Program Officer

SBF attracts folks who care about our mission of building empathetic, resilient communities. We live our values by building trust, embracing learning, fostering innovation, creating inclusive spaces, and treating one another and our communities with respect and care. We are a consecutive winner of PCBT’s Best Places to Work in the Central Coast.

We offer one of the most competitive benefit packages for similar and similarly sized organizations. Please check out our benefits page.

We’re seeking a Program Officer to join the Grantmaking team within our Programs Department. This position reports directly to our Director of Grantmaking and is based in Santa Barbara County.

Position Summary:

The Program Officer supports the Foundation’s mission and strategic priorities by managing assigned grantmaking portfolios across Santa Barbara County. Strategic priorities include Food, Shelter & Safety, Behavioral Health, Health Care, Environment & Conservation, and Arts & Culture.

Reporting to the Director of Grantmaking, the Program Officer manages core grantmaking activities, including outreach, proposal review, grant administration, grantee support, monitoring, and community engagement. The role serves as a key point of contact for nonprofit partners and helps ensure grantmaking is accessible, equitable, responsive, and informed by community needs.

Specific Responsibilities:

• Grantmaking Implementation and Portfolio Management
  • Manage the implementation of assigned grant programs in coordination with the Director of Grantmaking and program staff, ensuring clear communication, responsiveness, and timely execution throughout the grant cycle.
  • Coordinate all aspects of assigned grant cycles, including outreach, application support, proposal review processes, grant processing, award distribution, grantee monitoring, and report analysis, with a focus on clarity, accessibility, and timeliness for applicants and grantees.
  • Support grant review processes by coordinating committees, preparing materials, and assisting with proposal evaluation and funding recommendations, incorporating community context and partner perspectives where appropriate.
  • Monitor grant performance by tracking progress, reviewing reports, and supporting evaluation efforts while maintaining open communication with grantees.
  • Develop and maintain working knowledge of assigned issue areas, communities, and relevant organizations to support informed and responsive grantmaking.
• Community Engagement and Grantee Relationships
  • Conduct outreach in assigned program areas to understand community needs, engage a broad and diverse range of stakeholders, and incorporate community perspectives into grantmaking implementation.
  • Build and maintain respectful, responsive relationships with grantees, applicants, and community partners, serving as a primary point of contact for assigned grant programs.
  • Provide clear, timely, and supportive technical assistance to applicants and grantees throughout the grant lifecycle.
  • Participate in community meetings, collaborative groups, and partner spaces to stay informed of local and regional developments, emerging needs, and partnership opportunities, and apply this learning to program implementation.
  • Plan and coordinate community events, trainings, workshops, and site visits, and support presentations to community groups, partners, committees, and the Board.
• Learning, Collaboration, and Organizational Support
  • Support the Foundation’s community engagement priorities by contributing to program activities and integrating insights from community members and partners into grantmaking implementation.
  • Contribute to organizational learning by sharing insights and observations from grantmaking and community engagement activities.
  • Collaborate with internal teams and departments, including Philanthropic Services and Marketing and Communications, to support alignment, transparency, and information sharing.
  • Other duties as assigned.

Essential Requirements:

• At least 3-5 years of relevant experience in grantmaking, nonprofit programs, community engagement, or a related field
• Strong verbal and written communications skills, with the ability to communicate clearly, respectfully, and effectively with diverse audiences.
• Strong interpersonal skills and emotional intelligence, with the ability to build relationships, listen actively, and navigate complex or sensitive situations.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects and priorities, with strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced environment, exercising sound judgment and accountability.
• Experience supporting program implementation, project coordination, or grantmaking processes.
• Ability to assess information and use data to support decision-making, learning, and continuous improvement.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and the ability to learn and adapt to new systems and technologies.
• Commitment to working in a collaborative, team-oriented environment, with a willingness to contribute to shared goals and support colleagues.
• Demonstrated openness to feedback, learning, and adapting approaches based on new information and perspectives.
• Knowledge of or experience working with nonprofit organizations, community-based programs, or public sector initiatives; experience in health care or behavioral health is a plus.
• Bachelor’s degree, preferred, in public health, public policy, social sciences, behavioral health, business or a related field.

Work Environment:

• General office environment, maybe in open office area or shared office space.
• Dogs (pets) intermittently on the premises, please see our Pet Policy for more information.
• Hybrid work option may be available and employee must provide their own modem, router and internet connection.
• Significant telephone, video and computer work (repetitive movement – typing).
• Some driving travel within the county and occasional travel outside of the county (via car or plane).
• Frequent sitting, standing, walking, climbing stairs, bending and occasional lifting/pushing of light to heavy loads (10lbs. to more than 50 lbs.).

This exempt, full-time role is compensated at $70,000.00 – 80,000.00 annually, depending on skills and work experience.