Program Officer, Climate Change Finance and Multilateral Initiatives

The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, based in Menlo Park, California, seeks a collaborative and outcomes-driven Program Officer for an eight-year term to manage a critical portion of the Climate Change Initiative under the Environment Program dealing with Climate Finance and Multilateral Initiatives. As a key member of the Environment Program, the Program Officer will advance the 2024-2029 Climate Strategy, contribute to future strategy development, and effectively build and maintain strong relationships with grantee partners, philanthropic peers, academics, policy experts, movement leaders, government officials, and other stakeholders. The Program Officer is deeply engaged in national and international conversations about climate change mitigation and prioritizes building and nurturing networks of practitioners and funders to advance solutions.

Please do not apply if you are not able to meet the following non-negotiable criteria:

1. Staff are expected to work from the Hewlett Foundation’s Menlo Park, California offices 2-3 days per week for a total of 10 in-office days per month (Tuesdays and Wednesdays are required). Foundation-related travel is counted as in-office.
2. Candidates currently located outside a reliable commuting distance will need to commit to:
3. relocating as soon as is feasible, and within six months; and
4. being in-person for key onboarding activities or meetings.

About the Foundation

The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation invests in creative thinkers and problem solvers working to ensure that people, communities, and the planet can flourish. Together with our partners, we are harnessing society’s collective capacity to solve our toughest problems. A nonpartisan philanthropy, the Hewlett Foundation has made grants in the U.S. and globally for nearly six decades based on an approach that emphasizes long-term support, collaboration, and trust.

We make grants to address both longstanding and emerging challenges like our efforts to advance gender equity and governance, strengthen democracy, advance education for all, protect biodiversity in the American West as well as supporting meaningful artistic experiences in local communities in our own San Francisco Bay Area. Our grantmaking also invests in strengthening the effectiveness of our grantees, and of philanthropy itself. The Hewlett Foundation’s assets are approximately $13 billion with annual awards of grants totaling more than $600 million. More information about the Hewlett Foundation is available at: www.hewlett.org

Toward an interest in continual innovation and evaluation, all Program Director and Program Officer positions at the Hewlett Foundation are term-limited with a duration of eight-years.

Program Officer, Climate Change Finance and Multilateral Initiatives

The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation is seeking a Program Officer for Climate Change Finance and Multilateral Initiatives to join its Environment Program. The Program Officer will be responsible for leading and furthering the development and implementation of a climate finance and multilateral strategy via approximately $25+ million in strategic annual grantmaking. This includes identifying and vetting prospective grantees; conducting due diligence and making funding recommendations; overseeing all active grants in the portfolio; actively engaging with grant partners; tracking progress; responding to and reviewing financial and programmatic reports; and determining grant renewals.

The Program Officer will report to the Environment Program Director and manage and work collaboratively with a Program Associate. They will also partner with other members of the Environment Program team and staff throughout the Foundation for the duration of an eight-year term. The Environment Program is made up of 10 program staff, plus additional staff from the communications, grants management, and legal departments.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

The Program Officer will perform the following duties:

1. Manage an annual grantmaking budget of more than $25 million and oversee up to 2-3 years of budget forecasting.
2. Carry out activities beyond grantmaking to help drive change in the strategy’s focus areas (e.g., convening, facilitating, networking, and public communications).
3. Provide regular reports on program achievements and learnings via written memos and annual presentations to the Foundation Board of Directors, as well as all-staff meetings upon request. Collaborate with the Program Director on how those learnings inform future direction.
4. Supervise Program Associate and provide opportunities for professional growth.
5. Establish and maintain ongoing and productive relationships with grantee partners, peer funders, and movement leaders. This includes partnering with grantees to address emerging challenges and offering experience-informed assessments and Foundation support (technical assistance, Organizational Effectiveness grants, referrals to resources, etc.) for organizational strengthening.
6. Conduct ongoing research and analysis to identify emerging issues, opportunities, and challenges within the climate community, including potential new areas of focus for the Environment Program, particularly given a constantly evolving political context.
7. Develop and implement effective monitoring and evaluation plans and oversee ongoing adaptive management of grants, activities, and strategies.
8. Represent the Foundation at appropriate meetings, philanthropic conferences, and site visits as well as in all interactions with prospective and current grantee partners, spotlighting the work of grantee partners as appropriate.

Required Qualifications

The Program Officer should ideally embody the following professional qualifications and personal attributes:

1. At least 15 years of relevant professional experience desired. Prior grantmaking experience is preferred.
2. Experience and subject matter expertise across multiple issue areas related to climate change finance, including an understanding of the role of multilateral financial institutions as well as climate-related governmental and private investment and capital flows.   
3. Familiarity with international climate policy, including under the United Nations Climate Convention and through other multilateral and plurilateral climate-related arrangements such as the G20, the BRICS, the OECD, and the IPCC.
4. Proven experience in strategic planning; staff and budget management; and ability to build and deploy coalitions for collective action.
5. Relationship-building orientation, with a demonstrated ability to empathize with partners. Open-minded, collegial, and able to develop relationships based on trust, confidence, and respect. Open to considering a diverse range of viewpoints.
6. Intellectual agility and the ability to analyze, think critically, and work across cultures and differences with grantee partners, government, private sector, nonprofit, Tribal, movement and community leaders.
7. Clear and persuasive oral and written communications, including the ability to write complex documents quickly. Can articulate complex themes for multiple audiences/settings (advocacy groups, philanthropic organizations, Foundation staff and Board, and government officials, etc.)
8. Exceptional personal and professional integrity, judgement, and the highest work standards; brings flexibility, good humor, high energy, humility, and an unwavering commitment to Hewlett’s Guiding Principles.
9. Willingness to travel a minimum of 25% of the time.

Compensation and Benefits

The Hewlett Foundation is committed to providing compensation that is competitive within the philanthropic sector. We offer a generous total compensation package that emphasizes both base salary and comprehensive benefits.  

The salary range for this role is $195, 000 - $235, 000. Offers are based on the candidate's years of experience and our practice of maintaining salary equity within the Foundation. This position is exempt and full-time. Program Officers of the Hewlett Foundation serve for an eight-year term. The foundation also provides a generous housing benefit of an additional ~13% of base salary annually, for the duration of the eight-year term.

Physical Demands/Work Environment
The physical demands described are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these essential functions.

The position is based in Menlo Park, California. Staff are currently expected to work from the Hewlett Foundation offices at least 2-3 days per week, when they are not traveling. While performing the duties of this position, the employee is required to spend extended periods of time at a computer. Travel will vary, but employee should expect to travel about 25% of the time.

How to Apply
CEA Consulting is honored to be partnering with Hewlett Foundation on this search. Please complete the "Apply Now" section in order to submit a thoughtful cover letter, resume, and salary expectations.

Application deadline: Applications received before June 30, 2025, will be given priority; later submissions will be reviewed as needed until the position is filled. No phone or written inquiries, please. All questions and/or technical issues should be directed to CEA Recruiting.

The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation embraces the importance of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion both internally, in our hiring process and organizational culture, and externally, in our grantmaking and related practices. We are an equal opportunity employer and welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, cultures, and experiences.

CEA Recruiting works with leading environmental nonprofits, foundations, and businesses to recruit top talent and design effective organizational staffing strategies. For more information, visit www.cearecruiting.com.