Program Officer and Manager of Behavioral Health Strategy; BF

Posted on July 24, 2018

Founded in 1962, the Buell Foundation, located in Denver, is a private foundation dedicated to supporting the positive development of children across the state of Colorado through grants and partnerships with nonprofit organizations. Grants are awarded in the areas of early childhood development and teen pregnancy prevention. Since inception, the Buell Foundation has awarded more than $130 million in grants.

The Program Officer and Manager of Behavioral Health Strategy will be responsible for leading the development of a more robust behavioral health funding strategy for the Buell Foundation as well as implementation of that strategy. In this position, she/he will provide content expertise to the program team and leadership of the Foundation. In addition, this individual will build relationships with partners, stakeholders and potential grantees in order to implement and continually strengthen the behavioral health funding strategy.

This position reports to the Director of Programs.

• Lead the development and implementation of an expanded, two-generation, behavioral health funding strategy.
• Develop processes for initiation and implementation of projects/initiatives, including evaluation and technical assistance as appropriate.
• Review and analyze grant applications, conduct site visits, and compose evaluations, including recommendations for funding to the Board of Trustees.
• Build and maintain active, positive relationships with grant seekers, grant recipients, contractors and other stakeholders.
• Proactively engage with various stakeholder groups related to the funding strategy, including participation at appropriate work groups and coalitions.
• Represent the Buell Foundation in its interaction with philanthropic colleagues, nonprofit organizations, public officials, and the general public at various activities and meetings.
• Serve as a source of behavioral health expertise for the Foundation (both for the staff and Board of Trustees) and a subject matter resource for grantees and partner agencies.
• Acquire and maintain a breadth of knowledge related to the other primary focus areas of the Foundation (currently early childhood development and teen pregnancy prevention); seek to understand how behavioral health furthers the overall vision of the Foundation.
• Participate as an active and engaged member of the program team.

• Deep knowledge about behavioral health, with a focus on early childhood mental health, and specific knowledge about promotion and prevention strategies.
• Energetic, dependable, and flexible.
• Ability to both develop strategy and operationalize that strategy.
• Willingness to take on new challenges and learn new skills as needed to perform duties in an efficient manner.
• Commitment to being an enthusiastic and collaborative member of a small, cross-functional team.
• Excellent organizational skills and meticulous attention to detail.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, including ability to create documents at the highest level of writing standards, excellent editing skills, and ability to build relationships with stakeholders, including staff, board members, external partners, and grantees.
• Ability to meet deadlines, manage multiple tasks, and adjust to changing priorities.
• Proficiency in common office software, including Microsoft Outlook, Word, and Excel, and Access (preferred).
• Team player ready to pitch in wherever needed.

• Bachelor’s degree required in an area related to the job duties outlined above (e.g. social work, child psychology, human development, etc.).
• Minimum five years of experience in community-based mental health.
• Knowledge in the field of early childhood mental health required.
• Knowledge and experience in the areas of family strengthening and systems building preferred.
• Experience designing and managing projects required.
• Experience working in the nonprofit or public sector desired and familiarity with foundations a plus.
• Familiarity with the state of Colorado, and rural communities in particular, preferred.
• E…