The application deadline is on February 17, 2025. Please submit both a resume and a cover letter to be considered.

ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY

The Ford Foundation’s U.S. Program in Civic Engagement and Government (CEG-US) seeks a collaborative, strategic, and team-oriented Program Officer to oversee our “Structural Democracy” portfolio, an anchor element of CEG-US’s strategy to build resilient, reparative democracy. CEG-US takes a broad view of structural democracy, viewing it as all the systems, processes, and institutions that make democratic participation meaningful by removing obstacles to and expanding pathways of civic engagement and democratic impact. Our structural democracy portfolio moves in close collaboration with our reflective governance and “bigger we” work, in recognition that advances in democracy require deep community engagement by those otherwise on the margins and governance that reflects the many not the view.

Reporting to the CEG-US Director, and working alongside four other program officers, the Program Officer will collaborate within the CEG-US team and with other US programs to support work to defend, strengthen, and expand democracy within the U.S. The Program Officer will build on the many years of Ford work in this arena, continuing to identify key ecosystems, and work with relevant actors and other funders, to analyze challenges and opportunities, seek rigorous evidence about program effectiveness, identify levers of change, and play a leading role in shaping specific grant activities that build a strong democracy anchored by communities

HOW YOU WILL CONTRIBUTE

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: 

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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. 
5. 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.
6. Promote engagement with grantees to review opportunities, challenges and advances and encourage collaboration, learning, exchange and strategic partnerships.
7. 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

1. A minimum of 8 years of professional work experience focused on protecting and expanding our democracy
2. 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 
3. Experience working with social justice concepts and frameworks such as racial equity, gender analyses, disability justice, economic justice, intersectionality, and implicit and structural bias.
4. 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
5. 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.
6. Exercises exceptional leadership skills and qualities that fosters collaboration, innovation and drives impactful work
7. Strong active listening skills, constructive verbal and written skills and effective public presentation skills
8. Ways of working and engaging that aligns with the Foundation’s mission, core values and commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. 
9. Master’s degree in related field of study or baccalaureate degree and equivalent experience

HELPFUL BUT NOT REQUIRED

1. Demonstrated experience and knowledge of working at the state/local level 
2. Formal working experience in the legal sector
3. An understanding of comparative perspectives on political systems

PHYSICAL DEMANDS 

This position is primarily a sedentary role. However, the person in this position may need to occasionally move about inside the office to liaise with internal staff, access files, office machinery and a copy machine/printer.

The Ford Foundation is committed to providing access, equal opportunity and reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities in employment, its programs, and operations. As part of this commitment, the Foundation will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations. If a reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application process, please contact, talentacquisitionhr@fordfoundation.org  

SALARY: The Ford Foundation is committed to practicing salary transparency. The minimum salary for this position is $173,000 and the maximum is $185,000. It is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of this range. The final offer is determined by a candidate’s relevant experience and our commitment to internal equity. We review global compensation on a regular basis to ensure market competitiveness and equity. The hiring range for this position has been carefully crafted in alignment with the market.

LOCATION: This position is based in the foundation’s New York office. We operate in a hybrid model and require staff to be in the office three days per week.

EMPLOYMENT TYPE: This position is offered on a fixed-term basis for an anticipated period of 8 years; the initial term is 3 years.

WORKING AT FORD

• Commitment to creating diverse teams where everyone feels represented and respected and to embedding equity and inclusion practices across our work and philanthropy at large

• A hybrid working model and flexible work arrangement policies offer colleagues the opportunity to engage in meaningful ways and the space to maintain a healthy work-life balance 

• Professional development and ample opportunities to build your expertise and expand your network

• Comprehensive benefits package designed for your well-being and work-life needs, including medical, dental, and vision benefits effective on your first day

• Generous time off, including personal, vacation, sick, extended holiday time off, and wellness days

• Generous parental leave policy, including birth, surrogacy, adoptive, foster parents, and resources for backup child and elder care that support our colleagues’ ability to attend to family responsibilities 

• Comprehensive retirement benefits options (with employee and employer contributions of up to 13%), allowing you to invest in your financial future with confidence

Learn more about what it’s like to work at the Ford Foundation.  

Equal employment opportunity and having a diverse staff are fundamental principles at The Ford Foundation, where employment and promotional opportunities are based upon individual capabilities and qualifications without regard to race, color, religion, gender, pregnancy, sexual orientation/affectional preference, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, disability, veteran status or any other protected characteristic as established under law. The Ford Foundation does not discriminate against formerly incarcerated individuals.