ABFE | New York City

Program Officer, New York State Health Foundation

The Organization

If you want to make a meaningful difference in the health and lives of New Yorkers, the New York State Health Foundation (NYSHealth) may be the right place for you. The Program Officer position is an ideal fit for a candidate who is mission-oriented, strategic, creative, and collaborative, and who cares deeply about making the health care system work better for patients and their families. In this role, you will join our dedicated staff in a collegial atmosphere and work with grantees and partners to advance our work to empower health care consumers.

Background:

The New York State Health Foundation is a private foundation dedicated to improving the health of all New Yorkers, especially the most vulnerable. NYSHealth began operations in 2006; today, it has approximately $350 million in assets, as well as a $15 million annual grants and operations budget.

The Foundation is committed to making grants, but also to making a difference beyond grant dollars: informing health care policy and practice; spreading effective programs to improve the health system; serving as a convener of health leaders across the State; and providing technical assistance to grantees and partners. Today, the Foundation concentrates its initiatives in two strategic priority areas: Empowering Health Care Consumers and Healthy Food, Healthy Lives. NYSHealth also engages in responsive grantmaking through a Special Projects Fund and maintains a special interest in veterans’ health.

Launched in 2016, the Empowering Health Care Consumers priority area is focused on amplifying the voice of the health care consumer, as well as increasing the information and tools available so that patients are active participants in their own health and health care and have a seat at the table to help drive and inform decisions that affect health care. This priority area has two core strategies: (1) promoting information transparency and (2) engaging patients as partners in health care decision-making.

Position Overview

Position Summary:

Supporting the Vice President for Programs, the Program Officer will work as part of a team with a primary focus on implementation of the Empowering Health Care Consumers priority area. This position is ideal for a creative and strategic thinker who can contribute to the refinement of this priority area and its potential evolution to address other health care and health system issues. The Program Officer will be responsible for managing programs and grants; reviewing proposals; and making grantmaking recommendations to the Vice President for Programs and other senior staff. The Program Officer will also be expected to represent the Foundation at meetings and conferences throughout New York State and nationally, as well as organize and facilitate NYSHealth convenings. The Program Officer will help develop external relationships that advance the portfolio’s work with thought leaders, key stakeholders, and policymakers.

Reports to: Vice President for Programs

Responsibilities:

Support the Vice President for Programs and collaborate with the Empowering Health Care Consumers team and other Foundation teams in developing strategic grantmaking opportunities for the priority area and other high-priority health system areas.
Develop, cultivate, and implement ideas for projects and initiatives.
Contribute to the design and implementation of annual program goals and strategies.
Lead and facilitate meetings with grantees, conduct site visits, review grantee submissions, and track grantee performance. Work with grantees to identify potential enhancements to project development and ensure that contractual objectives are met.
Work with grantees to identify and lead efforts to help leverage the Foundation’s resources and develop opportunities to partner with other private and public funders.
Prepare and present written proposal summaries for various levels of the grant review process and provide recommendations to senior staff and review panels.
Respond to public inquiries about priority areas and the application process. Work to disseminate and communicate the Foundation’s goals and objectives and its grantmaking results.
Develop and maintain productive working relationships with stakeholders, policymakers, community members, researchers, and others to support program development and implementation.
Convene grantees, stakeholders, and policymakers to advance program development and implementation, as appropriate.
Contribute to quality improvement and learning within the Foundation, including facilitating internal communication and evaluation to inform future program development and grantmaking.
Participate in conferences, seminars, and other professional development activities to maintain and enhance expertise and professional status.
Contribute to the NYSHealth website by identifying relevant grantee materials to be posted to the site.
Complete special projects as assigned.

The Program Officer will work collaboratively across the Foundation’s program areas to advance shared goals and will play a key role in strategic thinking, generating project ideas/initiatives and partnership development. The Program Officer is also expected to coordinate with the Foundation’s communications, policy and research, and grants management staff.

Required Experience and Qualifications: The Program Officer must have a graduate degree in health, public health, public policy, or a relevant discipline.

Other qualifications include:

Superb project management and organizational skills. Fine attention to detail and follow-through, including time management and document flow.
Excellent written and oral communication skills.
Excellent analytic abilities, including clear judgment and creative thinking.
Excellent interpersonal skills: collegial; energetic; and able to develop productive relationships with colleagues, grantees, consultants, and others who contribute to program development and management. Works well with and welcomes opportunities to work across diverse cultures.
Demonstrated maturity and seasoned judgment. Ability to make decisions, justify recommendations, and be responsive and clear with Foundation applicants.
Experience with engaging and collaborating with health care, business, and community leaders and other partners in program work.
Experience in applying for, receiving, and managing grants and/or foundation and grantmaking experience is highly desirable.
Ability to travel for site visits and to represent the Foundation at outside meetings. (Note: NYSHealth travel is currently suspended in most cases because of the ongoing pandemic. When travel restrictions are lifted and it is safe to do so, travel will resume.)

Preferred Qualifications: Preference will be given to candidates with content knowledge and experience in the health care policy and health system operations areas, with a focus on consumer empowerment and patient engagement. For example:

Direct experience in the health care, health policy, and/or consumer advocacy settings, including partnerships between health care and community-based sectors (e.g., hospital, primary care, behavioral health, and community-based organizations).
Knowledge of patient/consumer engagement, as well as person-centered care frameworks, policies, and interventions.
Understanding of policies and best practices regarding issues such as price and quality transparency and shared decision-making.
Working knowledge of (and/or connections with) New York State and/or national patient-centered care/consumer advocacy organizations.

How To Apply

Application Process: Candidates are encouraged to describe their skill sets and experience in light of the above qualifications.

NYSHealth offers a competitive package of benefits, including employer-paid health insurance; dental, vision, and life insurance; and employer contribution to a 403b retirement account.

The salary range for this position is $100,000–$125,000, depending on experience and qualifications.

This position will be based at the Foundation’s New York City office, although all staff are currently working remotely. Proof of vaccination is required.

Send résumé and statement of interest to HR@nyshealth.org and include “Program Officer” in the subject line.

The New York State Health Foundation welcomes applications from people of all cultures, backgrounds, and experiences, and values having a diverse staff. Employment opportunities are based upon individual capabilities and qualifications without regard to race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, age, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic as established under law.