Program Officer

The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation•Menlo Park, CA

19h•$205,000 - $240,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The Performing Arts Program Officer will be committed to the Hewlett Foundation's mission and arts essential role in helping individuals and communities thrive. They will manage one third of the programs overall grantmaking portfolio and serve as the lead for the Performing Arts Programs Artists strategy. Specifically, the Program Officer will hold over half of the programs grants that advance its Artists strategy, as well as a cross-section of grants that advance the programs Communities and Youth strategies (each of which is led by other Performing Arts Program Officers). The Program Officer reports to the Director of the Performing Arts Program and works collaboratively with the Performing Arts team as well as relevant foundation staff in fulfilling their role throughout the course of their eight-year term. They are responsible for maintaining collaborative relationships within the Foundation and the broader arts community. The Program Officer will actively engage with both the regional arts ecosystem and national trends to support program planning and strategy implementation. It is essential that the Program Officer expertly navigate building and maintaining relationships with artists from a broad range of artistic disciplines and performance styles.

Requirements

Bachelors degree (or equivalent work experience) and a minimum of seven years of related work experience in a mission-driven sector with a strong connection to artistic and cultural expression
Excellent interpersonal skills and the demonstrated intercultural competency are essential.
Highly relationship-oriented; highly skilled at listening, managing power dynamics, giving and receiving feedback, and exercising transparency.
Exceptional analytical skills and judgement, with excellent written and verbal communications skills.
Alignment with the priorities and values of the Hewlett Foundation and a desire to both represent them and move them forward.
Residency in the Bay Area is a requirement for the position.
All Hewlett employees spend a minimum of 2-3 days/week (or 50%) in the office when not traveling.
As the primary relationship manager with a portfolio of diverse foundation grantees, this position requires frequent local travel (20%), including attendance at performing arts events during evening and weekend hours.
Occasional travel to national conferences is also required (5%).

Nice To Haves

A relevant masters degree a plus.
Personal artistic practice or background preferred.
Previous experience in grantmaking preferred.
Knowledge of the San Francisco Bay Area arts sector strongly preferred.
Experience with equity work.

Responsibilities

Manage a diverse portfolio of approximately 70 grantees; assess grantee progress; analyze fiscal health, policies, and plans; and review financial and programmatic reports.
Actively learn from and provide feedback to artists, staff, and board leaders of organizations representing a wide range of backgrounds and identities, aesthetics, and organizational structures and approaches.
Invite, review, and respond to inquiries and proposals.
Offer professional advice and field expertise to applicants, researchers, and others in the field.
Develop written analyses of grants and write memos examining issues affecting the arts and culture sector and the programs strategies; draft requests for proposals (RFPs), budgets, and work plans for projects; author articles for external publication; and provide input to improve others work products.
Manage evaluation of grants and participate in assessments of program strategies.
Develop guidelines for measuring the success of grants and program strategies.
Ensure that sound financial controls are in place for each grant and that funds are spent wisely in accordance with grant agreements.
Collaborate with the program director and program team to refine the programs strategic goals; plan and implement research projects, evaluations, grant initiatives, communications, convenings, grantmaking practices, and other field supports.
Maintain effective relationships with current and prospective grantees and cultivate relationships with funders and partners in the field.
Represent the foundations mission and goals.
Adeptly manage projects that deepen understanding of the arts and culture field, the programs work, and advance the foundations goals.
Design and organize foundation-sponsored meetings with grantees and field experts.
Solicit proposals, manage consultants, and ensure projects are fulfilled in accordance with contract agreements.
Actively participate in internal meetings, committees, and social events that strengthen the foundations culture; design and implement opportunities such as lectures or social events that connect the programs activities with foundation peers.
Contribute to advancing the foundations culture, values, and plans, including foundation wide and program-specific diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice efforts.
Participate fully as a member of the Performing Arts Program, collaborating with other team members and supporting team-wide activities.
Represent the foundation at appropriate external meetings, conferences, and site visits.