Program Manager or Program Officer - Women's Equality Program

Position:         Program Manager or Program Officer—Women’s Equality Program

Reports to:     Executive Vice President

Location:        Washington, D.C.

OVERALL RESPONSIBILITIES:

The Wyss Foundation is a private, charitable foundation dedicated to supporting innovative, lasting solutions that improve lives, empower communities, and strengthen connections to the land.  The Wyss Foundation’s philanthropy supports projects that promote conservation, economic security for working families, women’s equality, democracy, and innovation. Each philanthropic investment seeks to encourage new ideas and new solutions that expand the reach of human possibility and compassion.

The Women’s Equality Program seeks to ensure that women are empowered and have equal opportunities and includes a focus on women’s health and reproductive rights in the United States. The Program Manager or Program Officer will work closely with the Foundation’s President and Executive Vice President on all aspects of grantmaking for the Women’s Equality Program, including both day-to-day operations and broader program strategy development and implementation. They will help generate and refine programmatic strategies and participate actively in grantmaking by soliciting, developing, and recommending grants and administering projects in the program area.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Oversee the development and execution of the Foundation’s priorities on women’s issues. Actively partner with foundation leadership, grantees, and other stakeholders to develop effective strategies to help ensure that women are empowered and have equal opportunities.
• Maintain a breadth of knowledge, including research, about current trends, emerging issues, advocacy and policy interventions, and innovations in the program's areas of focus to enhance the effectiveness of program strategy and the understanding of Foundation staff;
• Conduct critical analysis of existing and potential grantees and recommend grants for funding.
• Perform due diligence and evaluation of grantees and proposed work. Collaborate with grantees to develop timely and complete proposals. Review proposals for project objectives, design, strategy, resource needs, and outcomes.
• Design and execute program monitoring methods for grants and special projects.
• Manage the entire grantmaking process within the Foundation’s grants management system to ensure timely and accurate data, status, and reports;
• Prepare materials such as memoranda and reports for stakeholders and present information at meetings and professional gatherings;
• Work closely with other Foundation staff and stakeholders to facilitate cross-program collaboration.

EDUCATION / EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor’s degree, plus a graduate degree. A minimum of four to seven years in the relevant field (or an equivalent combination of education and experience);
• Background in advocacy or policy in the women’s equality field or an aligned social justice field;
• Nonprofit, philanthropy, or foundation experience.

SKILLS REQUIRED

• Superior listening and communication skills with outstanding ability to write concisely, cogently, and with excellent grammar;
• Ability to think analytically and strategically, read and digest information quickly and problem solve;
• Demonstrated leadership qualities and the ability to lead and mentor junior staff members and foster collaboration;
• High level of self-motivation;
• Flexibility and willingness to work simultaneously on a wide range of tasks and projects and ability to thrive when working under deadlines without sacrificing attention to detail;
• Discretion, sound judgement and an ability to handle confidential issues;
• Pleasant attitude and a service-oriented approach;
• Willingness to travel if necessary.

This position will also be responsible for other duties as required to support Foundation goals.

Compensation for this position is $100,000 – $160,000 and is commensurate with experience. The Wyss Foundation’s benefits for full-time employees currently include access to an employer-subsidized PPO health care plan offered through CareFirst BlueCross Blue Shield, access to employee-sponsored dental and vision plans, and a 401K retirement plan with an employer match of eligible contributions.

 To apply for this position, please send a resume and cover letter with the subject line “LAST NAME – Program Manager/Program Officer” to Human Resources at HR@wyssfoundation.org (No phone calls please).

The Wyss Foundation is an equal opportunity employer.