Program Officer, Transforming Health and Health Care Systems; RWJF

Posted on April 14, 2019

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), located in Princeton, N.J., is the largest philanthropy in America dedicated solely to health. Since 1972 we have been providing funding, assistance, and research for projects and programs to help people, their families, and their communities be as healthy as possible. RWJF is committed to working alongside others to build a national Culture of Health that provides everyone in America a fair and just opportunity for health and well-being.

We take seriously our responsibilities, and we pledge to work in ways that reflect our guiding principles. These are rooted in equity and influence everything we do ersity, inclusion, and collaboration allow our staff’s wide range of experiences, passions, and perspectives to enrich our work and strengthens our ability to address our nation’s most pressing health issues. With a career at RWJF you will make a difference.

Program Officers (POs) in the Research-Evaluation-Learning (REL) unit are part of an interdisciplinary staff of applied researchers and evaluators who are responsible for creating, developing, implementing, and managing the research and evaluation aspects of the Foundation’s initiatives to improve health and health care. Their primary responsibility is to work with colleagues and executive staff across the Foundation to design, implement and manage research and evaluation strategies that generate impact congruent with the specific objectives of their themes/teams and of the Foundation.

They are also responsible for the development and management of performance measurement systems, and for collaborating with communications to disseminate findings from research, evaluation and policy investments.

As with staff at all levels of RWJF, program officers in REL are expected to demonstrate a passionate commitment to equity, to the Foundation’s mission and Guiding Principles.

The Foundation goals and activities are aligned around building a Culture of Health in the United States. The REL unit is responsible for several important components of the Foundation’s strategy including:

• Developing and overseeing a measurement system to track the country’s progress towards a Culture of Health;
• Creating a research agenda to continue to generate an evidence base about the most effective ways to create the change we’re seeking;
• Building on the Foundation’s long tradition of evaluations to better understand the impact of our strategies and funding; and
• Sharing our learning across the Foundation and external audience.

This PO will be a strategic partner to the Foundation’s Transforming Health and Health Care Systems theme, which aims to ensure that health care, public health and social services work together to fully address the goals and needs of the people they serve. In support of this work, the PO must bring a systems-level perspective that reflects a deep understanding of United States health care system and how it can work successfully with the public health and social services systems to address health, wellbeing and equity.

Program Development and Monitoring:

• Initiates and contributes to the design, implementation, and oversight of research and evaluation initiatives in a way that advances health equity. May lead committees and work groups to design and manage program areas to achieve key team objectives. Serves as a partner with director and other staff in identifying strategic objectives and direction.
• Works with internal staff, consultants, other funders and external organizations to plan, develop and respond to requests for funding. Screens and assesses prospective research and evaluation project proposals, works with applicants to refine plans and project budgets.
• Drafts preliminary summaries of the project and develops recommendations for teams, program staff, Foundation management and Board approval. Assures the quality of documents for projects being recommended for approval.
• Participates in meetings, conducts site visits, and reviews grantee submissions as part of overall…