Vice President of Programs

About The Paul M. Angell Family Foundation

The Paul M. Angell Family Foundation (PMAFF) unites with our partners to ignite possibilities for all. Established in 2011 by the Angell family to honor innovator and entrepreneur Paul M. Angell, we fund bold, community-led solutions in Chicago and beyond. Together with our partners, we’re working to protect our oceans, champion the arts, strengthen communities, and promote belonging across society. By removing barriers that limit the potential of people and the planet, we aim to spark change that lasts for generations.

Position Summary

The Vice President of Programs (VP of Programs) will serve as a key member of the Paul M. Angell Family Foundation (PMAFF) senior leadership team, responsible for ensuring that the Foundation’s growing grantmaking efforts are strategic, equitable, and aligned with the Foundation’s mission and priorities. As PMAFF continues to expand its reach and impact, this role will provide leadership, strategy, and coordination across program areas, fostering a culture of learning, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

The role will work closely with program directors to strengthen programmatic consistency and collaboration across the organization while honoring the unique character and focus of each grantmaking portfolio. The VP of Programs will advance work that cuts across all grantmaking areas with the goal of creating clarity and cohesiveness among the Foundation’s entire portfolio of grantmaking. In addition, the VP of Programs will explore and pilot new grantmaking areas and approaches that advance PMAFF’s mission. The VP of Programs will work closely with the grants management team to promote effective, transparent, and equitable practices, and support program directors as they continue to build their teams and evolve their strategies.

This position will report to the CEO and supervise three to four Program Directors as well as other future Director-level program leaders as the organization grows. The ideal candidate will work closely with program staff, grants management, human resources, operations, and senior leadership to strengthen internal systems, assess the impact of grantmaking, and communicate PMAFF’s learning and outcomes both internally and externally. In collaboration with the program directors, the VP of Programs will also keep the Board of Directors apprised of the Foundation’s grantmaking and outcomes.

Strategic and Programmatic Leadership

• Provide strategic direction and oversight for PMAFF’s grantmaking.
• Partner with program directors to ensure alignment of grantmaking strategies with the Foundation’s mission and goals.
• Pilot new grantmaking areas or models, testing innovative approaches to philanthropy.
• Lead the creation of frameworks for impact measurement, evaluation, and organizational learning.
• Advise the CEO and Board on philanthropic trends, program opportunities, and sector best practices.
• Represent PMAFF externally, sharing learnings and strengthening partnerships across the philanthropic ecosystem.

People Leadership and Management

• Foster an environment that encourages staff development, learning, and cross-program collaboration.
• Support program directors as they build and manage their teams, ensuring a healthy, inclusive, and collaborative culture.
• Model empathetic, values-based leadership that promotes inclusion, trust, and accountability.
• Hire, supervise, and evaluate program directors, ensuring alignment with organizational values and performance goals.
• Serve as a thought partner and coach to senior program staff, helping navigate strategic or operational challenges as needed.

Organizational Learning and Impact

• Design and implement frameworks for evaluation, reflection, and learning for PMAFF’s grantmaking as a whole.
• Lead efforts to analyze and communicate the impact of PMAFF’s grantmaking internally and externally.
• Work with program directors to ensure grantmaking data and qualitative insights are integrated into decision-making.
• Facilitate learning sessions with staff and board to assess progress, challenges, and opportunities for course correction.
• Promote a culture of curiosity and continuous improvement, where experimentation and honest feedback are valued.

Collaboration and Internal Operations

• Partner with the grants management team to ensure grantmaking systems and processes are efficient, equitable, and transparent.
• Collaborate with finance team to develop and manage grantmaking budget, ensuring alignment with organizational priorities.
• Support cross-program initiatives and identify opportunities for shared learning and coordinated funding strategies.
• Collaborate with the Talent and Culture team on human capital projects and strategy.
• Contribute to organizational planning and operational decision-making as part of the senior leadership team.

Internal and External Engagements

• Represent the Foundation in funder collaboratives and at convenings, seminars, official forums, conferences, and external meetings.
• Convene meetings with grantee partners and funders.
• Build strategic partnerships and relationships with peer funders, nonprofit leaders, and sector experts.
• Collaborate with communications consultants to share stories of grantee impact and elevate voices from the communities PMAFF serves.
• Participate in board meetings and collaborate with staff on preparing agendas and materials
• Participate in educational opportunities, professional networks, and conferences.
• Participate in regular team meetings, planning sessions, and cross-program learning efforts to align with goals and share knowledge.

Experience and Qualifications

• 12+ years of progressively responsible experience in philanthropy or a related field.
• Prior experience working in nonprofit sector.
• Proven success managing people, programs, and budgets.
• Demonstrated experience designing, implementing, and evaluating grantmaking strategies.
• Experience integrating evaluation and learning into organizational planning and practice.
• Prior experience leading through organizational growth and change.

