Senior Program Officer, Policy & Advocacy

The Sobrato Organization•Sacramento, CA

10d•$163,000 - $203,000•Hybrid

About The Position

Sobrato Philanthropies’ Thriving Communities strategy aims to uplift low-wage and housing-insecure residents and families. To achieve this vision, SP will deploy grants and other philanthropic tools in the Silicon Valley region, at the state level in California, and nationally across critical issue areas impacting communities, including Economic Mobility, Educational Equity, and Housing Security. Climate Action is the newest issue area in 2027, and our grantmaking portfolio will be small relative to the others. The Senior Program Officer will contribute to the implementation of SP's strategic approach to policy and advocacy grantmaking and influence, focusing primarily on California state policy. A key member of SP's Policy & Advocacy team, this role will lead strategy development and refinement, grantmaking, grantee engagement and progress monitoring, field engagement and collaborations with peer foundations and other partners, and evaluation and learning activities. The Senior Program Officer will bring experience in diligence, shaping, and managing a grant portfolio and demonstrate deep knowledge of policy and advocacy approaches to advance community-centered systemic change. The Senior Program Officer will lead policy and advocacy grants and activities in Economic Mobility (totaling approximately $6M-$7M in 2027), with three priorities: 1) increasing access to worker ownership as a wealth-building strategy, 2) getting cash to residents to help them meet their financial needs, and 3) strengthening the social safety net for our most vulnerable communities. A secondary responsibility will be launching a small Climate Action portfolio, drawing on the team’s learning to date. While they do not need to have equal expertise on all topics, the Senior Program Officer will understand the state and national policy environment, assess the impact of this landscape on our strategy, engage with well-informed and connected experts, and navigate dynamics that may be unique to specific topics.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree preferred.
Minimum 10 years of related experience at a senior program level in policy engagement and analysis.
Experience in philanthropic strategy, grantmaking, and grant portfolio management is strongly preferred.
Deep policy and advocacy expertise, preferably in Economic Mobility, with knowledge of relevant regional, state, and federal policy landscapes.
Track record of successfully leading advocacy efforts resulting in real and measurable change.
Proven grantmaking experience, including conducting due diligence on nonprofit organizations; assessing organizational, programmatic, and financial capacity for growth and scale; and developing grant agreements, measurable outcomes, and shared goals with grantee partners.
Demonstrated experience leading complex, long-term, multi-stakeholder strategic initiatives from conception through execution, with a strong track record of accountability and achieving measurable results.
Recognized internally and externally by the professional community as an expert, leader, and convener in the field of Economic Mobility.
Proven ability to build, influence, and sustain collaborative, trust-based relationships with internal colleagues, community organizations, public and private agencies, and other stakeholders from diverse backgrounds and lived experiences to drive collective goals.
Demonstrated experience addressing policies and systems impacting low-wage and housing-insecure residents and communities, including immigrant and multilingual families and youth.
Strategic thinking with robust quantitative and qualitative analytical skills to conduct thorough due diligence on an organization’s program and financial models, and organizational capacity.
Demonstrated adaptability, resourcefulness, and sound judgment, with the ability to navigate ambiguity, manage competing priorities, and respond constructively to change.
Strong interpersonal skills and emotional intelligence. Adept at giving and receiving feedback, listening actively, and navigating complex or sensitive situations.
Excellent organizational skills, with the ability to develop and refine processes that enhance team efficiency and effectiveness.
Ability to write clearly and concisely to reflect rigorous analysis of complex issues.
Agile learner and doer who can quickly get up to speed and form productive relationships.
Works well independently and in a team, demonstrating initiative, flexibility, and collaboration.
Brings a strong sense of self-confidence, self-awareness, and a sense of humor.
Excellent computer skills, including Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
Ability to travel within the state and nationwide as needed.

Responsibilities

Lead strategy development, refinement, and grantmaking for our statewide and national policy and advocacy grants in Economic Mobility. Launch initial, smaller Climate Action portfolio.
Identify and research organizations that would be well-aligned with our priorities, evaluate grant proposals, conduct due diligence and financial analysis using our rubrics, determine priority funding areas, draft agreements with key metrics, and present grant recommendations.
Grow and deepen ongoing collaboration with grantees through check-ins, site visits, technical assistance, and thought partnership, among other tools.
Collaborate with Program Officers and Senior Program Officers at SP to align strategies and grantmaking across geographies (Silicon Valley region, California, and nationally).
Develop and implement virtual and in-person grantee learning and convening opportunities.
Stay abreast of new, significant, and relevant developments in policy, research, and practice.
Proactively surface critical insights, trends, needs, and gaps on policy, systemic change, and organizational capacity building from our grantees and the field to inform SP’s grantmaking strategy and practice. Bring findings back to grantees to strengthen their capacity.
Regularly monitor state policy in California and track policy and funding wins for Economic Mobility primarily and Climate Action as needed. Provide updates to the team and lead discussions about the impact on communities and grantmaking implications.
Strategically align portfolio investments with the Thriving Communities strategy and provide key data and metrics to support outcome analyses and impact narrative.
Identify policy priorities for Economic Mobility on an annual basis and Climate Action as needed.
Build, maintain, and activate relationships with key leaders from government, philanthropy, for-profit, nonprofit, and other sectors to develop shared goals and coordinate efforts.
Regularly engage stakeholders in Sacramento, including policy leaders, researchers, and advocates, to inform relevant policy discussions and advance our policy goals.
Proactively pursue opportunities for policy impact beyond the grant through tools such as policymaker briefings, sponsorships, convenings and networking, and communications.
Participate in, inform, and/or advise policy and advocacy coalitions as appropriate.
Contribute to funder coalitions and learning spaces to inform philanthropic agendas.
Initiate and lead aligned and pooled philanthropic and public-private funding partnerships.
Represent SP at conferences, roundtables, and other public venues.
Build collaborative working relationships with all TSO staff. Maintain effective communication.
Mentor and advise Program Officers and participate in continuous learning with all SP staff.
Contribute to annual planning, goal setting, and budgeting cycle.
Participate in policy & advocacy, SP, and TSO all-staff meetings to coordinate work, report on progress, flag challenges, and offer insight and expertise.
Provide updates to SP/TSO leadership in coordination with the Director of Policy & Advocacy.
Partner with grants management team to ensure effective grantmaking processes and practices.
Support SP/TSO communications by providing stories and examples for public dissemination.