Program Officer

Grand Rapids Community Foundation - Grand Rapids, MI; Grand Rapids (MI); On-site; Full time

Job summary

A community foundation in Michigan is seeking a Program Officer to enhance community engagement and resource activities. The role involves collaborating with partners, supporting strategic initiatives, and maintaining relationships within communities facing inequities. Candidates should have strong collaborative skills, attention to detail, and experience working with diverse backgrounds. This position is vital in aligning the Foundation’s efforts with community needs and opportunities.

Qualifications

• Demonstrated ability to work effectively in collaborative settings.
• Extensive experience working with diverse cultural and social backgrounds.
• Strong judgment and exceptional attention to detail.

Responsibilities

• Advance community engagement through collaboration with the Program Department.
• Develop genuine relationships in the community to understand lived experiences.
• Support strategic opportunities aligning with the Foundation's mission.

Skills

Collaborative work

Active listening

Cultural competency

Attention to detail

Job description

The Program Officer works closely with the Program Department team to advance the Community Foundation’s community engagement and resource activities. They will work as a team with other program officer(s) on the grant activities of existing specialty funds such as the Nonprofit Technical Assistant Fund, geographic affiliates, Black Legacy Fund, Our LGBTQ Fund, Somos Comunidad Fund, Youth Fund, Fund for Community Good, or multiple designated funds for specific use. The Program Officer will walk alongside prospective partners from inquiry, application, implementation and evaluation.

The Program Officer will play a supportive role in informing strategic opportunities and connections between the Community Foundation and the community that balances systems-level work with support for catalytic opportunities at the grassroots level. Part of a collaborative team, the Program Officer will work to identify opportunities for the Community Foundation to support emerging efforts that align with the organization’s North Star. The Program Officer will develop and maintain authentic relationships in community that ensure an understanding of the lived experience of people encountering inequities.

The Program Officer will have an extraordinary understanding and commitment to the Community Foundation’s North Star and deeply rooted relationships and networks within communities experiencing inequities in Kent County. They will have extensive experiences working effectively with persons from various cultural, social and ethnic backgrounds. They will have a demonstrated ability to work in a collaborative setting, be flexible and adaptive while exercising strong judgement and exceptional attention to detail, multitask to meet deadlines, effectively communicate around sensitive issues, and the ability to be an active listener.