Position Announcement: Program Officer
Title: Program Officer
Business Unit: English Learner Program, Sobrato Philanthropies
Status: Full-Time
FSLA Status: Exempt
Work Location: Bay Area preferred and hybrid
Date Submitted: June 14, 2023
Job Summary
The Program Officer (PO) position is a crucial member of Sobrato Philanthropies’ English Learner (EL) Program team and engages in strategy implementation, grantmaking, progress monitoring, and evaluation. The PO will demonstrate deep knowledge about effective and promising approaches to advance systemic change for ELs in California. This role will understand the local, state, and national policy environment related to this work and is expected to partner with state and local stakeholders with a vested interest in education reform on behalf of ELs. The PO will manage two key pieces of the EL Program, among other tasks: 1) the statewide grantmaking strategy, and 2) monitoring, evaluation, and learning. The role will help the portfolio track and gather our impact in the field. The candidate will also support communications efforts to tell the story of EL Program’s impact internally and collaborate with team members, grantees, and other partners to externally deploy a robust narrative change approach with the broader public.
Responsibilities and Tasks
Job Responsibility 1: Strategy, Grantmaking, and Partnerships
% of Time: 60%
- Identify and research organizations that would be well-aligned with the EL Program’s priorities, evaluate grant proposals, conduct due diligence, and present grant recommendations. The PO will lead on grants in the statewide policy impact strategy and partner with the Senior Program Officer on grants in the narrative change strategy.
- Grow and deepen ongoing collaboration with grantees through check-ins, site visits, technical assistance, and thought partnership, among other tools.
- Participate in, inform, and advise grantee coalitions, as appropriate.
- Develop and implement virtual and in-person grantee learning and convening opportunities with the EL Program team.
- Build and maintain networks with key leaders from government, philanthropy, nonprofit, and other sectors to coordinate efforts and funding opportunities.
- Stay abreast of new and significant developments in policy, research, and practice related to ELs in California and nationally.
- Proactively surface critical insights, trends, needs, and gaps on education policy, systems change, and organizational capacity building from our grantees and the field to inform our grantmaking strategy and practice.
- Regularly monitor education policy in California. Provide updates to the EL Program team and facilitate discussions about the impact on ELs and any grantmaking implications.
Job Responsibility 2: Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL)
% of Time: 25%
- Manage the ongoing 2021-25 evaluation of the EL Program’s portfolio of grants, which includes meeting regularly with consultants, providing input on evaluation methods and tools, monitoring evaluation progress, reviewing deliverables, and processing invoices.
- Gather and track policy and impact data to support evaluation and internal learning.
- Help refine the EL Program’s tools such as grant reporting templates and protocols.
- Plan and facilitate learning discussions with the EL Program team throughout the year to reflect on evaluation findings, consider implications and apply lessons learned.
- Align the EL Program’s MEL goals with Sobrato Philanthropies’ overall approach to MEL led by the Director of Impact & Learning.
Job Responsibility 3: General
% of Time: 15%
- Build collaborative and positive working relationships with all staff across The Sobrato Organization. Maintain effective communication channels.
- Contribute to the EL Program’s annual planning, goal setting, and budgeting cycle.
- Participate in EL Program and all-staff meetings to coordinate work, report on progress, flag challenges, and offer insight and expertise.
- Provide regular updates and briefings on the EL Program’s work to Sobrato Philanthropies’ leadership in coordination with the Director.
- Partner with grants management team to ensure effective grantmaking processes and practices are in place from start to finish.
- Support The Sobrato Organization’s communications efforts by providing stories and examples from the EL Program for public dissemination.
- Represent Sobrato Philanthropies and the EL Program with various constituencies, including in conferences, roundtables, and other public venues.
- All other projects and duties as assigned.
Qualifications (Know How)
Education / Training
- Minimum Bachelor’s degree required and 7 years of related experience with significant experience in policy analysis, education systems change, MEL, and communications.
Experience/Technical Skills
- A background in philanthropy, nonprofits, and/or policy that demonstrates a deep knowledge of what it takes to build and expand support for equitable systems change.
- Experience in grantmaking is a plus.
- Passionate about uplifting the assets and experiences of multilingual children and families.
- Strategic thinking and planning skills, including an ability to invest grant funds strategically and with a high degree of accountability.
- Works well independently and within a team, demonstrating a high degree of initiative, flexibility, and collaboration.
- Ability to be proactive and constantly prioritize responsibilities in a fast-moving and evolving organization.
- Maintains an engaging personal presence and the communication skills necessary to effectively interact with a diverse group of internal and external stakeholders.
- Exercises good judgment and comfortable with giving and receiving feedback.
- Sets the highest expectations for personal and organizational standards and achievement.
- Brings a strong sense of self-confidence, self-awareness, and a sense of humor.
- Excellent computer skills, including Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Proficiency in the Asana project management tool is a plus.
Organization
Reports to: Director, English Learner Program
Direct Reports
- N/A
Additional Information
The annual base salary range for full-time employees for this position is below. Please note that base pay may vary depending on job-related knowledge, skills, and experience.
· $123,000 – $142,000 USD
· Highly competitive benefits package
· Full-time, exempt position
Equal Employment Opportunity
The Sobrato Organization is an equal-opportunity employer committed to the values of diversity, equity, and inclusion. We are dedicated to building a team that represents a diversity of backgrounds, cultures, experiences, perspectives, and skills and to creating an environment and inclusion and belonging for all employees regardless of race, skin color, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, age, marital status, military status, pregnancy, or parenthood. The Sobrato Organization is expanding, and we are interested in growing our staff to include diverse voices with different lived experiences.