Program Officer, International Partnerships (Global Health Equity & Agricultural Livelihoods)

Position Title: Program Officer, International Partnerships

Reports to: Deputy Director

 Direct Reports: N/A

 FLSA Status: Exempt

 Location: Cambridge, MA

 About Wagner Foundation

 Wagner Foundation’s vision is a just and robust community where everyone is valued equally and has the ability to imagine, shape, pursue, and sustain the lives they wish to lead. In pursuit of this vision, the foundation’s mission is to confront the social and historical disparities that perpetuate injustice. We do this by accompanying organizations aligned with this goal, serving as advocates for change and convening thought leaders. Our focus on health equity and shared prosperity is balanced by a holistic approach which aims to develop and strengthen equitable systems throughout the world.

We work diligently to understand challenges, work within systems, and balance immediate and long-term needs. This work is built on our organizational values of accompaniment, striving for equality, building trust, conscious listening, creative change, and leading together.

Please visit www.wfound.org to learn more about our work, methodology, and values.

 Position Overview

The Program Officer, International Partnerships will work in strategic partnership with the Founder, the Deputy Director, and other team members to shape and oversee a portfolio of grants in rural communities across Africa, Latin America, and Haiti. Our international grantmaking operates at the intersection of global health equity and agricultural livelihoods. Within global health equity, we believe in the importance of funding at all levels of health systems strengthening, from primary and community health, to the health workforce, and robust monitoring and evaluation (M&E) systems.  Our work in agricultural livelihoods has a particular focus on women as essential contributors to the agricultural ecosystem. In addition to supporting the grantmaking activities for both current and prospective grantees, the Program Officer will contribute to developing strategy as well as making connections, building partnerships, and seeking collaboration between nonprofits and amongst peer funders to support systems-level change. The Program Officer will build visibility for the foundation and our impact through strategic communications such as blog posts, social media content, public speaking, etc. Because collaboration and knowledge sharing are critical to our internal culture, this position will work closely with the team across portfolios to keep abreast of the broader funding portfolio and seek opportunities to learn from each other’s experiences and strategies.

The ideal candidate is a holistic and strategic thinker with a commitment to confronting issues of social justice. They bring expertise in fields related to global health systems, and/or agricultural livelihoods in the geographies noted above. They should also have familiarity working with communities that have been historically under resourced and undervalued, an understanding of the social drivers of health, and a track record of cross-sector collaboration.

Reporting to the Deputy Director, this position is based in Cambridge, MA and requires international and some domestic travel. Our team values and believes in the power of in-person collaboration. The team currently operates under a hybrid model with Tuesday – Thursday working in the office and Monday and Friday working from home. This hybrid model is subject to change.

Primary Responsibilities

The specific duties and responsibilities of this position include, but are not limited to, the following areas:

Grantmaking

• Work with the Founder and Deputy Director to develop grantmaking strategies to advance our goals related to global health equity and agricultural livelihoods in service to the foundation’s mission.
• Effectively manage the foundation’s international grantmaking portfolio using an accompaniment method of grantmaking, which works in solidarity with grantee partners and collaborates to achieve their goals and objectives.
• Work in partnership with the Program Officer, US Partnerships and Program Officer & Curator, Arts & Culture to ensure alignment of priorities and identify opportunities to collaborate on joint efforts.
• Research and identify potential grantee partners and carry out due diligence processes including ensuring alignment with our grantmaking priorities, analyzing organizational budgets, participating in site visits, and executing other due diligence as needed.
• Articulate the foundation’s mission and priorities to potential grantee partners while evaluating and providing feedback to them.
• Work with the Grants & Impact Manager to regularly update GivingData, the foundation’s grants management software, with all grant-related activities.
• Collaborate with the team to remain informed on the foundation’s broader funding portfolio and consider opportunities to learn from each other’s work.  
• Provide regular reports to the Deputy Director with updates on program work and proposal reviews.

Thought Leadership

• Represent the foundation, including our approach to impact and grantmaking practices in a manner that embodies our core mission.
• Attend events, conferences, and community meetings, with occasional speaking roles as appropriate.
• Cultivate and maintain relationships with existing and prospective grantee partners as well as peer funders.
• Encourage and drive knowledge sharing and collaboration opportunities amongst grantee partners and amongst peer funders to increase opportunities for learnings and partnerships.
• Collaborate with the Director of Communications to build visibility for the foundation as well as the work of current grantee partners and priority issue areas through strategic communications such as blog posts, social media content, campaigns, etc.

