Program Officer
Position Title: Program Officer
Location: 100% Remote, US Based
Reports to: NVF President
Status: Full-time, exempt
About New Venture Fund:
New Venture Fund is a force for social good – maximizing the impact of charitable resources by hosting innovative and effective public interest projects on its fiscal sponsorship platform. A 501(c)(3) public charity established in 2006, NVF envisions an equitable world built on respect, access, opportunity, distributed power, and advancement for all people, rooted in an effective charitable sector. NVF specializes in project hosting, fiscal sponsorship, and domestic and international grantmaking. NVF gives funders and social change leaders the capacity to move toward desired outcomes faster and hosts domestic and international projects across a range of issues, including global health and development, conservation, education, civic engagement, juvenile justice reform, and women’s empowerment.
NVF has projects across the US and in nine regions around the globe supported by a charitable portfolio of greater than $1 billion. Project activities include grantmaking, public awareness campaigns, scholarship programs, camps, special events, and advocacy. Our projects operate programmatically like small nonprofits and fiscally as programs of NVF.
About the Philanthropic Project:
New Venture Fund is hiring an experienced, self-directed Program Officer on behalf of a new $30M philanthropic project which focuses on food security, equity, and food systems reform in the US and abroad. This philanthropic initiative is a project of New Venture Fund (NVF), a 501(c)(3) public charity that incubates new and innovative public-interest projects and grant-making programs.
Position Summary:
The Program Officer is the first hire of the philanthropic project and will drive its impact. The ideal candidate will be a disruptor to social impact work with food systems, one who thrives in building systems and processes, and someone who is a quick learner and can navigate within a fast-paced environment with ever-changing priorities.
Working closely with the project advisory board and trusted advisors, the Program Officer will co-create a giving strategy; manage grants and relationships with donors and grantees; assess and communicate the impact of grant-supported projects; and generate and implement communications, advocacy, and other public engagement ideas that advance the project’s goals.
The Program Officer will represent the philanthropic project at relevant meetings and conferences; organize and facilitate convenings; and contribute to external publications. In collaboration with the team, the Program Officer will also help develop relationships that advance the portfolio’s work with thought leaders, key stakeholders, funding partners, and policymakers.
Core Responsibilities:
Strategy Development & Implementation
- In collaboration with trusted advisors and Advisory Board members, develop and implement goals and grantmaking strategy.
- Champion issues related to food security and collaborate with like-minded colleagues throughout the food space ecosystem for mutual learnings, innovations and trends to find emerging needs, gaps and opportunities.
- Participate in conferences, seminars, and other professional development activities to deepen and enhance expertise, relationships, and professional growth.
Grantmaking
- Explore potential grantee partnerships, manage grantee relationships, analyze background information, develop funding proposals, determine appropriate funding levels, and prepare grant recommendations.
- Prepare and present written grant proposal summaries and provide recommendations to project leadership team
- Work with grantees to identify opportunities to enhance projects, respond to challenges, disseminate lessons learned, leverage the organization leader’s resources, and partner with other public and private sector funders.
- Build and maintain strong relationships with grantees and potential grantees, including facilitating meetings, conducting site visits, tracking grantee performance and evaluation activities.
- Convene grantees, stakeholders, and policymakers to educate and share about food system needs, grant-supported initiatives, and advocacy messages.
Stakeholder Management & Relationship Building
- Develop and maintain productive working relationships with stakeholders including project team, advisory board, policymakers, community-based organizations, funders, and researchers to advance program strategies and coordinate around shared goals.
- Respond to public inquiries about priority areas and contribute to disseminating and communicating the Project’s goals, objectives, and grantmaking results.
- Serve as the primary liaison with the other team members, key staff, and the advisory board
- Manage communications and meetings between partners, including agenda development and project management.
- Supervise, hire, and support the work of a new Project Manager.
