Job  Board

ABOUT W.K. KELLOGG FOUNDATION

The W.K. Kellogg Foundation with headquarters in Battle Creek, Michigan is a leading philanthropic institution supporting thriving children, working families, equitable communities, and the dynamic connection between the three.

“The W.K. Kellogg Foundation supports children, families, and communities as they strengthen and create conditions that propel vulnerable children to achieve success as individuals and as contributors to the larger community and society.”

OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES FOR THE PROGRAM OFFICER, EARLY CHILDHOOD CARE AND EDUCATION SYSTEMS

The Program Officer is responsible for identifying and nurturing opportunities for affecting positive policy and systemic change and executing program efforts that are aligned with the Foundation’s strategic priorities. The Program Officer will work closely with colleagues within the Foundation, philanthropy, and the field to ensure that the Kellogg Foundation identifies opportunities for investing in early childhood education and access, addresses gaps and root causes of social inequities, with a specific focus on young children and working families. The Program Officer will have the following responsibilities:

Build and nurture relationships across and among the Foundation, grantees, and partners.

1. Maintain authentic and productive relationships with grant seekers and grantees, ensuring understanding of WKKF program direction, goals, and expectations and meaningful enhancement of grantee experience and impact goals.
2. Develop and maintain collaborative relationships with other stakeholders to leverage participation of other foundations, businesses, communities, governmental agencies, and other key decision makers towards impact in alignment with WKKF core values and program interests.
3. Build and sustain collaborative relationships both within the systems change team and across the foundation that support opportunities for learning and partnership across offices and program strategies.

Develop and align grantmaking strategies across program areas to achieve systems change goals for the ECE program at WKKF.

1. Articulate interdisciplinary change strategies and convene key stakeholders and intermediaries as appropriate.
2. Contribute to the overall strategic direction for the ECE Systems Change program at WKKF and provide input into strategies and practices for ongoing learning to support impact goals.
3. Work with key internal and external partners to identify and align grantmaking opportunities that leverage WKKF investments for maximum impact in creating systemic change.

Lead and implement grant making, grant management, and grant program evaluation processes for the portfolio.

1. Screen and recommend grants for funding, prepare funding documents, and manage and monitor grant portfolio.
2. Provide high level technical assistance to grantees, including consultation on model development, partnership negotiations, leadership capacity building, coaching, etc.
3. Provide leadership and oversight for on-the-ground execution of program efforts.
4. Incorporate assessment components into program efforts to measure progress and impact.

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS

Success in the Program Officer role will require a passion to further the WKKF mission and a commitment to core values of diversity and inclusion, intercultural awareness, openness, collaboration, and stewardship. The ideal candidate will first and foremost be a:

1. Relationship Builder and Effective Communicator: The Program Officer will have the capacity to have authentic dialogue around sensitive issues, have highly developed emotional intelligence and active listening skills, and the ability to use interpersonal and political skills in collaborative, diplomatic ways. They will have comfort with and the ability to work effectively within communities, including appreciating historical contexts, discerning nuances of relationships and power dynamics, and understanding racial/ethnic realities while centering community needs and desires.
2. Strategic Systems Thinker: The Program Officer will have demonstrated institutional knowledge and sophisticated understanding of trends and knowledge of early childhood care and education systems related to access, quality, and workforce development, and practices that leverage diverse models and effective strategies. They will understand disparities and opportunities in and related systems and policy landscapes at the local, state, and federal levels to stimulate appropriate programming directions and capitalize on emerging opportunities. The Program Officer will have experience applying their understanding of broad social and economic forces that affect communities and families to shape programming efforts, including a familiarity with legislative and regulatory processes.
3. Networked Leader: The Program Officer will bring strong networks in multiple sectors nationally. They will have significant experience with local, state, and national issues and systems related to early childhood education, family systems, workforce development, and policy advocacy.

Additional skills and attributes that will be important to the Program Officer’s success include:

Professional Experience

1. Bachelor’s degree in a field relevant to early childhood education is required and an advanced degree is preferred.
2. Minimum five years of related work experience and demonstrated success in systems advancing quality early childhood care and education regionally and nationally. Significant relevant work experience with strong networks and contacts with deep and comprehensive understanding of program design and development, systems, networking, and community change is preferred.
3. Understanding of federal, state and local governance structures, funding streams and regulatory environments.
4. Experience influencing or supporting local, state, or national policy initiatives in early childhood education, especially related to access, quality, and workforce development.
5. Understanding of how early learning connects with K–12 systems and broader social service sectors (e.g., health, economic security, maternal care).
6. Experience managing complex initiatives or portfolios – either from within philanthropy, a nonprofit or a public agency.
7. Experience in the formation or management of effective strategic and operational partnerships with other organizations.
8. Understanding of and experience navigating political systems and processes.
9. Experience working with issues and communities relevant to the programmatic priorities of the foundation.
10. Experience working effectively on policy equity issues with persons from diverse cultural, social, economic, religious, and ethnic backgrounds.

Personal Attributes

1. Strong landscape analysis of early childhood care and education systems with a strong point of view of how to resource and influence the field.
2. High tolerance for ambiguity and ability to adapt quickly to change.
3. Demonstrate agility in day-to-day work.
4. Demonstrated commitment to mindfulness, resilience, and ongoing personal development.
5. Ability to represent WKKF to a variety of stakeholders and intermediaries in a credible and influential way, with a selfless manner focusing on values and the greater good.

WORK LOCATION & COMPENSATION

Work Location: This role is hybrid and may be considered from one of the 23 U.S. states where WKKF is registered to operate: MI, LA, NM, MS, AZ, CO, CA, OR, OK, GA, FL, NC, VA, MD, DC, PA, OH, IL, WI, MN, MA, CT, NY. (*Please note: New York City is excluded due to legal and logistical considerations).