Evaluation and Learning Officer (PF)

The David & Lucile Packard Foundation - Los Altos, CA; Los Altos (CA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

A prominent family foundation in Los Altos, California, is seeking an Evaluation and Learning Officer to enhance its monitoring and evaluation efforts. This role requires a minimum of 8 years of experience in strategy, evaluation, and ongoing learning within diverse sectors. The ideal candidate will work closely with various program teams to shape evaluation methodologies and practices. Strong communication and analytical skills are essential, along with knowledge in population health, climate science, and mission investing. Join a dynamic team dedicated to impactful learning.

Qualifications

• Minimum of eight years of experience in strategy, measurement, and evaluation.
• Proven ability in ongoing learning and adaptive management.
• Experience in nonprofit, government, academic, or private sector.
• Experience in organizations as a grant recipient is helpful.
• Knowledge or deep interest in population and reproductive health, climate science, or mission investing is essential.

Responsibilities

• Support evaluation and learning initiatives across all program areas.
• Act as a thought partner for various programs.
• Strengthen Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning practices.

Skills

Strategic evaluation

Quantitative evaluation techniques

Qualitative evaluation techniques

Analytical thinking

Communication skills

Interpersonal skills

Adaptive management

Grant-recipient experience helpful

Job description

We are a family foundation 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. The David & Lucile Packard Foundation is guided by the core values of integrity, respect for all people, belief in individual leadership, commitment to effectiveness, and the capacity to think big.

The Evaluation and Learning Team

Our Evaluation and Learning Team (E&L Team) strives to stay on the leading edge of monitoring, evaluation, and learning methodologies to ensure strategies for each of the Foundation’s 23 subprograms and their impacts are effectively evaluated and aligned with our mission, values, and goals.

Our monitoring, evaluation, and learning work is guided by five principles:

• Continuously Learn and Adapt
• Learn in Partnership
• Use a Variety of Information
• Cultivate Inquiry
• Share Learning to Increase Impact

The Opportunity

The Foundation is adding another Evaluation and Learning Officer (ELO) to our dynamic E&L Team. The new ELO will join the Foundation during a period of significant growth in funding and support to our grantees and will have the opportunity to help shape and guide the trajectory of the Foundation’s evaluation and learning work.

Reporting to the Evaluation and Learning Director, the new ELO will have the opportunity to use their technical expertise from the field of strategy, evaluation, and learning to act as a thought partner to the Population and Reproductive Health program (50% of role), Climate program (20%), and the Mission Investing team (15%). The new ELO will spend the remaining 15% of their time supporting Foundation-wide evaluation and learning initiatives. The new ELO will play a pivotal role on the E&L Team in strengthening the Foundation’s Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) practice across all program areas.

Candidates must have a minimum of eight years of experience leading strategy, measurement and evaluation, and promoting ongoing learning and adaptive management in the nonprofit, government, academic, or private sector. Candidates must be well-versed in using a variety of qualitative and quantitative evaluation techniques.

Intellectual curiosity, strong analytical and critical thinking skills, and the ability to balance multiple, often competing priorities is required. Candidates should also possess exceptional communication and interpersonal skills, as well as a demonstrated ability to lead, motivate, and inspire teams.

Experience working at organizations as a grant recipient is helpful. A knowledge or deep interest in current issues in population and reproductive health, climate science, and/or mission investing is essential to success in this role.

The ELO will be based in Los Altos, California and will travel both domestically and internationally. On the ground work experience in geographies where the Foundation invests is valuable.

To Apply

Please visit the candidate portal to submit your resume and a cover letter expressing your passion for the mission and fit for the role.

The David and Lucile Packard Foundation values diversity as an asset essential to accomplishing our work and views diversity as including differences in race and gender, as well as age, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, job skills, education, and geographic location. We encourage all qualified candidates to apply.