Program Officer

ABOUT THE DAVID AND LUCILE PACKARD FOUNDATION Founded in 1964 by David and LucilePackard, The David and Lucile Packard Foundation (the Foundation) is a familyphilanthropy dedicated to supporting leaders and organizations around the worldworking to invest in children and families, protect and restore the naturalworld, and create just and inclusive societies. For more than six decades, theFoundation has advanced scientific innovation, championed reproductive healthand rights, conserved and restored our natural world, and invested in thewell-being of children and families. The Foundation's goals are to:
Build Just Societies: support a strong civil society and inclusive institutions and governance to build just and equitable societies for all people.
Protect and Restore Our Natural World: champion bold climate solutions, an ocean that sustains us, and scientific innovation and discovery to secure the health and future of people and planet.
Invest in Families and Communities: prioritize the importance of children having a healthy start and promoting resilient and vibrant communities where children and families thrive, so they have the power to shape their lives.To achieve lasting change, the Foundation also strives to addressroot causes of longstanding problems, including building a thriving, resilientU.S. democracy; advancing racial justice in the United States and gender equityglobally; and supporting a strong civil society around the globe.Inclusive collaboration is the heart of the Foundation's approach,with the belief that actively listening to and learning from people with a widerange of views is the best way to create solutions that match the scale andurgency of the challenges we face. TheFoundation is dedicated to supporting community-based solutions shaped by theknowledge and experience of the people whose lives are most affected andinformed by data, recognizing that meaningful solutions require patience,urgency, and supporting the conditions for transformational change. TheFoundation is committed to addressing complex issues over the long term whilemaking tangible progress today.
The Foundation's Vision, Mission and Values are as follows:
Vision: A just and equitable world where both people and nature flourish.
Mission: We work with people and communities to create enduring solutions for just societies and a healthy, resilient natural world.
Values: Equity, Integrity, Belief in Individual Leadership, Thinking Big, Respect, and Effectiveness.
CHILDREN AND FAMILIES INITIATIVE As the Packard Foundation advances its goal to "Invest in Familiesand Communities," it recognizes that ensuring a strong, healthy start forchildren is foundational to thriving families, resilient communities, and amore equitable society. Yet across the United States, too many families facesystemic barriers to accessing the health care, economic supports, and early learningexperiences necessary for healthy pregnancies, safe births, and optimal healthand development. These challenges are compounded by persistent racial andeconomic inequities that result in disproportionately poor outcomes for Black,Indigenous, and Latino families.


The Children and Families initiative is focused on improving maternal and child health outcomes andensuring that all families, particularly those facing the greatest barriers, haveaccess to the supports they need during pregnancy and early childhood. Theinitiative is grounded in the belief that when families are supported early,children are more likely to thrive and reach their full potential. To advancethis goal, the Foundation supports strategies that strengthen and betterconnect the community systems that serve families, including health care, childcare, and economic supports, as well as champion policies designed to betterassist all families. By improving how these systems function individually andtogether, the initiative seeks to reduce disparities, improve outcomes, andcreate a more coherent and accessible support ecosystem for families. CFI fundsnationally with focused investments in California, Louisiana, and Mississippi.

THE PROGRAM OFFICER ROLE Reporting to the Children and Families Director, this Program Officer will lead a grantmaking portfolio that focuses on protecting and advancingcoverage and equitable access to quality health and nutrition services underMedicaid, Children's Health Insurance Program, and Supplemental NutritionAssistance Program, nationally. Funding priorities include federal, state, andgrassroots advocacy; research and policy analysis; litigation to preservebeneficiary rights; narrative change and communications; and innovation tobetter support the health and well-being of young children, mothers, andexpectant families.

The Program Officerwill manage a portfolio that supports policy development, advocacy, implementation,and systems change at the national level. They will assess opportunities forinvestment, shape grantmaking strategies, and build relationships with philanthropicpartners, policy experts, advocates, and community-based leaders working tostrengthen and connect systems of care for expectant families, mothers, andyoung children, prenatal to 3 years. This role requires a strong understandingof how public systems and policies impact family well-being, along with theability to translate complex, evolving policy landscapes into clear, actionablefunding strategies. They will be comfortable navigating ambiguity and workingacross sectors, balancing long-term systems change with near-term opportunitiesfor impact.

The ideal candidate is a strategic andanalytical thinker who brings a deep commitment to equity and to improvingoutcomes for families, particularly Black, Indigenous, Latino, and low-incomecommunities. They are a strong communicator and collaborator, able to workeffectively with internal colleagues, external partners, and grantees toadvance shared goals. They will also bring a thoughtful, nonpartisan approachto this work, with the ability to engage across diverse perspectives andstakeholders.

