Program Officer, State-Focus, Social Change Portfolio

The Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation (STBF) is now
seeking nominations and applications for a Program
Officer, State-Focus, in its US
Programs, Social Change
portfolio. The Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation
(STBF) is a private grant-making Foundation with a U.S. home office
in Omaha, Nebraska, and a global office in Kigali, Rwanda. With
annual spending in excess of $800 million, it is one of the largest
private foundations in the U.S. The Foundation is unusual for
donors of such size as it has only two main areas of grant making:
1) supporting efforts to reduce unintended pregnancy and ensure
access to safe abortion in the U.S. and around the world and 2) to
enable low-income students in Nebraska to attend and succeed in
college. The Foundation currently employs over 60 staff across the
U.S. and Kigali, Rwanda. The Foundation will not exist in
perpetuity. After Mr. Buffett passes away (he is currently 93 years
old), the Foundation’s grantmaking will grow substantially, then
eventually sunset after 15 years.

The Program Officer (State-Focus) plays an
important role in developing and managing workplans focused on
sustaining and expanding state-based grantmaking. The Foundation
will continue investments in a strategic set of states and expand
investments into new states with opportunities for abortion
access.

The Program Officer will bring strong relationship-building
skills to their role as a grant maker, developing trust-based and
collaborative partnerships with portfolio grantees. The Program
Officer will co-develop and then take responsibility for
implementation of workplans that serve STBF’s goals, including
identifying gaps or liabilities in movement work, securing internal
or external stakeholder buy-in, seeking out new grantees, and
shepherding new and existing grants through the proposal and
reporting processes. They will uphold high standards for stewarding
the Foundation’s resources, including budgeting, grant monitoring,
and compliance. Managing goal-oriented work plans may additionally
entail setting learning agendas, preparing grants for approval by
Senior Program Officers, making budget recommendations, and
communicating grantee progress or challenges to others.
Additionally, in keeping with the values of STBF, they will
collaborate across colleagues and join a diverse team of people
deeply committed to equitable practices and reducing disparities in
the workplace as well as in the field. This position reports to a
Senior Program Officer in the Social Change portfolio.

The Program Officer will approach the position of grant maker
with a profound sense of modesty, integrity, and cooperation. They
will be capable of establishing relationships with their grantees
that are expert, responsive, conscientious, and collaborative in
their thinking. They will participate in site visits to remain
informed about the progress of the portfolio grantees and convene
meetings, if required, to contribute supplementary knowledge that
guides the work of USP. They shall provide input for the STBF Board
reports and establish or sustain connections with other funders
involved in the movement.

US Programs

US Programs (USP) oversees the Foundation’s grantmaking to
guarantee contraception and abortion in the United States in a
manner that is fair, accessible, and supported. Our unit provides
assistance to a multitude of organizations operating within the
access and justice and reproductive health movements (or portfolios
thereof). The first, known as Patients and Access, provides
financial resources to support initiatives that guarantee access to
contraception and abortion. These initiatives assist health
centers, clinicians, training facilities, and conduct related
research. The second, Social Change, provides assistance to
organizations that are committed to effecting systemic change over
the long term. This is achieved through outreach and messaging,
movement building, public policy advocacy, and litigation, as well
as by increasing social support for abortion. With seventeen
employees presently situated in Omaha and operating remotely across
the United States, USP intends to expand consistently in the
forthcoming years in order to address the dynamic and ever-evolving
circumstances surrounding access to abortion and contraception in
the country.

Shared Values

The Foundation is intent on safeguarding the values that drive
our culture: Mission, Respect for Donor Intent, Appetite for Risk
and Tolerance for Failure, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion,
Humility, Passion Tempered by Objectivity and Evidence, Compassion
and Love of Humanity, Honesty and Integrity, Kindness and Respect,
and Shared Accountability.

The Program Officer (State-Focus) will need to have a genuine
understanding of, and appreciation for, the significance of these
values and aspirations and how they are operationalized in the work
the Foundation undertakes. Finally, the candidate will need
to be aligned with the Foundation’s progressive values, including
unambiguous support for individual reproductive
freedom.

WHAT YOU WILL DO

1. Co-develop, implement, and manage strategies and
   goal-oriented portfolio work plans for US Programs, with a
   focus on identifying strategic state-based investments, including
   the historical states in which the Foundation has invested as well
   as new states with opportunity to protect and expand abortion and
   contraceptive access. They will work to engage internal or external
   stakeholder buy-in, seeking out new grantees, and shepherding new
   and existing grants through the proposal and reporting
   processes.
2. Manage goal-oriented work plans, including by
   setting learning agendas, preparing grants for approval by Senior
   Program Officers, making budget recommendations, and communicating
   grantee progress or challenges to others.
3. Serve as a partner and relationship-builder
   with grantees, applicants, other funders, and stakeholders through
   collaborative, responsive, and conscientious thought-partnership,
   collaboration, and guidance, and through participation in site
   visits, meetings, convenings, and conferences with grantees and
   funders to stay informed and bring additional expertise to
   bear.
4. Contribute to reports for the STBF Board.
5. Steward the foundation’s resources through
   budgeting, grant monitoring, and compliance, including by routinely
   tracking and forecasting portfolio budgets in conjunction with
   Senior Program Officers; carefully and objectively monitoring
   grants, and routinely communicating with grantees to provide both
   encouragement and constructive feedback, while assessing progress
   towards project goals; and reviewing grant proposals, budgets, and
   reports for both clarity and strategic alignment.
6. With the support of Program Associates, ensure grants
   are processed correctly, reports are filed, and all
   documents are reviewed for compliance with both IRS regulations and
   USP guidelines and procedures.
7. Collaborate internally to advance collective
   work and to uphold a strong team culture,
   including by actively engaging with colleagues at all levels,
   offering thought partnership across portfolios, proactively
   identifying opportunities, and offering suggestions for improving
   STBF’s collaborative work environment. Participate in unit-wide
   working groups where appropriate, including cross-functional
   strategic initiatives, STBF’s teamwide inclusion and racial equity
   committee, race-based caucuses, ad hoc planning committees, and
   other groups.

