About the position
The Ford Foundation seeks a dynamic Program Associate to join the Mission Investments team. Reporting to the Senior Program Officer, the Program Associate plays a pivotal role in advancing a shared strategy that leverages both grantmaking and investments for impact. In this role, you will lead research, analysis, and coordination for the team's active portfolio, while serving as a key conduit for shared learning across the team and the foundation. This is an exceptional opportunity for an early-to-mid-career professional to operate at the intersection of philanthropy and impact investing.
Responsibilities
• Review grant proposals and prepare analysis that reflects grants’ outcomes and contribution to team’s strategic goals, for discussions with the Senior Program Officer (SPO) and team.
• Engage in preliminary conversations with prospective new grantees, investees and other potential partners and make recommendations for follow up.
• Help plan and manage webinars and other activities for grantees and investees on specific topics of shared interest (examples include systems stewardship, AI and earned revenue generation).
• Coordinate and help conduct grant and investee diligence and management with other funders and investors.
• Conduct research for the SPO, Director and team members using a variety of external and internal resources (e.g., landscape grant or investment opportunities related to responsible AI, veterans issues, etc.); consult external experts or other resources as per the research protocol.
• Support the SPO, Director and team in analyzing data and identifying trends.
• Summarize research findings in written documents, databases, presentations, or multimedia formats.
• Conduct regular (2-4x annually) check in conversations with grantees, alone or in partnership with SPO.
• Coordinate with Department Coordinator and Program Assistants on planning grantee and network convenings.
• For convenings and site visits, develop and prepare background research and meeting materials.
• Plan and help execute learning sessions for FF colleagues and/or grantees.
• Curate and share information and knowledge from the team.
• Work with SPO and team on strategic external communications opportunities.
• Collaborate closely with the Chief Innovation Officer to identify and help implement various innovation mechanisms, e.g. recoverable grants and venture studio services.
• Represent Mission Investments at internal and external meetings.
• Attend relevant meetings/conferences to gather information and knowledge to advance the foundation’s work.
Requirements
• A minimum of four years of work experience, with a minimum of three years of experience working in a program-related support capacity in the social development sector.
• College degree in related field or relevant and equivalent experience.
• Strong proficiency with data collection, review, analysis and reporting.
• Strong proficiency with the use of software platforms and high degree of comfort with multiple technology applications, including Excel, Word, PowerPoint and databases.
• Exceptional organizational and communications skills.
• Client-service orientation.
• Demonstrated ability to be a productive member of a community of people at work, respecting differences while working toward shared goals.
• Comfort with periods of ambiguity; constructive participation in ongoing organizational development.
• Ways of working and engaging that align with the Foundation’s mission, core values, and commitment to creating a culture of excellence.
• Personal qualities of humility, capacity for self-reflection, and a sense of humor.
• Willingness to work in New York City.
• All candidates must be legally authorized to work in the United States.
Benefits
• medical, dental, and vision benefits effective on your first day
• Generous time off, including personal, vacation, sick, extended holiday time off, and wellness days
• Generous parental leave policy, including birth, surrogacy, adoptive, foster parents, and resources for backup child and elder care that support our colleagues’ ability to attend to family responsibilities
• Comprehensive retirement benefits options (with employee and employer contributions of up to 13%)