Accompaniment

• Cultivate relationships with our grantee partners that center their mission and needs by leading with trust, transparency, humility, and deep listening.
• Identify opportunities to execute the foundation’s “Do, Learn, Share” methodology, which balances immediate action with ongoing study and communication.
• Keep up with trends in philanthropy, the nonprofit sector, and developments in the foundation’s major focus areas.
• Serve as a thought-partner to prospective and current grantee partners and community partners.
• Act as a connector and collaborator for grantee partners to other organizations and other funders through a cross-sector and intersectional lens.

Candidate Profile

You will be a strong candidate for the Program Officer, International Partnerships if you possess the following attributes and competencies:

Required attributes and competencies:

• A passion for Wagner Foundation’s mission, a commitment to advancing its goals and embracing its approach
• 7+ years of relevant professional experience in the philanthropic or nonprofit sectors, preferably related to global health systems and/or agricultural livelihoods
• Commitment to the highest standards of ethics, integrity, and inclusiveness
• Strong project management skills including prioritizing tasks, executing deliverables, and meeting multiple, concurrent deadlines
• Outstanding relationship management and interpersonal skills, including experience building strong and collaborative relationships with individuals from a diversity of backgrounds
• Demonstrated capacity to take initiative and operate effectively at a strategic as well as a tactical level
• Excellent verbal, written and presentation skills required; comfort with making presentations to large audiences as well as leading and facilitating discussions with smaller audiences
• Demonstrated ability to be a productive and collaborative team member who thrives on sharing ideas and receiving feedback in a dynamic environment
• Willingness and ability to travel internationally on a quarterly basis
• Flexibility, emotional intelligence, positive attitude, enthusiasm, willingness to help others, and a sense of humor

Preferred attributes and competencies:

• Experience working in Africa, Latin America, and/or Haiti
• Knowledge and familiarity with grantmaking processes and procedures is preferred but not required
• Interest, comfort, and strength working in a small, dynamic organization with a start-up orientation
• Working knowledge of marketing and social media campaigns/strategies
• Skilled in Mac operating systems, Microsoft Office, Office 365, OneDrive, Excel, Word, and PowerPoint

Diversity and Inclusion

Wagner Foundation is committed to creating an inclusive and respectful environment where diversity thrives. We believe that everyone has a unique story to tell, and these stories enrich our understanding of the world.

We seek candidates who bring diverse experiences, perspectives, and backgrounds. We particularly encourage applications from individuals who are underrepresented in the field, including but not limited to individuals from underrepresented ethnic or racial groups, LGBTQ+ individuals, individuals with disabilities, and those from disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds.

We recognize that diversity and inclusivity make us stronger and help us better confront the societal disparities we seek to rectify. Our commitment to diversity and inclusion is a core component of our mission and our work.

We are an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.

COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement

All current Wagner Foundation employees are required to be vaccinated  for COVID-19, and we will require any new employees to be fully vaccinated by date of hire as well, absent a medical or religious accommodation as approved by the Deputy Director.

Application and Selection Process

1.     Application Submission: Interested candidates are invited to submit a resume and cover letter to hr@wfound.org. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis with priority given to those submitted by May 17, 2024.

2.     Assignment: Final candidates will be asked to present on a topic. The estimated preparation time is two-three hours. Candidates will be compensated for the time spent preparing for this presentation.

3.     Interviews: Successful candidates will be invited to a series of interviews with members of our team. During final interviews, candidates will be asked to present their assignment and discuss their experiences and approach to the role in more detail.

We believe this approach allows candidates to showcase their abilities and potential beyond what is captured in a traditional resume and cover letter, and we are committed to a fair and inclusive selection process.

We appreciate the time and effort all applicants put into their applications.

For more information about Wagner Foundation, please visit www.wfound.org.

The salary range for this role is $95,000-$110,000. In addition to competitive salaries, Wagner Foundation is committed to providing a supportive work environment which includes a top-tier benefits package and professional growth through learning opportunities that include conferences, fellowships, leadership programs, and trainings.

In support of our employees and their families, we offer the following benefits:

•  100% employer-paid medical, dental, short- and long-term disability insurance and life insurance
• 401(k) retirement plan match up to 5% of employee’s own deferrals
• Eligible employees may receive educational assistance for qualified courses
• Wagner Foundation pays 100% of relevant professional membership dues and fees for employees
• Professional development funds available to all employees
• A hybrid work environment with two days per week of remote working (subject to change)