Desired Qualifications:
A dot connector and problem-solver, the Program Officer will think and act strategically, take initiative, execute strategies to define clear program objectives, evaluate progress, and steward projects through a complete lifecycle. The successful candidate will be a strong project manager, skilled systems builder, comfortable with ambiguity, and a deep listener who thrives in an environment that fosters a fluid exchange of ideas and harnesses the power of different perspectives.
While no candidate will embody all the qualifications enumerated below, the ideal candidate will possess many of the following professional and personal abilities, attributes, and experiences:
- Minimum Bachelor’s degree; Masters degree preferred but not required
- Minimum of 8-10 years working in communities, campaigns, non-profit organizations, philanthropy, policy, research, or related fields.
- Experience working in food systems change, supporting frontline organizations, understanding the international landscape and global impact, preferably developing and overseeing grantmaking programs
- Keen understanding of the relationship between research, advocacy, and policy-making; and ability to drive forward goals for policy and social change.
- Excellent project development skills, including the ability to assess unmet needs; develop project objectives; facilitate partnerships; assess potential for sustainability and systems change; and develop project budgets.
- Outstanding written and oral communication skills. Ability to synthesize complex concepts into succinct, clear, and compelling narratives for diverse audiences.
- Strong analytic abilities, including creative and strategic thinking and capacity for collaborative brainstorming.
- Excellent interpersonal skills: collegial; energetic; and able to develop productive relationships with colleagues, grantees, consultants, and others who contribute to program development and management. Works well with and welcomes opportunities to work across diverse cultures.
- A demonstrated commitment and contribution to fostering and advancing equity, diversity, and inclusion.
- Superb project management and organizational skills. Fine attention to detail and follow-through, including time management and document flow. Thrives in fast-paced environment
- Demonstrated maturity and seasoned judgment. Ability to make decisions, justify recommendations, and be responsive and clear with applicants and stakeholders.
- Ability to travel for site visits and to represent the project at outside meetings. This role will involve travel 20-30% of the time.
Compensation and Benefits
Salary range: The salary range for this position is $90,000 to $125,000 depending on experience and qualifications.
Benefits: Comprehensive benefits package that includes 100% employer-paid health, dental, and vision insurance for employees (and their families). Employees are able to enroll in 401k retirement plan and are eligible for a 3% automatic contribution and up to a 3% employer match on 401k contributions. Employees are also eligible for pre-tax transportation benefits. Employees will receive 200 hours of vacation time, 80 hours of health leave, up to 2 days of casual leave, and 20 hours of volunteer leave annually. Employees will also receive 13 paid holidays throughout the calendar year. Employees are eligible for 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave after 90 days of employment.
Hiring Statement
This initiative is a project of New Venture Fund (NVF), a 501(c)(3) public charity that incubates new and innovative public-interest projects and grant-making programs. NVF is committed to attracting, developing and retaining exceptional people, and to creating a work environment that is dynamic, rewarding and enables each of us to realize our potential. NVF’s work environment is safe and open to all employees and partners, respecting the full spectrum of race, color, religious creed, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, political affiliation, ancestry, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, and all other classifications protected by law in the locality and/or state in which you are working.
E-Verify
NVF participates in E-Verify [1] and will provide the federal government with employees’ Form I-9 information to confirm authorization to work in the United States. Job candidates and employees authorized to work may not be discriminated against [2] on the basis of national origin or citizenship status.
COVID-19 Vaccine Policy
To center the safety and well-being of its employees, New Venture Fund requires that any employee who is required to conduct in-person activities for their job must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 within four weeks of their start date. This position may require candidates to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Accommodations may be sought and approved in accordance with the law by contacting human resources at HR@newventurefund.org [3].
How to Apply
Maneva Group [4] is a woman and minority owned national executive search firm that specializes in mission-driven searches, and has been exclusively retained for this engagement. To express interest in this role, please submit your resume and cover letter to https://adr.to/ajmsqai [5] . All inquiries and discussions will be considered strictly confidential. This position is available immediately; we will accept and review new applications until filled.