QUALIFICATIONS OF THE IDEAL CANDIDATE

While no one candidate will embody all the qualifications
enumerated below, the ideal candidate will possess many of the
following professional and personal abilities, attributes, and
experiences:

Attributes for Success in this Role

• Seeks input from and values the uniqueness of people from
  different groups and identities. Works effectively with individuals
  of diverse cultures, interpersonal styles, abilities, motivations,
  or backgrounds. Challenges practices or policies that may be
  exclusionary. Demonstrates a proven commitment to race equity and
  identifies ways to improve diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts
  internally and programmatically and commit to your own ongoing
  learning about inclusive behaviors and work cultures.
• Develops and maintains effective working relationships with
  team members, internal and external partners and others using
  strong interpersonal skills. Works effectively with people outside
  formal authority to accomplish goals. Practices kindness,
  authenticity, and optimism when working with others.
• Demonstrates expansive knowledge of tools, methods, and
  resources in the area of reproductive health access, advocacy or
  policy development in the context of the movement systems and
  politics.
• Asks good questions and probes all sources for answers; sees
  underlying or hidden patterns; looks beyond the obvious and does
  not stop at the first answers. Uses rigorous logic and methods to
  learn, analyze, and understand why problems occur; generates and
  implements creative, cost effective and realistic solutions.
• Looks for new or alternative ideas from a wide range of
  sources. Considers future consequences and trends while considering
  future possibilities.
• Communicates effectively both in writing and verbally. Listens
  carefully and seeks mutual understanding in daily
  interactions.
• Demonstrates comfort and skill in situations of conflict.
  Executes an ability to say “no” when necessary and appropriate and
  have the confidence to choose the correct answer over the popular
  one. Shows tolerance for ambiguity and is very comfortable with
  constant change brought on by internal and external pressures or
  expectations. Understands the value of flexibility and
  adaptability.

Background and Experience
Qualifications

• Strong knowledge and experience in state-based systems-change
  and advocacy strategies to protect and/or expand access to abortion
  and contraception.
• Demonstrated knowledge in one or more of the following areas:
  national, state, and/or local policy; legal and litigation;
  movement building, organizing, and power building; strategic
  communications; administrative and regulatory policy;
  cross-movement alignment; reproductive justice; organizational
  health and development; and leadership development.
• Experience navigating coalition dynamics and building
  relationships with partners to identify needs and gaps.
• Preferred: Bachelor’s Degree in a related field (e.g.,
  healthcare, political science, public health, gender studies,
  public administration, social work, law, advocacy etc.) OR
• Professional experience in excess of 7 years with increasing
  responsibility directly related to the role will be
  considered.
• Minimum 5 years of experience related to abortion and/or
  contraceptive advocacy including some program management
  responsibilities.
• Minimum 3 years of direct experience managing relationships,
  projects, processes, or other people.
• Preferred: Experience working in a remote environment with
  colleagues across multiple locations.

Travel Requirements

If working remotely, travel is expected up to 20% of the time,
including travel to Omaha 3-5 times per year.

Hiring Requirements

As part of our standard hiring process for new employees,
employment will be contingent upon successful completion of a
background check.

Compensation

Compensation for the Program Officer role starts at $164,000.
The Foundation also provides comprehensive benefits.

TO APPLY

This search is being led by Cara Pearsall and Tyra Gravesande of
NPAG. Due to the pace of this
search, candidates are strongly encouraged to apply as soon as
possible. Candidates may submit their cover letter, outlining their
interest and qualifications, along with their resume via NPAG’s
website. It is
encouraged that applicants submit their application by
February 20, 2024.

Accommodations: If you require assistance due
to a disability in the application or recruitment process, please
submit a request to [email protected].

We are committed to creating a workplace where employees
thrive both personally and professionally. This includes not only
creating a diverse team where everyone feels represented,
respected, and included, but also embedding these values across our
work and practices. All applicants who are drawn to serve our
mission will enjoy equality of opportunity and fair treatment
without regard to race, color, age, religion, pregnancy, sex,
sexual orientation, disability, gender identity, gender expression,
national origin, genetic information, veteran status, marital
status, and prior protected activity.