Program Officer, Climate and Land Use – Los Altos, CA

Organization: The David and Lucile Packard Foundation

Job Title: Program Officer, Climate and Land Use

Location: Los Altos, CA

Hours and Compensation: The Packard Foundation offers an excellent benefits package and a competitive salary that is commensurate with experience and education. This position will be located in Los Altos, California and is full-time and exempt.

Application Deadline:  N/A

Posted On: April 30, 2013

Organization Overview:

The David and Lucile Packard Foundation (Foundation) is seeking a Program Officer. The Foundation is a family foundation that is guided by the enduring business philosophy and personal values of Lucile and David Packard, who helped found one of the world’s leading technology companies. Their approach to business and community participation has guided our philanthropy for nearly 50 years. Today, their children and grandchildren continue to help guide the work of the Foundation. The Foundation makes grants at the local, state, national, and international level.

They work on the issues their founders cared about most, which are

• Improving the lives of children
• Enabling the creative pursuit of science
• Advancing reproductive health
• Conserving and restoring the earth’s natural systems
• Supporting and strengthening an array of local nonprofit organizations

A staff of 110 conducts the day-to-day operations of the Foundation and a Board of Trustees oversees the work of the Foundation. David and Lucile Packard passed onto the Foundation the following core set of values: integrity, respect for all people, belief in individual leadership, commitment to effectiveness, and the capacity to think big.

The Conservation and Science Program invests in action and ideas that conserve and restore ecosystems while enhancing human well-being. The Program supports public policy reforms, changes in private sector practices, and scientific activities to develop essential knowledge and tools for addressing current and future priorities. The Conservation and Science Program supports work in four broad areas: Climate Change, Ocean and Fisheries Conservation, Western Conservation, and Science.

The Foundation’s work on climate change focuses on mitigation—that is, efforts to reduce net emissions of greenhouse gases. The Foundation provides support for work to reduce emissions associated with energy, industry, and transportation through the ClimateWorks Foundation. In the case of emissions associated with land use, including deforestation and agriculture emissions, the Foundation is a member of the Climate and Land Use Alliance (CLUA), which is a collaborative initiative of the Packard Foundation, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Ford Foundation, and ClimateWorks Foundation that seeks to catalyze the potential of forested and agricultural landscapes to mitigate climate change, benefit people, and protect the environment. These foundations coordinate their grantmaking on climate and land use under a unified strategy. The Packard Foundation supports CLUA both through core support to ClimateWorks and carries out direct grantmaking that has averaged roughly $10 million per year, with a focus on reducing emissions associated with biofuels and agriculture

Description:

The David and Lucile Packard Foundation is seeking an exceptional individual to lead its work on Climate and Land Use, with a particular emphasis on work to reduce emissions associated with agriculture. The Program Officer will manage an annual grant budget of $10 million, lead the design and implementation of the Foundation’s Climate and Land Use grantmaking strategy, and represent the Foundation on the CLUA Program Team. This position will work closely with grantees to achieve strategic outcomes that slow or reduce net GHG emissions associated with agriculture.

Since 2008, the Foundation has focused its grantmaking in this area through funding of three strategies: promoting a shift from unsustainable to sustainable biofuels, promoting U.S. and state climate policy that supports agricultural greenhouse gas emission reductions, and promoting U.S. federal policy and industry practices that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and nitrogen pollution. The grantmaking strategy is available on the Foundation’s Web site at: http://www.packard.org/what-we-fund/conservation-and-science/agriculture/.

Looking forward, the Foundation’s program will continue to implement that strategy, but will expand somewhat to include two new strategies for agricultural emissions reduction:

1) Supply chain innovations: Within the U.S., the Foundation will increase its support for supply-chain approaches to agricultural emissions, including work with major retailers and other purchasers of agricultural commodities on voluntary policies that will lead to decreased agricultural emissions.

