Program Associate

About The Foundation

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), located in Princeton, N.J., is a leading national philanthropy dedicated to taking bold leaps to transform health in our lifetime. To get there, we must work to dismantle structural racism and other barriers to health. Since 1972, we have focused on developing and promoting innovations in health and healthcare to improve the lives of millions.

Through funding, convening, advocacy, and evidence‑building, we work side‑by‑side with communities, practitioners, and institutions to achieve health equity faster and pave the way, together, to a future where health is no longer a privilege, but a right.

The Healthy Children and Families (HCF) strategic portfolio focuses on all of RWJF's Generational Goals and most prominently, Economic Inclusion for Family Wellbeing. We believe that America should be a country where all families have the resources to raise healthy, thriving children, and a place where everyone can live with dignity. We are working with our external partners and grantees toward a new social contract.

A new social contract would recognize our collective interdependence and ensure that the economy invests in families. It would value people and their wellbeing rather than their contributions to economic production. It would also make all forms of care available to families and recognize caregivers for the critical role they play in our society. HCF is part of the Strategic Portfolios department which works across four shared goals to achieve transformational change to support wellbeing.

Reporting to the associate managing director, HCF, the program associate is responsible for grounding their work in equity while supporting the execution of operational, programmatic, team coordination, and strategic grantmaking. Specifically, the program associate role focuses on the following: assisting portfolio leadership in coordination and management; conducting project and related research and learning; and working with key internal/external colleagues, consultants, advisors, grantees, and applicants to implement strategies and plans.

The program associate will also support the following: development, management, documentation, and monitoring of team workplans to fulfill portfolio objectives; assisting program officers and the HCF leadership team in designing and implementing new program initiatives and portfolio‑level events and activities; supporting grant/contract solicitation processes; evaluating grant and contract proposals; and supporting grant approval processes including writing and reviewing concepts, grantmaking, and management.

Program associates play a key role in both the operations and programming of the HCF portfolio. They are essential to working with grantees and promoting the HCF's commitment to health equity. All staff at RWJF are accountable in centering equity in our philanthropic practice.

As with staff at all levels of RWJF, the program associate is expected to demonstrate a passionate commitment to equity and to the Foundation's mission and Guiding Principles.

• Assist in coordinating processes and program-focused activities (administrative, operational, and facilitation tasks) as needed, including but not limited to:
• With guidance from portfolio staff, developing agendas, planning and supporting execution of portfolio meetings (virtual and in‑person).
• With guidance from portfolio staff, preparing reports, materials, and internal communications for portfolio and departmental staff, RWJF senior leadership, and others. This includes planning and executing annual meetings, gatherings, and other…