Senior Program Officer, US Program Policy

The Foundation

We are the largest nonprofit fighting poverty, disease, and inequity around the world. Founded on a simple premise: people everywhere, regardless of identity or circumstances, should have the chance to live healthy, productive lives. We believe our employees should reflect the rich diversity of the global populations we aim to serve. We provide an exceptional benefits package to employees and their families, including comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage with no premiums, generous paid time off, paid family leave, foundation-paid retirement contribution, regional holidays, and opportunities to engage in several employee communities. As a workplace, we’re committed to creating an environment for you to thrive both personally and professionally.

The Team

The mission of the Global Policy & Advocacy (GPA) division is to understand and shape the public policy debates affecting the foundation’s work, build support for its major program and policy objectives, and develop partnerships and alliances that can advance the foundation’s objectives nationally and globally. Because the foundation’s resources alone are not enough to solve the challenges ahead, GPA also supports advocacy efforts to engage diverse stakeholders and promote innovative solutions that advance our program goals. We work in close partnership with grantees, our colleagues in the Global Health, Global Development, Global Growth & Opportunity, U.S. and Gender Equality programs, and Foundation Communications to build the environment in which all people can lead healthy and productive lives.

The North America Team (NAT) is a team within GPA that develops and executes policy, advocacy, communications, and government relations strategies to build political support and advance domestic and global programmatic priorities that are funded by, or executed within, the United States, Canada, and the United Nations.

Your Role

The Senior Program Officer (SPO), U.S. Programs – Policy, will be responsible for developing, assisting in the development of, and implementing across bodies of work focused on the design of policy solutions and analytical tools on education and economic mobility issues. Areas of emphasis include data, pathways and workforce programs, developmental education, and related issues (specific areas of focus will depend on the qualifications of the successful candidate). The SPO will strategically develop and lead one or more portfolios of grants and contracts while simultaneously nurturing a collaborative partner ecosystem. The successful candidate will bring a depth of knowledge and applicable experience on education and economic mobility topics, a balance of analytical and people skills, and an ability to be creative and adaptable in the face of constantly evolving internal and external conditions.

What You’ll Do

• Develop foundation points of view on priority education and economic mobility issues that support the goals of our U.S. Program (USP) strategy teams.
• Take a proactive approach to goal setting, strategy, and policy development, ensuring a strategic view of how the work will achieve impact.
• Determine when strategic shifts need to be made to advance policy priorities, including determining incremental achievements to reach the north star goals.
• Develop, assist in developing, implement, and manage a complex portfolio of grants focused on education and economic mobility policy. Review letters of inquiry and grant proposals and provide clear, concise, and insightful written analyses and recommendations for funding.
• Engage in innovative thinking to improve grantmaking and find new opportunities to advance policy priorities and achieve advocacy goals aligned to foundation strategies.
• Advise grantees and other partners to improve the individual and collective impact of projects or to jointly tackle complex problems.
• Serve as an internal specialist on relevant issues who stays up to date on or is able to track down reliable information on topics within and outside of their primary areas of expertise.
• Collaborate with USP teams as they build understanding of the various cost structures and resource tradeoffs associated with solutions they are investing in and may eventually seek to publicly scale and sustain.
• Generate custom analyses and products for foundation leaders and staff to provide relevant updates on our work and its impact, or in response to requests for additional information or directed learning on particular education topics.
• Represent the foundation before key external audiences in various settings ranging from national conferences to media to communicate foundation strategies and policy priorities.

Your Experience

• 7+ years of experience in strategy, strategic advocacy, and policy development at the state and federal level on education and economic mobility issues. Experience with pathways and workforce programs, data, and developmental education is preferred. Advanced degree is a plus. Senate, House, Administration, state government, or advocacy campaign experience is a plus.
• Demonstrated experience in designing, analyzing, and implementing policies, ideally within a nonprofit, governmental, or philanthropic setting, and an understanding of legislative processes and regulatory frameworks relevant to the foundation’s work.
• Experience across multiple subjects (e.g., K-12, postsecondary) or geographies (e.g., federal, states) is a bonus.
• Proven experience both in crafting “big-picture” vision with a systems-change attitude and developing and driving complex, yet flexible, implementation strategies.
• Ability to pressure test and further refine policy solutions and policy points of view with grantees and determine when strategic shifts need to be made to advance policy solutions.
• Experience in project management, including coordinating or working with cross-functional teams, managing resources, and ensuring alignment with organizational objectives.
• Demonstrated ability in rapidly assessing, prioritizing, and delivering on requests for assistance across multiple internal and external parties.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills with a focus on being able to succinctly and effectively synthesize complex concepts, information, and recommendations for decision-making.
• Technical experience or familiarity with cost-benefit analyses, financial modeling, macro-economic forecasting, or other forms of data analysis and visualization is a bonus.
• Willingness to travel up to 20%.

Must be able to legally work in the country where this position is located without visa sponsorship.

Salary & Benefits

The salary range for this role is $208,600.00 to $323,400.00 USD. We recognize high-wage market differences in Seattle and Washington D.C., where our offices are located. The range for this role in these locations is $227,400.00 to $352,400.00 USD. As a mission-driven organization, we strive to balance competitive pay with our mission. New hires’ salaries are typically between the range minimum and the salary range midpoint. Actual placement in the range will depend on a candidate’s job-related skills, experience, and expertise.

Hiring Requirements

As part of our standard hiring process for new employees, employment will be contingent upon successful completion of a background check.

Candidate Accommodations

If you require assistance due to a disability in the application or recruitment process, please submit a request here.

Inclusion Statement

We are dedicated to the belief that all lives have equal value. We strive for a global and cultural workplace that supports diversity, equity, and inclusion. All applicants and employees will enjoy equality of opportunity and fair treatment.

To apply: https://apptrkr.com/5956941