The Organization
The David and Lucile Packard Foundation is a family foundation that is guided by the business philosophy and personal values of Lucile and David Packard, who helped found one of the world’s leading technology companies. Their approach to business and community participation has guided the Foundation’s philanthropy for more than 50 years. Today, their children and grandchildren continue to help guide the work of the Foundation with David and Lucile Packard’s enduring core values: integrity, respect for all people, belief in individual leadership, commitment to effectiveness, and the capacity to think big. Our Foundation’s goals and how we work reflects our organization’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). We aim to create a workplace culture and pursue policies and practices that demonstrate how we value DEI.
Our Foundation makes grants at the local, state, national, and international levels, supporting innovative nonprofits to create meaningful impact across the globe. We continue to work on the issues our founders cared about most: improving the lives of children; enabling the creative pursuit of science; advancing reproductive health; conserving and restoring the earth’s natural systems; and supporting and strengthening our local communities. For 2019, we expect to award more than $350 million in grants.
Position Overview
The Opportunity
The Foundation’s Conservation and Science Program is seeking a skilled and committed Program Operations Manager to lead the development, management, and implementation of all administrative operations of the C&S Program. The POM will help to lead a C&S team of 24 staff working to protect the ocean, solve climate change, conserve western lands, and support basic scientific research.
Reporting to the C&S Program Director, you will serve as a member of the three-person C&S leadership team, partnering on decisions, priorities, plans, and problem solving with the Program Director and Deputy Director. You will help to ensure integration and synergy across C&S operations and programmatic priorities and implementation, ensuring consistently high quality and timely deliverables with the highest level of customer service in a dynamic grantmaking and operational context. You will also serve as a member of the Foundation’s Management Team and join a cohort of POMs working in the Foundation’s program areas.
In this role, you will manage and support the professional development of a 10-person operations and administrative staff, including hiring, evaluating, coaching, developing, and mentoring staff. You will oversee the development and refinement of systems, processes, and operational deliverables, as needed, so that work is completed in an effective and efficient manner. With your technical and systems skills, you will design and help to facilitate internal processes to facilitate learning, ensure team cohesion and coordination, obtain staff input into decisions, and solve problems. You will be a key point of contact with the Foundation’s legal, finance and administration, human resources, information technology, workplace services, and facilities departments. To support and maintain philanthropic best practices, you will have the opportunity to develop a network within philanthropy and across the Foundation’s operations to learn and apply best practices within C&S and the Foundation.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership
· Oversee program operations for operational effectiveness, efficiency, and alignment with program goals and the Foundation’s policies and practices
· Contribute to, develop, and oversee operational infrastructure, systems, and processes that ensure effective grantmaking processes
· Serve as a problem solver and thought partner to the C&S Director and Deputy Director in the context of a dynamic grantmaking and operational landscape with the goal of achieving program and operational integration and synergy
· Represent the needs of the operations and administrative team within C&S and the Foundation, while managing the team to meet the program’s mission as well as its strategic and operational goals
Individual and Team Management
· Hire, manage, coach, and develop members of the operations and administrative team, consistent with the Foundation values and policies
· Design and facilitate staff meetings and internal processes including our annual strategic reviews, goal setting, and learning sessions
· Work closely with program officers and members of the administrative team to ensure effective working relationships
· Work closely with the C&S Director and Deputy Director to facilitate effective arrangements for placing Program Research Analysts within C&S
Administrative and Financial Leadership
· Oversee the design and implementation of the processes for annual strategic planning, team goal-setting, preparation for C&S Board sessions, and program-wide meetings including team meetings and retreats
· Oversee the ongoing processing of grants, ensuring that grants are processed accurately, in a timely manner, and in accordance with Foundation policies and procedures
· Oversee the operating and grants budgets, track spending, create financial models for various grantmaking scenarios, reconcile grant awards to grant payments, and manage overall financial performance for C&S
· Oversee the administration of contracts with consultants and vendors
· Administratively self-sufficient
· Engage in Foundation-wide operations projects
Ideal Candidate
The Foundation seeks an individual with a passion for, and proven effectiveness as, a team leader and manager and a demonstrated ability to manage, coach, and support skills development for their staff. This position requires someone who can consistently maintain a positive attitude and strong working relationships and who is able to work well with a diversity of colleagues with varied personalities and work styles.
As an ideal candidate, you will bring a track record of creating, managing, and adapting operational structures and systems for maximum performance in a dynamic operational and/or grantmaking context. You will have significant experience in the design and facilitation of meetings and in the design of effective internal processes to achieve team objectives. You will have impeccable integrity and trustworthiness, with an ability to handle sensitive information effectively and confidentially. You will meet deadlines and handle pressure with poise and respond with grace and flexibility in a rapidly changing environment. You will demonstrate professional and emotional maturity with a good sense of humor. You are someone with a high level of emotional intelligence and the ability to be versatile and diplomatic.
Inherent in all aspects of the Foundation is a commitment to creating an inclusive culture that values all backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. You are personally devoted to growing your own cultural competence and will actively participate in the Foundation’s work to integrate justice and equity into all facets of our work.
Qualifications
Candidates must have a Bachelor’s degree or equivalent education and a minimum of 5 years of leadership experience in a people management role. Candidates must have a demonstrated ability to lead, motivate, and develop team members in alignment with organization values, mission, and goals.
Candidates should possess exceptional communication, facilitation, and interpersonal skills, as well as a demonstrated ability to lead, motivate, and inspire teams. Impeccable integrity and ethics, along with a diplomatic approach to problem solving are critical.
Experience in the nonprofit sector, experience in grantmaking processes and familiarity with best practices, either through a foundation or grantee perspective, is desirable but not required.
Benefits and Compensation
The Foundation offers an excellent benefits package and a salary that is commensurate with related work experience and education. The position is located in downtown Los Altos, CA. It is full-time and exempt.
How To Apply
To Be Considered
The David and Lucile Packard Foundation is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes a diverse candidate pool. The Foundation recognizes diversity as an asset essential to accomplishing our work and views diversity as encompassing differences in race and gender, as well as age, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, job skills, education, and geographic location.
Please send an email referring to job number 19-04-3700R in the subject line along with a resume and targeted one-page cover letter explaining your interest and how your skills and work experience fit the position to jobs@packard.org.