Program Officer

Colorado Health Foundation; Denver (CO); Hybrid; USD 109,000 - 129,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking passionate Program Officers to drive community engagement and philanthropic strategies. The role emphasizes health equity and racial justice, requiring candidates to navigate complex conversations and foster relationships with diverse stakeholders. With a commitment to serving underrepresented communities, the Foundation offers a dynamic environment for those eager to innovate solutions and improve practices. This full-time position in Denver includes a hybrid work model, allowing for flexibility while ensuring impactful contributions to community health. Join a team dedicated to making a meaningful difference in the lives of Coloradans.

Benefits

Robust benefit and wellness package

401(k) match

Generous paid leave programs

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree required; 5 years experience in nonprofit, public, or health sectors.
• Bilingual candidates preferred, especially in English and Spanish.

Responsibilities

• Engage communities and develop philanthropic strategies.
• Manage grants and promote health equity initiatives.

Skills

Critical Thinking

Problem Solving

Relationship Development

Project Management

Health Equity Knowledge

Bilingual Communication

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in related field

Job description

The Foundation is happy to announce two openings for the position of Program Officer. This position is responsible for active community engagement, development and implementation of philanthropic strategies, and reviewing, recommending and managing grants.

The openings include the following bodies of work:

1. Position One: Foundation’s priorities of affordable housing, thriving young people, and economic opportunity.
2. Position Two: Foundation’s priorities of access to primary care, adult recovery, and thriving young people.

At the Foundation, we believe keeping equity at the heart of our work will lead to better health for ourselves, our organization, our communities, and our state. This starts internally, including intentional application of diversity, equity, and inclusion practices to guide how we operate and work in communities across Colorado. For example, our cornerstones are designed to help ensure that:

1. We serve Coloradans who have less power, privilege and income, and prioritize Coloradans of color.
2. We do everything with the intent of creating health equity.
3. We are informed by the community and those we exist to serve.

Candidates must have a personal commitment and connection with our mission and cornerstones; work well in ambiguity and managing change; and proactively identify opportunities to advance our mission while remaining grounded in the day-to-day responsibilities. They will need to be able to apply principles of health equity and racial justice across all of their work, as well as integrate concepts of strategy formation and refinement, systems thinking, complexity, adaptive/emergent strategy, worldviews and power.

Ideal candidates will:

1. Feel comfortable engaging in complex conversations around health equity and the Foundation’s strategies.
2. Be skilled at critical thinking, problem solving, and have an ability to make decisions and see paths forward even when there is considerable ambiguity.
3. Excel in developing relationships with various partners and stakeholders; producing written summaries and recommendations; managing multiple projects with consistency, timeliness and accuracy; and exhibiting a desire to learn.
4. Have a deep understanding of the communities we serve, including communities of color, rural communities, and neighborhoods or regions that face the greatest health inequities.
5. Have a broad understanding of the social determinants of health, policy/advocacy, community-based work, and philanthropy.
6. Be able to work both independently and collaboratively, within and across teams.
7. Be motivated to identify issues, innovate solutions, and continuously improve practice.

Program officers are actively engaged in their assigned regions and communities, which requires a minimum of 40% travel throughout Colorado. A valid Colorado driver’s license is required for travel throughout the state.

A Bachelor’s Degree that would prepare for the work of community change, advancing health equity through racial justice or other related field is necessary. Additionally, qualified candidates need five years’ experience in the nonprofit, public, or health sectors. Strong preference will be given to applicants who are bilingual and bicultural and fluent in written and spoken English and Spanish or are multilingual.

It is an exciting time to join the Foundation whose assets include a complex investment portfolio valued at approximately $2.6 billion and whose annual grant making is in excess of $100 million. Additional benefits are a robust benefit and wellness package, 401(k) match, and generous paid leave programs. The starting range for this position is $109,300 – $128,400 per year, paid as salaried, exempt and is eligible for all CHF benefits. This is a full-time position in Denver, Colorado with the exception of required travel. We work on a hybrid schedule of Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday in office (required) and Thursday and Friday remote. Qualified candidates should submit their resumes and cover letters, stating which position(s) interest you, on the Colorado Health Foundation’s website (www.coloradohealth.org).

The positions will close on Jan 30, 2025.

The Colorado Health Foundation is an Equal Opportunity Employer and invites qualified candidates from all backgrounds to apply.