2) International opportunities: The Foundation will focus on identifying and funding projects to reduce agricultural emissions outside of the United States. In the near term, this will include the expansion of a current project focused on palm oil in Indonesia. The Foundation anticipates that a regional focus on Asia will be an ongoing part of this strategy.

The Foundation currently works with several Senior Advisors who provide guidance on portions of the strategies above, and works closely with the CLUA Program Team and with grantees in developing and implementing its strategies.

The Program Officer must have a demonstrated record of success in achieving specific policy and programmatic outcomes. The position calls for a sophisticated ability to think strategically, and to manage complex processes involving multiple institutions and individuals in a team arrangement. The individual should be entrepreneurial and experienced in working with the private sector, governments, and non-governmental organizations. The ideal candidate will have significant and relevant international work experience. The Program Officer will report to Dr. Walter Reid, Program Director, Conservation and Science Program, and will work closely with a Program Associate and with the CLUA Program Director. This is an excellent opportunity for a professional with a desire to work at the interface of agriculture, land use, and climate.

Responsibilities:

The Program Officer will perform the following and other duties as assigned:

• Manage an annual grant budget of approximately $10 million
• In partnership with Foundation staff and other organizations, lead periodic revisions to the subprogram’s grantmaking strategies
• Empower and enable grant recipients to achieve real impact through specific policy and programmatic objectives
• Partner with members of the program support staff and manage consultants, providing guidance and coordination on all work products
• Clearly and consistently communicate with grant recipients and other potential partners in a transparent, timely, and respectful manner
• Review and resolve legal, financial, and technical issues raised by specific grants and grant reports
• Complete high quality and timely docket materials, including strategy documents, dashboards, etc.
• Think strategically and manage complex processes involving multiple institutions and individuals in a team arrangement
• Manage grant proposal processes and contribute to the shaping of proposals as needed
• Research and conduct analyses in areas of strategic priority
• Ensure that strategic communications and monitoring and evaluation are fully integrated into the subprogram’s grantmaking strategies
• Develop reviews and summaries for Foundation leadership and Board members that address key activities, progress, and issues
• Contribute actively as a member of the Conservation and Science Program Team
• Contribute actively as a member of the CLUA Program Team
• Represent the Foundation and the Conservation and Science Program to external audiences

Qualifications:

The successful candidate will have the following minimum qualifications:

• 5–10 years of relevant experience
• A graduate level degree in a related field (or equivalent education and experience)
• Recognition as a leader in work on agriculture, biofuels, and climate mitigation
• International experience involving work on agriculture, forests, biofuels, or climate change
• Familiarity with key NGO, academic, private sector, and governmental institutions involved with agriculture and biofuels
• Experience working with a variety of stakeholders, including foundations, NGOs, government agencies, and the business sector
• Demonstrated success in program development, evaluation, and management
• Team management experience and a demonstrated ability to lead, motivate, and inspire team members
• Intellectual agility and ability to analyze, conduct research, think critically, and understand scientific and policy studies that are directly relevant to programmatic funding areas
• Exceptional written and oral communication skills
• Ability and willingness to participate in and coordinate administrative duties as required
• Experience with grantmaking desirable but not necessary
• Experience working for or with private companies in the context of efforts to improve environmental performance through “supply chain” strategies highly desirable
• Relevant experience in Asia preferred

Personal Attributes

The following personal attributes are desired:

• Approachable demeanor and openness to input from all levels of staff and grantees
• Excellent interpersonal skills, including an ability to listen to others and learn from their best ideas, share best practices and experiences, and contribute to a learning environment throughout the Foundation
• Impeccable integrity and trustworthiness, sense of humor, and diplomatic approach to problem-solving
• Ability to consistently interact with others in a professional, courteous, and tactful manner, maintain a positive attitude and good working relationships, and work effectively in a team setting
• Ability to work well with colleagues, consultants, funders, and grantees across many diverse cultures and backgrounds
• Willingness to work on a flexible schedule, including travel within the U.S. and abroad over weekends when necessary

How to Apply: