Special Initiatives Program Officer

Founded in 1964 by David and Lucile Packard, The David and Lucile Packard Foundation (the Foundation) is a family philanthropy dedicated to supporting leaders and organizations around the world working to invest in children and families, protect and restore the natural world, and create just and inclusive societies. For more than six decades, the Foundation has advanced scientific innovation, championed reproductive health and rights, conserved and restored our natural world, and invested in the well-being of children and families.

The Foundation’s goals today include:

• Build Just Societies
  : support a strong civil society and inclusive institutions and governance to build just and equitable societies for all people.
• Protect and Restore Our Natural World
  : champion bold climate solutions, an ocean that sustains us, and scientific innovation and discovery to secure the health and future of people and planet.
• Invest in Families and Communities
  : prioritize the importance of children having a healthy start and promoting resilient and vibrant communities where children and families thrive, so they have the power to shape their lives.

To achieve lasting change, the Foundation also strives to address root causes of longstanding problems, including building a thriving, resilient U.S. democracy; advancing racial justice in the United States and gender equity globally; and supporting a strong civil society around the globe.

Inclusive collaboration is the heart of the Foundation’s approach, with the belief that actively listening to and learning from people with a wide range of views is the best way to create solutions that match the scale and urgency of the challenges we face. The Foundation is dedicated to supporting community-based solutions shaped by the knowledge and experience of the people whose lives are most affected and informed by data, recognizing that meaningful solutions require patience, urgency, and supporting the conditions for transformational change.

The Foundation is committed to addressing complex issues over the long term while making tangible progress today.

The Foundation’s Vision, Mission, and Values are as follows:

• Vision
  : A just and equitable world where both people and nature flourish.
• Mission: We work with people and communities to create enduring solutions for just societies and a healthy, resilient natural world.
• Values: Equity, Integrity, Belief in Individual Leadership, Thinking Big, Respect, and Effectiveness.

The Special Initiatives team supports the effective allocation of four funds – (1) the Special Opportunities, (2) President’s, (3) Agility, and (4) Philanthropy Funds – and manages special projects, including new or one-time areas of work or cross-goal areas of focus. This role will partner closely with our Director of Special Initiatives, Grants Officers, Program Associate, President, trustees, and other staff across the Foundation to ensure effective implementation of our initiatives.

The Program Officer will report directly to the Director of Special Initiatives. They will lead and manage the Philanthropy Fund, including the Philanthropic Field Advancement grants and membership grants. They will engage in philanthropic sector spaces to track emerging groups and donors and use those insights to inform and refresh strategy so that funding matches sector opportunity and need, as well as engage deeply with shifting trends in the field.

The Program Officer will also lead the Special Opportunities portfolio, including engagement with trustees throughout the grant lifecycle, grant diligence and grantmaking, and cross-foundation information sharing as relevant. They will also…