Program Officer

About the Foundation

The James Irvine Foundation is a private, nonprofit grantmaking foundation dedicated to expanding opportunity for the people of California. The Foundation’s focus is a California where all low-income workers have the power to advance economically. Since 1937 the Foundation has provided more than $2.6 billion in grants to organizations throughout California. The Foundation ended 2023 with $3.1 billion in assets and provided $180.3 million in grants.

About the Opportunity

We are hiring a passionate, nimble relationship‐builder committed to low‐income workers who can contribute to our journey to operationalize equity across all we do. This Program Officer will join our deeply collaborative programs team. We are seeking a generalist who brings relevant professional and lived experience across nonprofits, philanthropy, consulting, the public or private sectors, and/or one or more of our focus areas.

Irvine’s programmatic efforts are focused on four major, multi-year initiatives: Better Careers, Fair Work, Just Prosperity and Priority Communities. The Foundation’s programmatic work is also guided by our organization-wide racial equity commitments. Since the Foundation is ever evolving, adjusting for social relevance and policy shifts, the Program Officer role requires strong analytical and change management abilities and a high degree of initiative. This Program Officer will work in partnership with the Foundation’s program staff and other staff on one or more initiatives and projects to advance Irvine’s vision of a California where all low‐income workers have the power to advance economically. The ideal candidate has experience in project execution and grantmaking and exceptional interpersonal, writing, and communication skills.

Program Officers work on one or more grantmaking initiative teams, which may be led by an Initiative Director or another senior staff member. Program Officers may also work on short‐term assignments across the grantmaking portfolio to support special projects and/or capacity needs on various initiative or program development teams. In addition, Program Officers have an Advisor who provides professional development coaching and performance assessments.

Ideal candidates will be equity‐centered, flexible, capable of positively pushing through ambiguity to create clarity, and view change as opportunity. Program Officers will have a minimum of three to five years of related work experience and, although generalists with broad experience are welcome, candidates with knowledge of workforce development, building worker power, public policy and systems change efforts, and/or rural/inland communities in California should highlight relevant experience in their application. Successful candidates will demonstrate excitement to work on a dedicated team managing multiple demands, shifting priorities, and ongoing change with attention to detail and a desire to achieve excellence for low‐income workers. Candidates must have experience managing and facilitating projects that involve collaborative efforts and be authentic, trusting communicators who can engage directly with community in a way that helps to minimize traditional power imbalances in philanthropy and lift the voices of low‐income Californians.

The Foundation endeavors to live into our commitment to DEIB (diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging) in our external and internal policies and practices. We seek to continue to find inclusive ways to elevate the voices of low-income workers and our staff while acknowledging the persistent, pervasive racism in institutions and systems that must be eliminated if we are to improve outcomes for all Californians. Experience with actively contributing to an organization’s DEIB journey with an explicit anti‐racism focus and an understanding of how one’s own identity and lived experiences inform their work is highly desired.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities

1. Grantmaking and Project Support
   • Monitor the performance of a set of grants; coach and advise grantees, including the negotiation of performance milestones to support grantee partner success
   • In partnership with Initiative Directors and relevant leads, identify organizations with strong potential for partnership, and conduct due diligence and assess grantee partners for effective track records, internal capacity, and strategic skills.
   • Consult and coordinate with other Irvine program staff in exploring new grantmaking opportunities within initiatives
   • Contribute to written materials that communicate the alignment of grantee activities with initiative goals and strategies, including grant recommendations and context papers
   • Provide project management support for teams, which could include planning and facilitating internal meetings, conducting research in a discrete new area of potential grantmaking, etc.
   • As appropriate, and in partnership with other Irvine staff, convene grantees and others in the field to advance collective action, networking, and learning opportunities.
2. Analyzing and Evaluation
   • Remain well-informed of current research, activities, and trends in the issues addressed by grantees
   • Support staff in assessment and learning activities that inform strategy and continuous improvement
   • Participate in the ongoing refinement of Irvine’s initiatives through discussions with relevant initiative teams
3. Collaboration with Colleagues to Execute Grantmaking Portfolio and Foundation-Wide Efforts
   • Collaborate with other staff to coordinate and contribute to projects and relationships that connect to cross-portfolio or other organizational efforts
   • Maintain a working knowledge of the grantmaking portfolio and other organizational efforts

Desired Qualifications and Experiences

• A minimum of three to five (3 to 5) years of experience in grantmaking or project execution focused on benefitting target communities or populations, which could be in the public, nonprofit, or private sectors (the totality of candidate’s academic, professional, and lived experiences will be considered)
• A strong desire to contribute to the mission of The James Irvine Foundation
• An understanding of issues impacting low‐income communities
• A commitment to and track record of working with disadvantaged communities, racial equity, and/or economic justice
• Ability to learn; work on new content areas quickly; assemble and assess data and research; and conduct landscape analyses
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, listening skills, and judgment in communicating within a variety of settings
• Personal presence to represent the Foundation in diverse forums and relationships
• Willingness to learn and grow, alongside the Foundation and team, and experience in positively contributing to a culture of learning, overall, and as it relates specifically to racial equity and DEIB
• Demonstrated ability to plan and think strategically; set and achieve realistic goals and objectives; and balance multiple priorities with excellent attention to detail and follow through
• Demonstrated respect for diverse perspectives
• Ability to assess the leadership, track record, and capacity of social sector organizations and collaboratives
• A desire to work collaboratively in a dynamic team‐oriented environment
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent lived and/or professional experience related to the role

Compensation and Benefits

The James Irvine Foundation’s compensation philosophy is reflected in its Talent Advancement Program, which was created to assure equity in staff compensation. While every staff member is assigned a Tier based on demonstration of competencies, the Foundation looks to outcomes as criteria for advancement through the program’s Tiers. The positions are benchmarked against relative industry and occupational groups and reviewed regularly, with the goal to deliver compensation equitably throughout the organization. The non-negotiable starting compensation for this role is set at $134,000 and the full compensation range is $134,000 – $177,000. For more information, please review Compensation Practices at Irvine.

The Foundation also offers an attractive benefits package including comprehensive medical and retirement options.

Work Location Policy

The Foundation values flexibility in employee work location while recognizing the benefits of working

together in person for organizational culture, relationship‐building, and effectiveness. Foundation staff work in a hybrid in-person/remote model according to the Work Location Policy at both the Los Angeles and San Francisco offices. Staff are required to work in‐office a minimum of 40% of their work time typically being in office two days a week.

How to Apply

The James Irvine Foundation is partnering with Walker & Associates Consulting, a BIPOC- and woman-owned national strategic management consulting and executive search firm, for this position. To apply, email a cover letter, resume, and list of three references (candidates will be notified in advance of any outreach to references) to irvine@walkeraac.com on or before 5:00 p.m. PST on Friday, December 6, 2024. Use the subject line: Program Officer. Submission via one PDF or Microsoft Word file is preferred.

Questions or Nominations? Email Jeannine N. Walker at jwalker@walkeraac.com.

The James Irvine Foundation is an Equal Opportunity Employer, and we encourage applicants who reflect the diversity of California. Qualified applicants with criminal histories will be considered pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance (“FCO”). The Foundation greatly appreciates all expressed interest.