OPPORTUNITIES
Grantmaking and StrategicLeadership In partnership with the Director, lead the development and implementation of strategy for a national portfolio focused on strengthening systems and policies that support children and families, including Medicaid and SNAP.
Lead all aspects of annual grantmaking including assessment of opportunities, recommendation of proposals, managing relationships with grantee partners, and evaluating of impact.
Support grantee partners in advancing policy and systems change, providing strategic guidance and technical insight, as appropriate.
Manage the grant proposal process through its lifecycle in partnership with the program associate and contribute to the shaping of proposals, as needed.
Clearly and consistently communicate with grant recipients, staff, and other partners in a transparent, timely and respectful manner.
Manage complex processes involving multiple stakeholders, institutions and cross-functional teams.
Review and address legal, financial, and operational considerations related to grants and reporting.
Develop clear, concise, and high-quality materials for senior leadership and the Board, including strategy documents, updates, and quarterly docket materials.
Strategic and FieldLeadership Convene and engage grantees, policy experts, advocates, and peer funders to advance shared priorities and strengthen the field.
Integrate communications, learning, and evaluation into grantmaking to support continuous improvement and shared learning.
Collaborate with internal and external stakeholders to advance cross-initiative alignment and identify opportunities for greater impact.
Represent the Foundation and the Children and Families Initiative externally with credibility and clarity across a wide range of audiences, including meeting with current and potential grantees, giving presentations and attending public forums and conferences on topics of relevance, and when interacting with nonprofit, government and private sector leaders, elected officials, academics, collaboratives and journalists.
Contribute to the broader field-building efforts through partnership, collaboration, and thought leadership.


DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS Whileno one candidate will possess all the qualifications listed below, the idealcandidate will be passionate about The David and Lucile Packard Foundation'smission and bring many of the following skills and experiences.
Experienceand Education A minimum of 7 years of experience in child and family policy, public systems, or related fields, with a focus on advancing outcomes for children and and/or program advancement, development, and implementation relevant to children, families, and the communities in which they live.
Expertise in the core issues of the Children and Families initiative, preferably working across sectors (nonprofit, government, philanthropy, or research), with an understanding of how policy, systems, and implementation intersect.
Bachelor's degree required; an advanced degree is strongly preferred.


Field Knowledge andExperience Strong understanding of public systems and policies that impact young children and families, including Medicaid, SNAP, and related public benefit programs.
Familiarity with national and/or state-level policy landscapes, including the ability to navigate evolving political and funding environments.
Experience translating policy, advocacy, or systems strategies into actionable initiatives, investments, or programs.
Track record of success as a strategic thinker and program-leader within a philanthropic, nonprofit, management consulting, academic or government context.
Skills, Abilities, and Qualities A commitment to the vision, mission, and values of the Packard Foundation.
Innovative, strategic and analytical thinker skilled in understanding and meeting ever-evolving challenges.
Highly skilled and persuasive communicator with exceptional written, oral, interpersonal and presentation skills
Ability to build effective partnerships and networks externally, as well as sustain collaborative relationships both internally and externally.
Self-directed and decisive combined with flexibility and capacity to give and receive feedback graciously.
Thrives in a team-based and collegial workplace.
Committed to inclusion and deeply values creating a workplace that is supportive of difference; brings experience with diverse teams and success at navigating cross-cultural communication.
Devoted to growing own cultural competence and willing to actively participate in the Foundation's efforts to integrate justice and equity into all facets of our work together.
Administratively self-sufficient
Leads with humility and a learning mindset.
WORK LOCATION, COMPENSATION & BENEFITS The position is full-time. The salaryrange for this position is $181,000-$235,000 annually. This salary range is anestimate, and the actual salary may vary based on various factors, includingwithout limitation individual education, experience, tenure, certification,skills, and abilities, as well as internal equity and alignment with marketdata. Offers are based on the candidate's years of experience and our practiceof upholding salary equity within the foundation.

The David and Lucile Packard Foundationoffers excellent benefits for eligible employees. Current benefits includemedical (HMO and HDHPs), dental and vision coverage; 15% employer contributionto employee retirement plan; life insurance, disability insurance, vacation,and sick leave; an adoption benefit; fertility benefit; a financial wellnessprogram; health advocacy services, paid time off to volunteer for nonprofitorganizations; matching gifts for employee contributions to tax exemptorganizations; commute assistance; and tuition assistance.


The Packard Foundation's current HybridWork Policy is that staff are expected to be in the Los Altos office onTuesdays and Wednesdays each week with some additional days required. Thisposition requires the ability to travel a minimum of 30% of the time. Inaddition, work outside regular business hours may be necessary to accommodatetime zone differences and support key responsibilities.
The PackardFoundation is an equal employment opportunity employer, which means we recruit,hire, assign, train, promote, compensate, provide benefits, discipline, anddischarge (and all the other terms and conditions of employment) based onmerit, qualifications, job requirements, and other legitimate business factors.