Location
Westlake Village
Category
Job Type
Contact Name (not public)
Human Resources

Description

International hotelier Conrad N. Hilton established the grantmaking foundation that bears his name in 1944 to help people living in poverty and experiencing disadvantage worldwide. Today, the work continues, concentrating on efforts to improve early childhood development outcomes, support older youth as they transition from foster care, ensure opportunity youth can access career pathways, prevent homelessness, identify solutions to safe-water access, help integrate refugees into society and lift the work of Catholic sisters. Additionally, following selection by an independent, international jury, the Foundation annually awards the $2.5 million Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian Prize to an organization doing extraordinary work to reduce human suffering. The Foundation is one of the world's largest, with assets recently growing to approximately $7.5 billion. It has awarded grants to date totaling more than $2 billion, $207 million worldwide in 2020. Please visit www.hiltonfoundation.org for more information.

Job Summary

The Senior Program Officer (SPO) is a strategic leader and portfolio manager for the Foundation's Foster Youth initiative. This role will serve to advance the Foundation's mission of impacting those experiencing disadvantage, specifically by supporting efforts aimed at improving the developmental outcomes of our Foster Youth program. The initiative provides services, connections, skills and supports that enable youth in Los Angeles and New York City who are transitioning out of foster care to lead healthy, meaningful, and self-sufficient lives. The ultimate aim of this work is to erase any disparities in education, employment, and well-being that affect transition age foster youth. As part of our new five-year strategy, we plan to expand this program to include a third U.S. metropolitan area, with consideration of racial and other inequities being a key criterion in our selection process.

The SPO is the content expert and thought leader of the Foster Youth initiative. S/he provides creative thinking in both strategy direction and in the day-to-day management of the sub-initiative portfolio. In addition to strategic leadership and portfolio management, the SPO is responsible for supporting the management of the eventual 2-person team while providing guidance on learning and evaluation efforts that will inform strategy implementation, grant monitoring, management, integration across the portfolio, and future strategy development.

The SPO will initiate and sustain external partnerships with grantees, stakeholders, policy decision makers, and other funders.

This position reports to the Director, Older Youth.

Responsibilities

Initiative Planning and Implementation:

• Plans and develops strategy and leads the implementation of the Foundation's Foster Youth Sub Initiative
• Presents strategy and progress updates to the Board of Directors in coordination with the Older Youth Director
• Works with internal (SLED team) and external evaluators and research partners to track progress toward initiative goals
• Works collaboratively with a range of partners to share learnings and co-organize annual grantee convenings and periodic webinars
• Explores innovative new areas for grantmaking in order to achieve strategic goals
• Collaborates with Foundation staff to further advocacy goals, including use of the Foundation's influence and voice to encourage greater investment in foster youth
Grantmaking and Grantee Relations:

• Works in partnership with and leads the sub-Initiative team in the following:
o Identifies potential grantees and projects
o Investigates and evaluates grant proposals and develops compelling grant writeups with the sub-Initiative team
o Monitors and evaluates strategic sub-initiative and grantee performance
o Conducts site visits
o Conducts due diligence to assess grantee work
o Provides advice/area expertise assistance to and maintains an open, ongoing relationship with granteesNurtures partnerships among grantees and linkages to key stakeholders to promote systems change
• Collaborates with the Director, VPSP and the team to integrate diversity, equity and inclusion into the Initiative grantmaking
• Works with VPSP, Director, FY team, PAC, and SLED to develop advocacy plans and engage partners to build and cultivate strategic partnerships to leverage advocacy opportunities with local government and other implementing partners
Issues and Trend Analysis:

• Engages and develops relations to strengthen strategic coalition-building within the sector
• Convenes meetings of key government, philanthropic, and nonprofit leaders to mobilize coordinated efforts and funding in strategic initiatives
• Represents the Foundation to various constituencies through verbal and written communications (annual reports, brochures, correspondence) and through participating in outside conferences and meetings
• Works with other leaders in the field to strengthen and further build the field
• Develops partnerships with parent-led community groups and organizations to ensure that their perspectives are heard
• Collaborates with other public and private funders to advance strategic priorities
• Works with SLED, PAC and Director to develop advocacy and communications plan for Foster Youth Sub-Initiative
• Engages and responds effectively to the broader knowledge in the field by aligning grantmaking with emerging learning and opportunities in the field
• Pursues and promotes learning throughout the field/sector
• Remains informed of current research, policy, activities, and trends in the issues related to FY/TAY and Initiative's geography
Management and Program Team Relations:

• Builds collaborative and positive working relationships and effective communication channels with team members and staff from other departments (to include other initiatives that are also working in Los Angeles)
• Effectively manages direct reports and provides mentorship in developing professionally
• Guides support provided by the Senior Advocacy Officer to further sub-initiative advocacy goals
• Collaborates with SLED to further monitor and evaluate the sub-initiative
• Participates in team meetings to review grant recommendations, provide updates on grantee progress, determine technical assistance needs of grantees, plan convening, evaluation and communications activities, and share and reflect on experiences in the field and related program activity
• Identifies the need and scope of work for consultants within the sub-initiative and monitors work as required
Qualifications

Required:

• Graduate degree in public health, public policy, social welfare or a related field
• Minimum of 10 years of relevant experience in grantmaking and/or program development/management
• Demonstrated expertise and work experience with approaches to improving foster youth at program, research, and public policy levels
• Commitment and belief in strategic philanthropy, and diversity, equity, and inclusion
• Ability to travel domestically and internationally
• Knowledgeable regarding the systems that affect foster youth and their caregivers and approaches to foster systems change and greater equity at local, state and national levels
• Experience, or relevant experience, in strategic planning and implementation and in coordinating public/private efforts for long-term, systemic social impact
• A passion for and a commitment to the Foundation's mission, social justice and the development of foster youth
• Excellent written/oral communication, presentation and public speaking skills
• Ability to develop effective and professional relationships with internal and external colleagues and partners from the grassroots to the grasstops
• Strong strategic, conceptual and critical thinking abilities; capacity to navigate through ambiguity
• Strong organizational, analytical, and time management skills with high attention to priority and detail
• Works well independently and within a team and demonstrates a high degree of initiative, flexibility, collaboration and cultural sensitivity
• Strong managerial skills and ability to professionally develop team members
• The personal presence to represent the Foundation in diverse forums and organizational relationships
Desired:

• A practical understanding of philanthropy and the nonprofit sector
• Understanding of strategic grantmaking

About our Benefits
We value the health and well-being of our employees, some of the benefits we offer include:
• Comprehensive and generous health and life insurance options
• Fitness benefits
• Paid holidays, time off, and parental leave
• Flexible work schedules and technology benefits
• Foundation-funded retirement savings plan
• Professional learning and development and educational assistance
• Employee matching gifts to qualified non-profit organizations

 

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PI137504326

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