Program Officer - Early Childhood

The Ford Family Foundation•Roseburg, OR

5d•$103,000 - $116,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The Ford Family Foundation is seeking a Program Officer to support the Children, Youth and Families (CYF) Department. This role focuses on early care and education, aiming to ensure rural children have strong starts and bright futures. The Program Officer will contribute expertise in early childhood education systems, focusing on family stabilization, financially resilient programs, supportive policies, and a strong workforce. This position involves grantmaking, field-building, and advocating for rural communities. The Program Officer reports to the Director of Children, Youth and Families.

Requirements

A minimum of 5 years of progressive experience in the field of early care and education.
A bachelor’s degree required.
Strong knowledge of early care and education systems.
Demonstrated experience in one or more of the following areas: early childhood development (birth to five), childcare, preschool and other care and education support settings.
Experience in building and maintaining relationships with early educators, parents, community, technical experts and advocacy organizations.
Commitment to rural issues and community-based efforts.
Outstanding interpersonal skills are key; we are a foundation that highly values an approachable style, humility, compassion for the children and families being served, empathetic listening skills and the ability to connect with diverse stakeholders.
Ability to thrive in a collaborative, collegial and team-oriented environment where a willingness to “roll up your sleeves” to get the job done is central to the culture.
Comfort with ambiguity and the challenge of forging a path forward when information is imperfect and milestones may not be clear.
Exceptional project management skills.
Exceptional verbal and written communication skills with a confident presence across social media, radio and conference engagements.
Skillful handling of multiple relationships is critical.
Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis.

Nice To Haves

Graduate degree in early childhood, education or other relevant field preferred.
Experience in public policy related to early childhood is a plus; desire and commitment to learning required if new to policy work.
Familiarity with or direct experience in the rural communities of Oregon or Northern California would be an advantage.
Skill in crafting and delivering concise, impactful content that makes complex ideas accessible and engaging for diverse audiences.
Good judgment and discretion, especially in external-facing roles.

Responsibilities

Strategically deploy philanthropic resources — including grants, convening, research, technical support and policy engagement — to advance outcomes for children birth to five in rural communities.
Serve as a lead contributor to strategy development, including work plans, initiatives and budgets aligned with early education priorities.
Provide leadership for cross-foundation efforts supporting early care and education.
Maintain deep knowledge of early childhood research, policy and best practices, with a focus on rural contexts.
Champion early childhood development and systems-level investment in rural communities at state and national levels.
Build and sustain strong, trust-based relationships with grantees, partners and community leaders.
Engage with regional, state and national partners, including regional Early Learning Hubs, the Department of Early Learning and Care and a variety of early care and key education partners.
Strengthen connections across public, private, nonprofit and community systems impacting early education.
Represent the Foundation in communities and forums statewide as a champion of early care and education and systems improvement.
Contribute and collaborate across Foundation departments to more deeply integrate and align efforts.
Build and manage a portfolio of grants.
Prepare grant recommendations for review at the appropriate staff, committee or board level.
Coordinate complex projects and develop, implement, manage and evaluate strategic community programs.
Partner with evaluation experts to design a method for monitoring, checking and adjusting the effectiveness of the Foundation’s investments; create and maintain systems to track progress and ensure that timelines and benchmarks are met.