Skills and Competencies

• Exceptional written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Strategic thinker with strong analytical and project management abilities.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously and work autonomously as well as within a team.
• Commitment to equity and justice in grantmaking, operations, and organizational culture.
• Ability to travel periodically for site visits, convenings, and conferences.
• Operates with a deep understanding of equity and values diversity in all aspects of the work.
• Exhibits awareness of and works to address one’s own privileges, biases, and cultural preferences and how they impact collaboration.
• Skilled in building and maintaining authentic relationships with diverse stakeholders.
• Demonstrates the values of the Foundation, including Excellence, Respect, Humility, Authenticity, and Collaboration.
• A lifelong learner who brings a growth mindset and is energized by contributing to an evolving organizational culture.
• Capable of processing complex information and making sound decisions.
• Ability to thrive in a dynamic environment and manage change effectively.
• An empathetic and thoughtful contributor to internal culture-building efforts during a time of growth and organizational development.
• Maintains confidentiality in all matters related to the foundation and its stakeholders.
• Collaborative, adaptable, and organized, balancing multiple priorities with clarity and calm.
• Constructive and solution-oriented, offering feedback with respect and care.
• Resilient and steady under pressure, helping maintain focus and perspective.

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

The position is a salaried, exempt, full-time role with a starting salary range of $290,000 to $330,000 annually, depending on professional and lived experience.

Additionally, the Paul M. Angell Family Foundation offers a highly competitive comprehensive benefits package including:

• Healthcare: 100% paid Platinum PPO health insurance premium for employees and 80% for dependents or family.
• Dental and Vision: 100% paid premium for employees, dependents, and family.
• 403b retirement savings plan employer contributions match: After three months of employment, the Foundation will contribute up to 9% of the employee’s salary—5% will be an outright contribution, and the Foundation will match up to 4% of the employee’s contribution to the plan.
• In addition to vacation, holidays, wellness, and sick days, the PMAFF offices are closed from December 26th through New Year’s Day annually, and employees’ salaries are paid during this closure.
• Twelve weeks of paid parental leave for a birth parent, non-birth parent, or adoption.
• We are committed to supporting your growth through professional development funds, tailored to your role and learning needs. We provide opportunities for collaboration, skill-building, and the time and space to grow in your career.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

• Currently, the position will function within a hybrid working environment in Chicago with alternating remote and three on-site workdays and may have in-person obligations that grow over time.
• Occasional evening and weekend work is required.
• Occasional out-of-town travel is required.
• The Foundation maintains a smoke-free and drug-free work environment in compliance with federal, state, and local regulations.
• While employed in this position, the employee may be required to perform other assignments not listed in this job description.
• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear and use hands to operate equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, scanners, and filing cabinets. Reasonable accommodation will enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the position’s essential functions.
• This position is at-will, meaning either party may terminate the employment relationship at any time with written notice. Nothing in this job description is to be construed as creating a contract for employment for a specific duration.

OUR DIVERSITY AND EQUAL OPPORTUNITY CORE VALUE

Paul M. Angell Family Foundation is committed to equal employment opportunity and to compliance with applicable local, state, and federal antidiscrimination laws which prohibit discrimination and harassment against any employees or applicants for employment based on their actual or perceived race, color, religion, age, ancestry, marital status, protective order status, military status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, work authorization status, pregnancy and the potential or intention to become pregnant, AIDS/HIV status, medical condition, status as a victim of domestic, sexual, gender or criminal violence, certain arrest or criminal history records, lack of a permanent mailing address or a mailing address that is a shelter or social services provider, and use of lawful products outside of work during non-working hours.

We will not tolerate discrimination or harassment based upon these characteristics or any other characteristics protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

Additionally, the Paul M. Angell Family Foundation offers a highly competitive comprehensive benefits package including:

• Healthcare: 100% paid Platinum PPO health insurance premium for employees and 80% for dependents or family.
• Dental and Vision: 100% paid premium for employees, dependents, and family.
• 403b retirement savings plan employer contributions match: After three months of employment, the Foundation will contribute up to 9% of the employee’s salary—5% will be an outright contribution, and the Foundation will match up to 4% of the employee’s contribution to the plan.
• In addition to vacation, holidays, wellness, and sick days, the PMAFF offices are closed from December 26th through New Year’s Day annually, and employees’ salaries are paid during this closure.
• Twelve weeks of paid parental leave for a birth parent, non-birth parent, or adoption.
• We are committed to supporting your growth through professional development funds, tailored to your role and learning needs. We provide opportunities for collaboration, skill-building, and the time and space to grow in your career.