September 2014
PROGRAM OFFICER, FAMILY ECONOMIC SECURITY
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HISTORY AND MISSION
The W.K. Kellogg Foundation (WKKF), founded in 1930 as an independent, private foundation by breakfast cereal pioneer Will Keith Kellogg, is among the largest philanthropic foundations in the United States. Guided by the belief that all children should have an equal opportunity to thrive, WKKF works with communities to create conditions for vulnerable children so they can realize their full potential in school, work and life.
WKKF places the optimal development of children at the center of all its work and calls for healing the profound racial gaps and inequities that exist in our communities. WKKF believes in supporting and building upon the mindsets, methods and modes of change that hold promise to advance children’s best interests generally, and those of vulnerable children in particular.
WKKF ‘s grantmaking is divided into five primary areas: Education and Learning; Food, Health & Well-Being; Family Economic Security; Community Engagement and Leadership; and Racial Equity. In fiscal year 2013, WKKF made approximately $179 million in new commitments to 563 new projects and paid grant and program expenditures of approximately $294 million to its 2,004 active projects.
The W.K. Kellogg Foundation is seeking a Program Officer, Family Economic Security.
THE FAMILY ECONOMIC SECURITY PROGRAM
The Family Economic Security Program strives to ensure that all families have opportunities to achieve financial independence and provide stable environments for children’s optimal development. WKKF works alongside communities to help parents and families access promising career pathways; accumulate assets; and own businesses that lead to the transfer of prosperity rather poverty. WKKF invests in efforts that connect families to job skills and employment, financial services and resources like tax credits, banks and savings accounts that can help grow a family business or other asset linked to long-term financial stability. WKKF also helps employers willing to invest in skills building and training with those seeking quality jobs that will support their families. These priorities are critical to advancing the ambitions of many families to live dignified lives and provide a brighter future for the next generation.
ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS
Serving under the direction of the director of Family Economic Security programs, the program officer is responsible for identifying and nurturing opportunities for affecting positive systemic change within communities and executing programming efforts that are aligned with the organizational direction. The program officer will work closely with other staff to ensure integration and coordination of efforts and will engage consistently in the following activities:
· Provide leadership and oversight for on-the-ground execution of program efforts.
· Screen and recommend grants for funding; prepare funding documents; conduct site visits; and manage and monitor grant portfolio.
· Maintain strong, authentic relationships with grant seekers and grantees, ensuring understanding of WKKF program direction, goals, and expectations.
· Provide high-level technical assistance to grantees, including consultation on model development, partnership negotiations, leadership capacity building, coaching, etc.
· Develop and maintain strategic relationships to leverage participation of other foundations, businesses, governmental agencies, and other key decision makers in alignment with WKKF core values and program interests.
· Understand and effectively communicate the foundation’s mission, vision, core values and strategic direction to internal and external groups, including key stakeholders and intermediaries.
· Articulate explicit change strategies and convene key stakeholders and intermediaries as appropriate.
· Contribute to the overall strategic direction for the organization and assigned core programming area, and provide input into the development of programming efforts.
· Working with key internal and external partners, identify and recommend grantmaking opportunities that leverage WKKF investments for maximum impact in creating systemic change.
· Work closely with Learning and Impact to incorporate assessment components into program efforts to measure progress and impact.
· Document and circulate lessons learned from grant investments, networking meetings, and other foundation-related activities.
· Work jointly with the VP for Learning and Impact to identify and prioritize the highest value knowledge and learning from the foundation's grant investments and networking meetings.
· Contribute ideas for how the foundation's highest value knowledge and learning could be packaged and disseminated to benefit nonprofit executives, business leaders, government officials, community leaders, parents, and other external stakeholders of the foundation.
· Perform other duties as assigned.
IDEAL EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS
The successful candidate will be committed to the Foundation’s mission and will have a current understanding of broad and systemic forces that affect the economic well being of children, their families and their communities. The candidate will be distinguished in a relevant field of practice, have a strong team orientation, a high tolerance for ambiguity, the ability to adapt quickly to change, and successful experience working with people from a range of cultural, social, and ethnic backgrounds.
While no single candidate will embody all of the qualities listed below, s/he will possess many of the following skills, experiences and core competencies:
Education/Experience
· Master’s degree in a relevant field is preferred.
· Minimum five years’ experience in fields relevant to assigned responsibilities. Preference for significant relevant work experience (8+ years) with strong networks and contacts, as well as a broad, generalist background with deep and comprehensive understanding of program design and development, systems, networking, and community change.
· Evidence of effective work beyond areas of relevant field of practice and technical skills in one or more core programming areas (family economic security; food, health and well-being; education and learning; community engagement and leadership; racial equity, etc.) that support the goal area/regional strategy are essential.
· Successful experience working as part of a multidisciplinary team and working effectively with persons from diverse cultural, social and ethnic backgrounds.
Core Competency Requirements
LEADERSHIP
· Ability to represent WKKF to a variety of stakeholders and intermediaries in a credible and influential way, with a selfless manner focusing on values and the greater good.
· Global thinker with demonstrated ability to develop and implement programs that have impact.
· Must be beyond reproach in ethics and integrity. Violation of relevant policies could result in damage to WKKF’s reputation and would be grounds for disciplinary action up to and including termination, as well as potential criminal prosecution.
INTERPERSONAL
· Highly responsive; strong propensity to provide excellent customer service and support.
· Strong relationship building and communication skills; ability to have authentic dialogue around sensitive issues including funding priorities, WKKF expectations and community concerns.
· High tolerance for ambiguity and ability to adapt quickly to change.
· Highly developed emotional intelligence skills.
· Willingness to set aside personal agenda in favor of organizational and/or community goals and objectives.
· Team effectiveness skills and the ability to use interpersonal and political skills in cooperative, collaborative, and diplomatic ways.
· Demonstrated effectiveness in written and oral communication.
TECHNICAL
· Comfort with and ability to work effectively within communities, including appreciating historical contexts, discerning nuances of relationships and power dynamics, understanding racial/ethnic realities, and respecting community needs and desires.
· Accurate and current knowledge about trends, movements, and developing policy to stimulate appropriate programming directions and capitalize on emerging opportunities.
· Understanding of broad social and economic forces that affect communities and families and shape programming efforts.
· Ability to translate concept to action; entrepreneurial nature.
· Problem solving skills, including the ability to develop novel approaches to generate solutions.
· Sound judgment and the ability to make complex, multidimensional decisions based on both facts and experience.
· Thorough knowledge and grasp of systems change and the ability to identify and orchestrate the levers of change.
· Innovation orientation.
· Organization, administrative and management skills.
· Organizational savvy and constructive political skills.
· Demonstrated ability to integrate knowledge and learning.
To learn more about the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, please visit: www.wkkf.org
To apply for the position: please submit a substantive cover letter and current resume to:
Lauren I. Gumbs, Senior Partner
Gumbs + Partners
Via e-mail:
The W.K. Kellogg Foundation is an equal opportunity employer and proudly values diversity. Candidates of all backgrounds are encouraged to apply.
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