Posted on February 27, 2013

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Program Officer

The Packard Foundation Organizational Effectiveness program seeks an experienced Program Officer who will make grants, further strategy, and engage with leaders in the field of nonprofit organizational and network effectiveness.

The David and Lucile Packard Foundation (Foundation) 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 nearly 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 and is located in Los Altos, CA.

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
• Supporting and strengthening an array of local nonprofit organizations

A staff of 110 conducts the day-to-day operations of the Foundation and a Board of Trustees oversees the work of the Foundation. David and Lucile Packard passed onto 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.

Organizational Effectiveness

We pursue our goal through two major strategies:

• We make grants to key grantees of the Foundation to build their core strengths in areas like strategic and business planning, financial management, board and executive leadership, and communications capacity.
• We also make grants to build these capacities among groups of leaders and cohorts of grantees—so that nonprofit leaders can share knowledge, learn from their peers, and grow their networks.

In addition, we have two secondary strategies to achieve our goal: provide training and mentorship to Packard Foundation staff on organizational effectiveness and capacity building; and grow our role as a leader among capacity building funders.

The OE program is a strategic program that works with current grantees across all of the Foundation’s major program areas, making approximately $3 million in grants each year. The OE program also oversees the Foundation’s small Philanthropy Fund (approximately $1 million per year) and administers grantmaking through the President’s Fund (approximately $7 million per year).

The Foundation is seeking a Program Officer to further all aspects of the OE program’s strategy.

Roles and Responsibilities

Grantmaking

• Work closely with grantees to make high-quality organizational development grants that further their missions and build their capacity to meet programmatic goals. Build and maintain clear, respectful, open, and productive communication with grantees
• Serve as primary liaison between OE and at least one major Foundation grantmaking program, most likely Conservation and Science but also potentially Population and Reproductive Health
• Work closely with staff from program(s) to weave organizational development into program strategy, support grantees’ capacity building efforts, and evaluate programs’ capacity building work
• Establish and strengthen collaborative relationships with intermediary organizations that support Foundation grantees globally
• Develop programs to build Foundation grantmaking staff’s skills in assessing and supporting grantees’ capacity building needs
• Work with program director to develop and monitor grants and budgets
• Provide grantees with assistance in developing meaningful indicators for tracking grant outcomes

Strategy Development, Evaluation, and Learning

• In close collaboration with the rest of the team, lead evaluation and learning activities for the OE program, including refining and managing the evaluation strategy, overseeing the dashboard, and deepening knowledge about the program and continuously improving its work through Board presentations, site visits, and program reviews
• Work closely with the director and the rest of the OE team to develop and implement strategy for the OE program and articulate strategies both within the Foundation and externally

Engagement with the Field

• Represent the OE program in the broader capacity building field through public speaking, publications, and social media. Facilitate connections and partnerships across organizations and institutions inside and outside the organizational effectiveness field
• Commit to sharing learning and knowledge about OE’s work through a true embrace of transparency and “learning in public”

Requirements and Qualifications

The successful candidate for this position will have:

• Minimum 7-10 years of progressing work experience in the nonprofit organizational development field. Masters’ degree in organizational development, social sciences, or a related field preferred
• Demonstrated and deep experience working within or consulting to international conservation or development organizations
• Demonstrated cultural sensitivity and ability to communicate across cultures, while staying true to Foundation goals, values, and strategies
• Demonstrated understanding of organizations and networks (both in theory and practice), coupled with a strong desire to work with, support, and serve program staff and grantees on the full range of issues that the Packard Foundation supports
• Enthusiastic interest in the applicability of technology and network theory and tools to social change
• Familiarity with evaluation theory and practice a plus
• Strong analytical skills and creative problem-solving ability, combined with broad intellectual interests
• A broad and diverse network of colleagues, particularly among organizational development consultants
• Strong diagnostic and planning skills, including experience in assessing organizational strengths and challenges
• Highly organized, flexible, and proven ability to handle multiple projects to completion
• A commitment to the values and mission of the Packard Foundation
• Familiarity with the MS suite of products and Outlook; ability to be administratively self-supported

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.

Compensation and Benefits

Application Instructions

No phone inquiries please.

Principal applicants only.

The David and Lucile Packard Foundation is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes a diverse pool of candidates for this search.

The Foundation uses an outside firm to check the accuracy of information supplied by applicants.

More information about the Foundation can be found at www.packard.org.