Program Officer Immigrant Rights

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Description

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• Be a strategic thinker who is deeply knowledgeable about current immigration policies, systems, institutions, and practices. 
• Will have broad familiarity with the field of national and state organizations active on immigration policy and rights issues. 
• Understand the roles that policy advocacy, organizing, strategic communications and philanthropy play in advancing social change; and bring a strong understanding of the politics of immigration and their interplay with related interests.
• Have a strong understanding of organizing and movement-building among communities directly affected by immigration policies, including undocumented migrants, immigrants involved in the US criminal legal system, and other communities of color.

• Manage, monitor and coordinate a grants portfolio, including: long-term grant planning; identifying and working with prospective grantees to develop proposals for grant recommendations; conducting organizational assessments; undertaking periodic reviews of progress with grantees; and reviewing financial and narrative reports.
• Contribute to the ongoing strategy development, refinement and implementation of the foundation’s Immigrant Rights line of work to scale impact. 
• Engage with grantees to review opportunities, challenges and advances, and encourage collaboration, learning, exchange, and strategic partnerships.  
• Work closely with other funders and with donor collaboratives to encourage philanthropic contributions and align giving to the immigrant rights field.
• Collaborate broadly across GREJ and other thematic areas on issues relevant to the needs and perspectives of immigrants. Serve as an accessible resource for the field accordingly.
• Represent the Foundation and its work in key venues with guidance from the GREJ Director and Ford’s Office of Communications. 
• Collaborate internally with other POs in cross-team working groups or committees.
• Work closely with a grantmaking team of Grants Manager and Program Assistant to manage all aspects of grants processing and compliance. 
• Serve as mentor and coach to a shared Program Associate and directly manage a Program Assistant to ensure effective support to grantees and grantmaking processes. 
• Contribute to the thinking and work of colleagues in the GREJ team, the Foundation and the field of grant seekers and philanthropic peers overall.

• BA/BS plus at least 8 years of immigrant rights experience in the United States or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Deep understanding of issues of immigration systems, institutions, movements, politics, and programs in the United States. 
• Close knowledge of the various mechanisms and venues for public policy change on immigration matters (organizing, legislative, legal, regulatory, applied research, strategic communications). 
• A strong understanding of how to apply intersectional analyses to the strategy, including gender, disability and racial justice. 
• Proven track record of working closely with communities that have been historically marginalized in systems that affect their lives.
• Direct experience engaging in systemic change initiatives or campaigns, from the purview of government, non-profit advocacy organizations, public interest legal organizations, philanthropy, or the academy.
• Exceptional leadership – internally and externally — and ability to lead high level engagement with donors and engage in strategic conversations throughout the field. 
• Exceptional communications skills – strong active listening skills, excellent verbal and written skills. 
• Superb analytical skills and ability to strategize, plan, prioritize and identify/assess opportunities, challenges, and institutions with which to engage. 
• Proven ability to engage with a broad variety of stakeholders and in coalition with others, openness and curiosity about new approaches and different points of view. 
• Ability to navigate a large and complex institution; willingness to participate constructively on organizational priorities beyond the immediate focus of this portfolio; comfort with institutional change and periods of ambiguity. 
• Written and oral fluency in English; knowledge and/or fluency in Spanish a plus.
• Familiarity with international migration organizations and trends is a plus.

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