Program Officer, Civic Engagement and Government Ford Foundation Experience: Above 10 Years New York, United States of America Apply By: 18-02-2025

The Program Officer will inform work on strengthening the structural democracy field, supporting innovations in defending and expanded pathways for democratic engagement, and helping bridge divides to ensure that technical/legal experts center communities as leaders and co-strategists in crucial democracy fights.  In collaboration with the Director and team members, the Program Officer will oversee a body of work in several domains, some of which overlap with other program officers on the team. 

In addition, the Program Officer will perform the following and/or similar activities: 

Manage, monitor and coordinate a grants portfolio, including: long-term grant planning; identifying and working with prospective grantees to develop proposals for grant recommendations (including helping determine the goals for a grant, its activities, expected results, indicators of success and budget); conducting organizational assessments; undertaking periodic reviews of progress with grantees; and reviewing financial and narrative reports.

Develop grant-making activities in a team-oriented context, with a ‘grantee-in-the-driver’s-seat’ orientation, that are aligned to the strategic goals of a thematic area and support a connected ‘ecosystem’ of work where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

Work collaboratively with team members to develop, define and implement program strategies to achieve significant and scalable impact toward team goals. Write and communicate in a lucid and accessible manner; develop and implement grant-making approaches that support the use of strategic communications as part of the program strategy.

Provide leadership in the democracy field around practices and approaches that center communities in structural democracy work. This includes exploring and supporting innovations in the field, including defensive and affirmative strategies to protect and expand democracy. 

Continually scan the fields related to democracy in the US, organizing practice, field infrastructure, and strategy,  follow key developments and debates, keep abreast of the academic and popular literature, share key findings and lessons among colleagues and the field.

Promote engagement with grantees to review opportunities, challenges and advances and encourage collaboration, learning, exchange and strategic partnerships.

Represent the Foundation and its work to the government, media, academic, business, philanthropic, and civic leaders through meetings, updates, speeches, blog posts, briefings and interviews, with guidance from the CEG Director.

What You Will Bring:

• A minimum of 8 years of professional work experience focused on protecting and expanding our democracy
• Proven experience and substantive knowledge in the formal and informal structures, practices, and processes of democracy and community engagement, ranging from civic participation and community organizing to formal democracy reforms and approaches to co-governance
• Experience working with social justice concepts and frameworks such as racial equity, gender analyses, disability justice, economic justice, intersectionality, and implicit and structural bias.
• Solid understanding or curiosity of  intersections of grassroots organizing and power, structural democracy reform, and the value and impact of government in protecting rights and providing public goods
• Demonstrated experience as a connector and convener across relevant sectors and parties, including grantees, practitioners, government officials, scholars, legal experts,  civil society players and the private sector.
• Exercises exceptional leadership skills and qualities that fosters collaboration, innovation and drives impactful work
• Strong active listening skills, constructive verbal and written skills and effective public presentation skills

Source: https://fordfoundation.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/FordFoundationCareerPage/job/New-York-USA/Program-Officer–Civic-Engagement-and-Government_R1167