Program Director, Disaster Relief and Recovery

Margaret A Cargill Philanthropic Services, LLC•Eden Prairie, MN

2d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Program Director provides leadership and management for the Disaster Relief and Recovery domain. The Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies (MACP), which includes the Margaret A. Cargill Foundation and the Anne Ray Foundation, organizes most of its grantmaking activities into seven program domains with defined strategies, guided by donor intent. Across all programs, MACP seeks to support work in and with communities toward developing solutions that deliver effective, sustainable programs that provide meaningful assistance and support to society, the arts, and the environment. The Program Director collaborates closely with the domain’s core team of three Program Officers and Program Associate(s), along with Managing Director, Programs, Vice President, Programs, and staff from other program and functional areas in MACP, all toward building, managing, and evaluating an effective grantmaking domain. The Program Director reports to the Managing Director, Programs and is primarily responsible for ongoing development and implementation of program strategy, providing direction and oversight for domain grantmaking and operations, directly managing the team, and engaging when needed with the Program Committee of the Board and outside organizations as necessary. The Disaster Relief and Recovery team currently focuses on work in three program areas: Relief and Recovery, International Disaster Preparedness and Domestic Disaster Preparedness. The Relief and Recovery Program focuses on providing pre-positioned dollars through multi-year grants with a select group of humanitarian and emergency response organizations that are capable of meeting immediate to early recovery needs in low attention natural disasters within 10 states in the Midwest region of the United States and globally. The International Disaster Preparedness Program focuses on reducing suffering by equipping communities with the knowledge, skills and capacities necessary to adequately prepare for, respond to and recover from the impact of low attention natural disasters in the following seven priority geographies: Guatemala, El Salvador, Nepal, Bangladesh, Philippines, Indonesia and Timor Leste. The Midwest Preparedness Program focuses on building and enhancing the readiness of disaster response and social service organizations in the 10-state region in order to ensure the survivors of natural disasters experience less suffering by improving access to high quality disaster relief and recovery services to individuals, households and communities.

Requirements

An undergraduate degree with at least 10 years of direct experience leading teams in the philanthropy or humanitarian sectors.
Management and leadership experience managing teams, leading teams through organizational change, and coaching staff through complex grantmaking decisions.
Extensive knowledge and experience in domestic and international disaster relief, recovery, and resilience programming, including key field issues and their political and economic implications, with demonstrated ability to navigate these issues diplomatically.
Diverse and rich experience working with nonprofits and/or foundations with a solid understanding of nonprofit organizational structure and actions to advance social change.
Experience, and credibility working in strategic philanthropy, with measurable objectives and accountability to grantee partners and organization leadership.
Proven record of overseeing an annual grantmaking portfolio.
Demonstrated ability to translate the goals and strategies of an organization into actionable plans that align to organization values, philosophy, and mission.
Strong interpersonal and communications skills with proven ability to build collaborative relationships and operate in a team environment that advances the donor’s intent.
Proven ability to think strategically; demonstrated record of success working with a diverse constituency of partners and stakeholders to achieve specific programmatic outcomes.
Knowledge of methods for incorporating equity, inclusion, and diversity into grantmaking and relationships with staff and community.
An understanding of the key issues in philanthropy, a detailed knowledge of grantmaking tools and types, and an understanding of principles of trust-based philanthropy.
Knowledge of community-led philanthropy and capacity building that helps support grantees in their efforts to build sustainable impact in their community.
Understanding or experience in streamlining processes, oversight, and evaluation processes to allow more attention on impact and relationships, while continuing to provide strong stewardship of resources.
Strong detail orientation and project management skills with ability to maintain perspective on the broader principles driving an organization’s work.

Nice To Haves

Graduate-level academic degree in a related field or equivalent level of experience with a proven track record of success and leadership accomplishments is preferred.
Background and understanding of a wide range of cultural communities and contexts, and experience in at least one of the domain’s geographic areas including the Upper Midwest, Guatemala, El Salvador, Nepal, Bangladesh, Philippines, Indonesia and/or Timor Leste with experience to advance is preferred.

Responsibilities

Lead and manage domain budget development and manage cash distribution goals across all three program areas of the domain.
Oversee and support three Program Officers and Program Associate(s) to manage program portfolios in a manner that fosters meaningful and respectful relationships with grantee and funder partners, respects workload demands on staff and grantees, captures, and applies relevant learning, and keeps staff and board leadership appropriately informed of progress, risk and lessons learned.
Translate and communicate domain-level program strategy, adapting to the needs of diverse audiences, ensuring the Program Committee and Board have the necessary knowledge to fully consider and understand domain strategy and refinements.
Occasionally travel with Program Officers and others to source new grantmaking opportunities, develop and monitor grant outcomes and learning with grantee partners, build constructive relationships, and stay current with program strategies and relevant fields of knowledge.
Collaborate with the Managing Program Director on strategy, process, implementation, and evaluation, ensuring accountability, timely communication, strong cross-team coordination and effective delegation.
In partnership with Program Officers, develop and oversee evaluation plans for the domain in the context of MACP’s evaluation and organizational learning goals.
Maintain accountability for due diligence on all grants within the portfolio with support from Program Operations and cross-functional colleagues, and in collaboration with legal, finance, grants management, and evaluation functions.
Evaluate opportunities to coordinate and collaborate with other funders to multiply overall impact within Disaster Relief and Recovery domain strategies and focused goals.
Lead domain-level learning and assessment efforts by integrating sector knowledge, grantee and partner insights, and evaluation findings to inform strategy refinement, strengthen grantmaking practice, and share actionable lessons with program and cross-functional colleagues.
Provide inclusive, effective leadership for program staff by fostering belonging and respecting diverse perspectives; setting clear expectations and accountability; and supporting training, coaching, and professional development. Use learning-focused approaches to assign work, onboard and mentor staff, support day-to-day execution, and review performance. Partner closely with staff to advance MACP-aligned grant development, oversight, and evaluation.
Lead and manage change effectively as a change agent aligned with MACP’s strategic priorities, goals, and cultural values – setting clear direction, reinforcing shared accountability, and enabling teams to move forward with confidence and purpose.
Participate in functional-level program planning, learning leadership, organizational development, and team building.
Work in partnership with others to advance the overall philanthropic vision of Margaret A. Cargill.
Advance MACP’s mission and cultural values of excellence, humility, learning, respect, integrity, and making a difference. Support MACP’s vision and commitments to diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice (DEIJ), which are rooted in our cultural values and embedded in direction from our donor.
Contribute to community learning and impact goals, including efforts to strengthen a culture of belonging that embraces different viewpoints, seeks full participation, cultivates welcoming and respectful environments, promotes fair treatment, and confronts discrimination in all its forms.
Participate in cross functional or enterprise level projects and evolving priorities, as appropriate to role and expertise.
Perform other related duties as assigned in support of programmatic and organizational goals.