Program Officer
- Employer
- The Barra Foundation
- Location
- Pennsylvania, United States
- Salary
- Competitive Salary
- Closing date
- Nov 17, 2021
Program
Officer
Invitation to Apply | Issued: October 18, 2021
The Opportunity - Position
Overview
The Barra Foundation is hiring a
Program Officer. This person will play a key role in a small
dynamic team of three full-time program staff as the Foundation
improves and refines its strategy for 2022 and beyond. They should
have a broad understanding of the opportunities and challenges
associated with both creating the conditions for innovation and
supporting early stage ideas/experiments that aim to have outsized
impact in the Greater Philadelphia region. They should be flexible
and open to change; have a familiarity with the Greater
Philadelphia region/social sector; be able to equitably identify
ambitious novel approaches to emerging or entrenched problems; lift
up the latest conversations and trends in the field; and be able to
cocreate with communities, grantees, partner organizations, as well
as funding peers. The Program Officer (PO) will report to the
President and work closely with the Senior Program Officer.
The Organization
The Barra Foundation
is an independent private foundation that invests in innovation to
inspire change that strengthens communities in the Greater
Philadelphia region. Barra’s investments are designed to address
the needs of under-resourced populations in the region and promote
a continued vibrant cultural community. The Foundation provides
more than $4 million in annual grants to 501(c)(3) organizations
that are focused on supporting innovation in and across the fields
of Arts & Culture, Education, Health and Human Services. Using
both general operating support and risk-capital, Barra supports the
efforts of creative thinkers and bold organizations that are
tackling problems and seizing opportunities in new and different
ways.
What Guides Our Work
With our roots in the
scientific method, we believe that the practice of innovation is a
process that requires certain elements. It involves creating
opportunities for idea generation, selecting ideas that have the
potential to influence others, supporting risk-taking and sharing
learning. Please visit our website to learn more about our approach
and what guides our work.
Our Evolving Strategy
Since 2014, Barra’sstrategy has been composed of two primary
grant
programs: the Catalyst Fund and the Barra Awards. In addition
to grants to specific organizations, Barra uses “Beyond the Money”
efforts, such as convening, communication and additional resources
to help further innovation in our region. Outside of traditional
grant-making, Barra has begun to utilize missionaligned investing
as part of its overall strategy.
Throughout 2020 and 2021, Barra quickly adapted its grantmaking to respond to the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 and systemic racism on communities of color. You can read about our response here. The Foundation remains committed to its innovation-focused mission and has been working to integrate the lessons learned from the past year and half to further improve its grantmaking for 2022. As such, the Board and staff are reviewing potential enhancements to its strategy and grantmaking programs, which will likely evolve beyond its current configuration.
Program Officer - Primary
Responsibilities
• Strategy Development and Implementation – Work with President and
Senior Program Officer to develop improvements to strategy and
tactics for advancing strategic objectives.
• Pipeline Development – Source and identify ways to support early
stage idea development as well as opportunities to test ideas and
ventures, including mission aligned investing opportunities.
• Build Relationships – Manage relationships with partner
organizations; earn trust and build relationships amongst grantees
and community partners; serve as a resource and a connector, be
responsive to their needs; convene grantees for peer learning and
sharing; manage consultants working on related projects.
• Outcomes/Results – Work with partners collaboratively to define
goals for each grant and investment, as well as in aggregate at the
portfolio level.
• Research and Learning – Stay current on key issues and related
research; lift up learning from partner organizations and learn
from partner organizations.
• Dissemination and Communication – Assist in designing and
maintaining transparent, standardized and easily accessible systems
to capture lessons learned and share information from past grants.
Recommend and develop grant stories for publication on Barra’s
website, email and social media. • Grants Management – Manage
administrative tasks throughout a grant’s lifecycle.
• Organizational Team – Participate in regular staff meetings,
retreats and events. Participate in conferences and site visits as
necessary. Collaborate with team to ensure consistent
implementation of strategy and values. Practice participatory
philanthropy, engaging grantees, staff and colleagues in the design
and improvement of programs.
Qualifications
We are open to a range of professional experiences that candidates
provide. The successful candidate will be adaptive, energetic,
personable, self-motivated, confident and humble. They enjoy
working in a small, fast-paced, multi-task environment that has a
learning culture. They will have the ability to work both
independently and as a team member in a collegial workplace where
dialogue and discourse are expected and encouraged. A sense of
humor and a constructive outlook are a plus. The individual should
be able to demonstrate the following:
• A solid understanding of the opportunities and challenges of
early stage ideas that have the potential to seed and create
transformative change.
• The ability to think creatively and strategically about Barra’s
broad goals while remaining focused on the details and follow
through required.
• Flexibility: Ability to quickly pivot and thrive in a fluid
environment.
• Understands the importance of equity in the social sector and in
philanthropy—both in strategy and in practice.
• Demonstrated experience with and commitment to supporting a
diverse, equitable and inclusive organization.
• Strong and diverse experience in one or more areas: Health, Human
Services, Education and Arts & Culture and a solid
understanding of how nonprofit organizations operate.
• Familiarity with the Greater Philadelphia region/social sector;
have an existing diverse network in the region or a demonstrated
ability to build one. • Knowledge about innovation practice in the
social sector and philanthropy.
• Experience in/or willingness to learn about mission aligned
investing.
• Strong analytic and communication skills; ability to write
clearly and succinctly; and, to make well-organized verbal
presentations.
• The skills to work collaboratively with grantees throughout
proposal development and implementation. The ability (through
analysis, evaluation, informal research and site visits) to
determine the feasibility of submitted proposals.
• Excellent project management skills.
• Solid interpersonal skills; ability to work effectively as a
member of a small team.
• Demonstrates good judgment and integrity. Ability to handle
confidential information with maturity and discretion.
• Savvy about applying the use of technology to capture, manage and
disseminate information; proficient computer skills with knowledge
of MS Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
• Seven or more years of relevant experience in a social impact
organization, nonprofit management, public policy, government,
social enterprise, philanthropy, economic development, mission
aligned investing or a related field.
• Bachelor’s degree preferred but not required.
Office in COVID-19
Currently staff continue to work from home. There is an expectation
that this position will be based in an office in Center City with
an ability to work remotely regularly.
Compensation
Competitive compensation package, including base salary and
benefits package will correspond to the experience level and
credentials of the candidate. Salary is approximately: $95,000 -
$100,000 based on experience and skills.
Non-Discrimination
The Barra Foundation supports the principle and philosophy of equal
opportunity for all individuals, regardless of age, race, gender,
creed, national origin, ability, veteran status or any other
protected category pursuant to applicable federal, state or local
law. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to diversity,
equity and inclusion. We welcome and encourage all qualified
candidates to apply.
How to Apply
If you wish to apply for this position, please submit your resume
and cover letter to careers@barrafoundation.org
with the Subject Line: Barra Program Officer. You must send your
materials to this email address to be considered. Applications will
be reviewed on a rolling basis.
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