Program Officer, Symbiosis in Aquatic Systems Initiative

The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation is seeking an accomplished professional to join our Science team as a Program Officer. Our ideal candidate will have knowledge of symbiosis science, evolutionary biology and related fields, a broad passion for science, and an interest in advancing philanthropic programs that create the enabling conditions to advance knowledge.

This role is a unique opportunity to serve as a thought partner, collaborator, grantmaker, and community builder. Reporting to the Initiative Program Director, you will be a member of the Symbiosis in Aquatic Systems Initiative team, responsible for helping create and steward a portfolio of high-impact grants that advance the initiative’s strategic goals. The Symbiosis in Aquatic Systems Initiative aims to generate new knowledge about marine and freshwater symbioses, including an emphasis on supporting development of tools, technologies, data resources and other efforts that benefit the research community.

You will also contribute to an emerging portfolio of grants focused on Evolution of Motion at the Microscale. This effort will explore how small organisms first developed ways to move through water.

What you will do:

• Contribute to implementation of the initiative’s overall strategic framework.
• Source, develop, and manage grants that advance specific initiative strategies.
• Maintain solid knowledge of relevant fields and emerging trends.
• Carry out activities beyond grantmaking to help drive change in the initiative’s focus areas (e.g., convening, facilitating, networking, communicating).
• Manage external relationships with grantees and other key partners in support of initiative goals.
• Develop and implement effective monitoring and evaluation plans and support ongoing adaptive management of grants, activities, and strategies.
• Coordinate with internal staff to complete grantmaking and monitoring processes.
• Participate in periodic presentations on initiative strategy and progress to the board, senior management, and other foundation staff.
• Be an effective contributor on a variety of program- and foundation-wide issues beyond the initiative.

What you bring with you:

Qualifications

While we understand that there are multiple paths to develop a specific expertise, we expect that this candidate will likely have the following:

• Ph.D. in life sciences.
• At least four years of professional experience in science administration, philanthropy, or strategic planning.
• A record of successfully promoting and working on complex partnerships or multi-stakeholder projects to achieve tangible outcomes.

Competencies

• Demonstrated strategic planning skills, with the ability to identify and rigorously analyze and evaluate new opportunities.
• Strong project management skills, with demonstrated ability to manage large projects and budgets, set realistic goals and objectives, and balance multiple priorities.
• Demonstrated robust analytical, writing, and communication skills.
• A strong individual contributor who can work well with nested high-functioning teams.
• Demonstrated strong teamwork and people skills, with the ability to develop productive relationships with colleagues, grantees, stakeholders, and others in a respectful and collaborative manner.
• Demonstrated comfort with, and experience in, public speaking and meeting organization/facilitation.
• Demonstrated ability and openness to adapt and adjust strategy and approach to changing conditions quickly; comfort with ambiguity and productive tensions.
• A proclivity to get things done and a can-do spirit.
• Personal motivation to support the foundation’s mission and goals.
• Willingness and ability for frequent domestic and international travel to grantee meetings, site visits, and national/international conferences, with flexibility to be away from home outside of standard business hours, including weekends.

Attributes

The ideal candidate will demonstrate the following attributes that describe how we at the foundation strive to do our work with each other and our partners.

• Committed to Excellence - We bring our best to all we do.
• Passionate - Inspired by the vision of our founders, we are passionate about our work.
• Collegial - We are part of a team striving toward common goals.
• Open and Honest - We act with integrity, putting the good of the foundation first.
• Humble and Self-Aware - Emulating our founders, we bring a sense of humility to our work.

Compensation and Benefits

The Moore Foundation provides a generous total compensation package that includes a competitive salary and a wide range of benefits to support your life, health, and well-being.

The expected salary range for this position is between $160,000 and $220,000 per year. Our job titles and salary ranges may span more than one career level, and the salary offered to a candidate will be determined based on factors such as the position's scope and responsibilities, job-related knowledge and skill set, depth of experience, certifications and/or degrees, and our practice of upholding salary equity within the foundation.

Our health benefits include employer-paid medical, dental, and vision insurance options for employees and dependents; a mental wellness program; paid parental leave; employer-paid disability and life insurance benefits; and pre-tax flexible spending accounts for medical and dependent care expenses.

Other benefits include six weeks of paid time off per year and ten paid holidays; a 401(k) retirement savings plan with a foundation contribution of up to 10% and a Roth 401(k) option; a matching gifts program for qualifying charitable contributions; hybrid work arrangements and a home office stipend; and a commuter benefits program.

To support you in achieving your career goals, the foundation offers a professional development program to all benefits-eligible employees that includes an annual financial benefit of $5,000 and paid time off to participate in educational programs.

Work Arrangements/Location

This position is based at the foundation’s main office in Palo Alto, CA. Candidates must be based in or willing to relocate to the San Francisco Bay Area. Under the foundation’s residency policy and hybrid work arrangements, employees must reside within a reasonable driving distance of the foundation’s Palo Alto office and work onsite a minimum of four days a month, the weeks of May and November board meetings, and on periodic occasions throughout the year when foundation business needs require. A fully remote work option will not be considered for this role.

About the Foundation

Gordon and Betty Moore established the foundation to create positive outcomes for future generations. Guided by this vision and the Statement of Founders' Intent, the foundation fosters path-breaking environmental conservation, scientific discovery, and preservation of the special character of the San Francisco Bay Area. We strive to make significant and durable impacts on the world.

Together, we work to honor the vision of our founders and serve as stewards of the resources they have entrusted to us. We establish specific strategies based on advice from experts, identify partners who share our goals and measure results along the way. We build relationships and fund work in areas where we hope to make significant impacts; and we know that working together expands our ability to drive meaningful change.