Vice President of Programs

About The Paul M. Angell Family Foundation

The Paul M. Angell Family Foundation(PMAFF) unites with our partners to ignite possibilities for all. Established in 2011 by the Angell family to honor innovator and entrepreneur Paul M. Angell, we fund bold, community-led solutions in Chicago and beyond. Together with our partners, we’re working to protect our oceans, champion the arts, strengthen communities, and promote belonging across society. By removing barriers that limit the potential of people and the planet, we aim to spark change that lasts for generations.

The Vice President of Programs (VP of Programs) will serve as a key member of the Paul M. Angell Family Foundation (PMAFF) senior leadership team, responsible for ensuring that the Foundation’s growing grantmaking efforts are strategic, equitable, and aligned with the Foundation’s mission and priorities. As PMAFF continues to expand its reach and impact, this role will provide leadership, strategy, and coordination across program areas, fostering a culture of learning, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

The role will work closely with program directors to strengthen programmatic consistency and collaboration across the organization while honoring the unique character and focus of each grantmaking portfolio. The VP of Programs will advance work that cuts across all grantmaking areas with the goal of creating clarity and cohesiveness among the Foundation’s entire portfolio of grantmaking. In addition, the VP of Programs will explore and pilot new grantmaking areas and approaches that advance PMAFF’s mission.

The VP of Programs will work closely with the grants management team to promote effective, transparent, and equitable practices, and support program directors as they continue to build their teams and evolve their strategies. This position will report to the CEO and supervise three to four Program Directors as well as other future Director-level program leaders as the organization grows.

The ideal candidate will work closely with program staff, grants management, human resources, operations, and senior leadership to strengthen internal systems, assess the impact of grantmaking, and communicate PMAFF’s learning and outcomes both internally and externally. In collaboration with the program directors, the VP of Programs will also keep the Board of Directors apprised of the Foundation’s grantmaking and outcomes.

• Provide strategic direction and oversight for PMAFF’s grantmaking.

• Partner with program directors to ensure alignment of grantmaking strategies with the Foundation’s mission and goals.

• Pilot new grantmaking areas or models, testing innovative approaches to philanthropy.

• Lead the creation of frameworks for impact measurement, evaluation, and organizational learning.

• Advise the CEO and Board on philanthropic trends, program opportunities, and sector best practices.

• Represent PMAFF externally, sharing learnings and strengthening partnerships across the philanthropic ecosystem.

• Foster an environment that encourages staff development, learning, and cross-program collaboration.

• Support program directors as they build and manage their teams, ensuring a healthy, inclusive, and collaborative culture.

• Model empathetic, values-based leadership that promotes inclusion, trust, and accountability.

• Hire, supervise, and evaluate program directors, ensuring alignment with organizational values and performance goals.

• Serve as a thought partner and coach to senior program staff, helping navigate strategic or operational challenges as needed.

• Design and implement frameworks for evaluation, reflection, and learning for PMAFF’s grantmaking as a whole.

• Lead efforts to analyze and communicate the impact of PMAFF’s grantmaking internally and externally.

• Work with program directors to ensure grantmaking data and qualitative insights are integrated into decision-making.

• Facilitate learning sessions with staff and board to assess progress, challenges, and opportunities for course correction.

• Promote a culture of curiosity and continuous…