Program officer - Global Development and Population Program / International Education Focus

Martha Montag Brown & Associates, LLC

Full-time Staff - United States of America, North America

Apply by: 1st March 2013

PROGRAM OFFICER: GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT AND POPULATION PROGRAM - INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION FOCUS 

THE WILLIAM AND FLORA HEWLETT FOUNDATION

January 2013

The Opportunity

The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation has launched a new search for a Program Officer focused on education and international development in Africa. In the fall of 2012, the Foundation began the search process, but decided to re-launch the search in 2013 with an updated job description to reflect the broader scope of the position. 

The ideal candidate should have: 1) a master’s or doctoral degree in international development, education or a related field; 2) five or more years of related work experience, preferably with grantmaking or grant management, designing and implementing strategies, monitoring and evaluation, and managing portfolios; 3) demonstrated success working with multilateral and development organizations, foundations, and other nonprofit enterprises, as well as government officials and technical personnel in developing countries; and 4) experience working in Africa, and preferably experience working in West Africa and/or other Francophone regions. 

The Program Officer will help shape and manage the Foundation’s strategy and grant portfolio in international education. The Program Officer will provide oversight, guidance, and management to a portfolio of grants and special projects that focus on global and regional analysis and advocacy for learning, including in the post-2015 global policy framework; and improvement of children’s learning in West Africa. Additionally, the Program Officer will participate in global policy analysis, strategic planning, evaluation, grantmaking, and grants management related to a range of broader global development issues. 

The Program Officer will be a member of the Global Development and Population Program, reporting in to the Program’s Director Ruth Levine. This is an eight-year term position.

About the Foundation

The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation has been making grants since 1967 to help solve social and environmental problems at home and around the world. The Foundation concentrates its resources on activities in education, the environment, global development and population, performing arts, and philanthropy, and makes grants to support disadvantaged communities in the San Francisco Bay Area. The Foundation’s assets are currently over $7.2 billion. In 2011, the Foundation distributed grants and gifts totaling approximately $353 million. For more information about the Foundation, please visit www.hewlett.org.

About the Global Development and Population Program

The Global Development and Population Program makes grants to improve the well-being of vulnerable people. In developing countries, this grantmaking focuses on promoting transparent, accountable governance to deliver social services. The Program also makes grants in developing countries to improve the quality of basic education, family planning, and reproductive health services, and to ensure that policymaking is based on sound evidence. In the United States, the Program supports access to high-quality family planning and reproductive health services.

The Global Development and Population Program makes grants to improve learning in the early years of primary school in six sub-Saharan countries and India. The program focuses on tackling the “learning crisis,” the problem of extremely poor learning outcomes among schoolchildren in low-income countries by: supporting community-based learning assessments that reveal the extent of the learning crisis to parents, local officials, the media, and high-level policymakers; testing and refining solutions to learning challenges through the rigorous evaluation of alternative instructional models; and working with partners to reorient governments, donors, and educators to focus on learning—not just school enrollments—as the criterion for making productive investments in education.

Responsibilities

Planning and Strategy

• Collaborate with Foundation colleagues to develop and modify plans for strategic grantmaking that ensure impact in the areas of importance to the Foundation.
• Invite, review, and respond to inquiries and proposals in her/his Program area and areas of special expertise. Offer professional guidance to applicants and grantees.
• Lead, collaborate, and participate in global policy analyses, conversations, and collective actions to improve learning via global policy frameworks and Program investments.
• Develop briefing papers and Program-related reports that contribute to the Foundation’s understanding of new approaches, best practices, policy, and Program issues.
• Build effective partnerships with organizations and individuals working in the Foundation’s areas of interest. Leverage the Foundation’s stature and effectiveness through these efforts.
• Participate in external or internal processes and structures to strengthen policies, programs, and investments that improve children’s learning, particularly in West Africa and in international and regional advocacy for learning. 

Grantmaking

• Ensure that grantmaking activities materially advance the vision that has been approved by the Foundation’s Board.
• Manage active grants: assess progress, manage evaluations, and respond to financial and programmatic reports. Work with grantees to develop and modify strategies to effectively use available resources while fulfilling Program goals.
• Establish and maintain effective relationships with current and prospective grantees.
• Develop guidelines for measuring the success of programs and grants.
• Ensure that sound financial controls are in place for each grant and that funds are spent wisely and according to grant agreements.
• Draft application summaries and discretionary grant requests for tri-annual grants docket. Contribute to docket preparation.
• Invite, review, and respond to inquiries and proposals in her/his Program area. Conduct due diligence on all new grants. 
• Offer professional advice and field expertise to grantees, to other donors, and to other collaborating institutions.
• Foundation Support
• Serve as an effective and visible spokesperson for the Hewlett Foundation in her/his areas of grantmaking and expertise. 
• Organize and coordinate Foundation-sponsored meetings of grantees and key field experts as needed.
• Participate in and represent the Foundation externally at appropriate meetings, conferences, and site visits.

Qualifications

Professional Qualifications
• Master’s or doctoral degree in international development, education, or a related field.
• Minimum of five years of related work experience, preferably with grantmaking or grant management, designing and implementing strategies, monitoring and evaluation, and managing portfolios.
• Ability to define program objectives, evaluate progress, and independently manage projects through a complete program cycle.
• Experience in African settings required.
• French language skills and work experience in Francophone West Africa or other Francophone regions strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated success working with multilateral and development organizations, foundations, and other nonprofit enterprises, as well as government officials and technical personnel in developing countries.
• Skills in both the quantitative and qualitative analysis necessary for designing and evaluating strategies, proposals, and grants. 
• Ability to synthesize ideas and communicate effectively with diverse audiences, from grantees to colleagues to the Foundation’s Board of Directors.
• Ability and flexibility to travel globally.
• Computer fluency. 
• Personal Attributes
• Commitment to the values and mission of the Hewlett Foundation and to the vision and goals of its Global Development and Population Program.
• Independent initiative, a sense of humor, and a collegial spirit in sharing ideas and receiving feedback.
• Exceptional ability to articulate and realize a vision, to motivate others, and to work collaboratively with a high-caliber team of staff and external partners. 
• Capacity to learn from experience, to adapt as needed, to co-generate new ideas, to listen, and to work with others to shape emerging issues. 
• Excellent organizational skills, with a demonstrated track record of consistently meeting deadlines.
• Capacity to communicate persuasively, orally and in writing, in a range of settings.
• Personal integrity and leadership. 

Compensation and Benefits

For this exempt, full-time position, the Foundation offer includes a competitive base salary and an excellent benefits package.

Application Process

Interested applicants should send a cover letter, resume and salary information by email to: 
Martha Montag Brown & Associates, LLC
www.marthamontagbrown.com
Email: Martha@marthamontagbrown.com
Phone: 818.790.8873
The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation is an equal opportunity employer.