Program Officer, President’s Office

Job Description The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation is one of the nation's largest independent foundations. The Foundation supports creative people, effective institutions, and influential networks building a more just, verdant, and peaceful world. MacArthur invests in solving some of the world’s most pressing social challenges, including advancing global climate solutions, promoting local justice reform in the U.S., revitalizing local news, expanding who creates, uses, and benefits from artificial intelligence, and strengthening the well‑being of Native communities. In addition to the MacArthur Fellows Program and the global 100&Change competition, the Foundation continues its historic commitments to journalism and the vitality of its headquarters city, Chicago. The Foundation also has offices in Nigeria and India. The Office of the President at the MacArthur Foundation is responsible for ensuring the Foundation delivers on its philanthropic mission. The Program Officer, President’s Office, works with the team’s Director and colleagues to ensure the strategic, effective and efficient implementation of grantmaking and special initiatives sponsored by the office. The role is term‑limited to an initial five‑year period, with a possibility of extension. Essential Duties and Responsibilities Participate in the design, implementation, refinement, and adaptation of grant‑making strategies. Support the Director, President’s Office, in managing the grant‑making budget. Identify prospective grant recipients and work with them to develop proposals that meet internal standards and align with institutional goals and values. Conduct background research and due diligence, prepare grant recommendations for the President’s consideration, review and evaluate proposals, and respond graciously to unsuccessful proposals. Monitor the performance of grants and the implementation of grant strategies. Build and maintain relationships with grantees while managing the administrative cycle of a grant, including reviewing reports and maintaining records. Organize meetings and convenings of prospective grantees, program advisors, and others in relevant fields. Write extensively for internal purposes. Build and sustain relationships with colleagues across the Foundation and with leaders, actors, and organizations in relevant fields, including the public and private sectors. Assist in the design and implementation of special initiatives. Represent the Foundation at conferences and other public events, including as a speaker or panel participant. Other Duties and Responsibilities Serve on internal Foundation committees as appropriate. Perform other duties as assigned. Qualifications Bachelor’s degree and six to ten years of experience as a policy professional, researcher, or practitioner in a relevant field; previous grant‑making or grant‑seeking experience preferred; graduate training desirable. Able to make effective connections among research, policy, and practice and to work productively across sectors. Experience working in and deep knowledge of the non‑profit and/or government sectors. Excellent analytical and communication skills, including writing and public speaking. Experience in project management and strategic communications. Self‑confident, collegial, and diplomatic, with an appreciation of the role of an executive office internally and externally. Computer fluent, with a high level of comfort with new applications. Additional essential skills: interpersonal effectiveness, ability to organize and convey problems clearly and succinctly, openness to diverse views, talent for managing multiple tasks with initiative, problem‑solving creativity, attention to detail, and quick turnaround time. The position is hybrid and based in Chicago, Illinois. Annual salary for this role will start at $120,700. The Foundation offers a generous total compensation package that emphasizes both base salary and a comprehensive benefits package to support your life, health, and well‑being. Physical Requirements and Work Environment The work environment is an office setting. Intermittent physical activities will include bending, reaching, sitting, and moving around the office during working hours. Requests for reasonable accommodations will be considered to enable a person with disabilities to perform the job, and reasonable accommodations are also available during the interview process. #J-18808-Ljbffr