Battle Creek, MI

Program Officers - Food, Health & Well-Being, W.K. Kellogg Foundation

The Organization

The W.K. Kellogg Foundation supports children, families and communities as they strengthen and create conditions that propel vulnerable children to achieve success as individuals and as contributors to the larger community and society.

Position Overview

The W.K. Kellogg Foundation, a leading national philanthropic force helping communities create the conditions children need to thrive, is seeking nominations and applications for Program Officers to strengthen the foundation’s work in Food Systems, Health Equity, and Maternal and Child Health. In recent years, the foundation has sharpened its focus on improving conditions for vulnerable children, concentrating on three key factors of success and their intersections: education and learning; food, health and well-being; and family economic security. Reporting to the Director of Food, Health & Well-Being (FHWB), the Program Officers will provide leadership and oversight for execution of programs and policy that strive for positive systemic change within communities to ensure educated, healthy kids and secure families nationally, focusing on the integration of these areas with efforts to transform public health systems to more effectively address racial equity, community engagement and social determinants of health.

The FHWB team at WKKF partners closely with community stakeholders and policy makers to co-create a network of organizations working together to support community-based approaches in key areas of maternal and child health, oral health, breastfeeding, and continued access to good food and active living throughout a child’s early development. Programming efforts focus on building food systems infrastructure and providing places for physical activity, supporting equitable maternal and child health services and improving birth outcomes, and advancing health equity to help vulnerable children and families achieve optimal health. The incoming Program Officers will play a key role in building upon and supporting this work, particularly in ways in which those areas intersect with public health systems.

The ideal candidates will have a master’s or terminal degree and substantial work experience within or partnered with public health systems or food production and distribution systems and a solid understanding of community engagement in those systems. The new Program Officers will screen and recommend grants for funding; build relationships and coalitions nationally; conduct site visits; and build, manage, and monitor a portfolio of grant programs and a public policy agenda aligned with the foundation’s strategic framework. The Program Officers will build and maintain strong, authentic relationships and act as spokespeople, effectively communicating the foundation’s goal of working with communities to improve the lives of children. They will have familiarity with public health networks as well as experience developing robust partnerships across public, private, and nonprofit sectors. A deep and comprehensive understanding of program design and development along with local, regional, and national networks of contacts is desired. Successful program officers at the foundation are holistic, entrepreneurial, and interdisciplinary thinkers with a current understanding of broad social and economic forces affecting communities and families, demonstrated ability to develop and implement programs, and the skill to facilitate authentic, productive dialogue within diverse communities and settings. They will possess a strong team orientation, the ability to adapt quickly to change, a natural learning orientation, and have demonstrated success working effectively with persons from diverse cultural, social, and ethnic backgrounds.

This search is being conducted with assistance from Carolyn Ho and Melinda Hull of NPAG. Due to the pace of this search, candidates are encouraged to

How To Apply

This search is being conducted with assistance from Carolyn Ho and Melinda Hull of NPAG. Due to the pace of this search, candidates are encouraged to apply as soon as possible. Applications including a cover letter describing your interest and qualifications, your resume (in Word format), and where you learned of the position should be sent to: WKKF-POFHWB@nonprofitprofessionals.com. In order to expedite the internal sorting and reviewing process, please type your name (Last, First) as the only contents in the subject line of your e-mail.

The W.K. Kellogg Foundation is an equal opportunity employer and proudly values diversity.

Candidates of all backgrounds are encouraged to apply.

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