The McKnight Foundation (McKnight, Foundation) is seeking nominations and applications for the position of Senior Program Officer within the Midwest Climate & Energy (MC&E) program. The MC&E program is building incredible momentum in advancing bold climate solutions across the region and beyond. This includes new and expanded leadership (including the Program Director, a new Director of Strategic Climate Initiatives role, and a leaderful team), exciting grantmaking portfolios, partnerships that will move the needle on climate in the years ahead, and an increased institutional commitment to achieving the highest expression of McKnight’s mission at the intersection of climate action and racial equity. The team is committed to innovative, systems change approaches to grantmaking that leverage partnerships and values-based practices in order to support bold action and measurable impact in the climate crisis.

The new Senior Program officer will both oversee a grantmaking portfolio in clean energy and building decarbonization with place-based focus in Michigan and Minnesota and will support strategic partnerships and aligned impact goals across the climate team. The ideal candidate will be a seasoned strategist and field leader with relevant networks and experience who thrives in a complex, multi-stakeholder environment. They will bring leadership and technical expertise in clean energy and building decarbonization at both local and systems levels. They will demonstrate successful and collaborative approaches to working across sectors and with multiple stakeholders internally and externally and will bring humility and curiosity to the work. The successful candidate will share McKnight’s commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging and will demonstrate effective approaches for centering and improving conditions for communities disproportionately impacted by the climate crisis.

ABOUT MCKNIGHT

The McKnight Foundation, a Minnesota-based family foundation, advances a more just, creative, and abundant future where people and planet thrive. Established in 1953, the McKnight Foundation is deeply committed to advancing climate solutions in the Midwest; building an equitable and inclusive Minnesota; and supporting the arts and culture in Minnesota, neuroscience, and global food systems.

The Midwest Climate and Energy (MC&E) program aims to take bold and urgent action on the climate crisis by reducing greenhouse gas emissions across the region and advancing an equitable clean energy transition. Using a systems change lens, the program focuses on four key sectoral pathways: transforming the energy system, decarbonizing buildings, decarbonizing transportation, and supporting working lands. The Climate program also supports a cross-programmatic strategy focused on strengthening democratic participation and civic engagement. Following the passage of historic policies at the state and federal levels in recent years, the MC&E program is focused on ensuring equitable implementation and building effective climate solutions throughout the Midwest to benefit all communities.

THE OPPORTUNITY

The Senior Program Officer will both lead a portfolio of work dedicated to clean energy and building decarbonization and support strategy and coalition efforts across the broader Midwest Climate & Energy portfolio. Reporting to the Program Director, and in collaboration with Program Officers, the Senior Program Officer will drive the development and implementation of grantmaking strategy, manage a portfolio of grants, collaborate and build relationships with key internal and external stakeholders, and contribute to program evaluation and learning cycles. As a thought leader with relevant networks and professional experiences to support the energy and buildings portfolios and broader philanthropic strategy, the Senior Program officer will also represent McKnight at various meetings and events and will demonstrate effective approaches for centering and improving conditions for communities disproportionately impacted by the climate crisis.

QUALIFICATIONS OF THE IDEAL CANDIDATE

While no one candidate will embody all the qualifications enumerated below, the ideal candidate will possess many of the following professional and personal abilities, attributes, and experiences:

Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• Minimum of 7 years of senior-level, full-time professional experience relevant to program area and/or an equivalent combination of training and experience demonstrating the ability to perform the position’s essential functions.
• Experience working with a board of directors preferred.

TO APPLY

More information about the McKnight Foundation may be found at: www.mcknight.org.

This search is being conducted with assistance from Katherine Jacobs, Sharon Gerstman, and Ashley Jones of NPAG. Due to the pace of this search, candidates are strongly encouraged to apply as soon as possible with a priority deadline of November 1, 2024. Download the full position profile here. Please apply at mcknight.org/careers. For more information, please email ashley@npag.com. All communications will remain confidential.

The McKnight Foundation is an equal-opportunity employer and proudly values diversity. Candidates of all backgrounds are encouraged to apply. As an employer, McKnight has the opportunity and responsibility to embed equity across its policies and practices-in how teams are hired, trained, developed, and supported, and in how the organization crafts its culture.

President Tonya Allen heads a majority women, majority people-of-color senior leadership team. In addition, McKnight has increased diversity at every level and in every department across the Foundation. This didn't happen by chance. It required actively recruiting candidates from a variety of backgrounds and valuing their skills and lived experiences in addition to specific academic degrees or other formal credentials. McKnight's team has a wealth of diversity in perspectives, backgrounds, and lived experiences to advance the Foundation's mission.